Ken Hatcher has never been one to sit idle.

For the past 18 years, he’s owned a Richland business called Accelerated Hypnosis. He also operates a structural glass polishing business.

So, as he winds down his working career, what’s his plan?

Well, how about sharpening knives?

The 55-year-old Richland man recently opened Professional Sharp Works at 925 Stevens Drive, Suite 1F, in Richland.

“Eleven months ago, I started thinking about retiring,” he said. “I was searching for what to do. This is the one that got me hooked. It’s like being a dentist for an alligator.”

Most people don’t think about them much, but knives — and scissors, clipping tools, etc. — begin to get dull over time.

“I’ve been a hobbyist in knife sharpening,” Hatcher said. “I bought a machine and started sharpening knives for my family and the neighborhood.”

That’s right. Hatcher visited his neighbors’ homes, knocked on their doors, and asked, “Hey, you got any knives or scissors I could sharpen?”

They would turn them over to him.

“People all around the neighborhood — a lot of people loaned me their stuff. And then people started tipping me,” Hatcher said. “I sharpened 150 knives before I felt qualified.”

He also reached out to Buck Van Lanen of Kennewick, who owns Van Lanen Sharpening Service, and is one of the best sharpeners around, according to Hatcher.

“He’s a scissors master,” he said. “This man is officially a mentor to me. Van Lanen told me, ‘You’ll find out you’ll be an artisan.’ ”

 Only three months into his new venture, and Hatcher is starting to feel he’s on his way to becoming an artisan.

 “A sharp knife is so important. It’s such a pleasure, and cooking just changes everything,” he said. “Cutting tomato slices so thin for sandwiches is easy. When it cuts through a tomato, it makes a great sound. Everything is just better in the kitchen.

“Or when your wrist hurts and you’re trying to cut something with a dull knife, it hurts,” he continued. “I keep coming back to pleasure. Think of all the dull knives used in life.”

It’s just not knives either.

He’ll sharpen blades for yards tools, including mowers, shovels, machetes, pruners and clippers.

He also sharpens all types of scissors for quilting, hair salons, animal groomers and general purposes.

“Most service is one business day turnaround, and two days max,” said Hatcher, who is starting to also sharpen augers for electricians and plumbers.

Each time a blade is turned in to Hatcher, he’ll record it beforehand. When the item is done being sharpened, he will record it again with a paper cut test. That video is then moved into video storage and placed in the customer’s file.

Hatcher has a part-time craftsman working with him.

Ken Hatcher sits next to his work area at Professional Sharp Works in Richland.

| Photo by Jeff Morrow 

Currently, Hatcher said he sharpening knives for four chefs in the Tri-Cities region. He’d like chefs to be about 10% of his business.

But most of the calls Hatcher gets come from women over the age of 60. Many enjoy crafting.

“I started with their knives, then their nice scissors. Now I’m working on their yard tools,” he said. “Think about those yard clippers. If you have arthritis in one of your hands, it hurts if those blades are dull.”

His price list is $2 per inch for kitchen knives, $2.50 if they’re serrated. Single-blade pocket knives run $10 each; add an additional $5 for each blade. Lawn mower blades run $15; axes and hatchets are $10 per edge. Hand pruners are $10.

It’s been a fun journey for Hatcher, who says he’s getting great feedback from customers.

“Doing hypnosis is a private thing. People don’t want to talk about it,” Hatcher said. “But everyone seems happy when it comes to sharpened knives. Right now, I can’t get enough of it. It’s like putting together puzzles. It’s a great gift for someone. Nobody thinks about sharp knives.”

In three years, Hatcher wants Professional Sharp Works to be the premier go-to place for sharpening and repairing kitchen knives, everyday-carry knives, hunting knives. Everything.

“It feels so good to start something and finish it — to take something someone needs and finish it,” he said. “I love to make it better. I love that. I have a lot of good days doing this.”

Professional Sharp Works: 925 Stevens Drive, Suite 1F, Richland; 509-579-6627; ProSharpworks@yahoo.com; professionalsharpworks.com. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.