HOOPER -- When Herbert Peterson retired from Hill Air Force Base, he needed something to do with his spare time. So he went out to his garage and started a new business.
Herb's Sharp Shop opened Jan. 1, 1979, and for more than 30 years, Peterson sharpened everything from scissors and knives to lawn mower and saw blades.
Now 88, Peterson has decided he deserves a little more time for himself. His last day in business is Tuesday.
"I want a little more freedom, and at my age, I think I deserve it," he said.
Peterson grew up in west Ogden, graduating from Ogden High School in 1940. After serving with the Army Air Corps in World War II, Peterson worked at Hill as an equipment specialist. It was there that he came to know the importance of a good, sharp tool.
"I had some experience working with tools, so I figured I could get into the sharpening business," he said. "I was like a one-stop shop for sharpening almost anything you had in your house. You could come to my place and have your scissors sharpened or your saw sharpened. It saved people a lot of running around. I had people from all over the country bringing their tools to my shop."
Madelon Damon said not only did Peterson sharpen tools for a living, he did a lot of it for free.
"He is the most humble man," she said. "He opened that little shop and just went about his work in a quiet manner. He did a lot of it for free, just out of love for his friends and neighbors."
Damon said Peterson loved to go to Sam's Club every Saturday at noon and bring handmade gifts to people.
"Everything from belt buckles to polished stones," she said. "He would take home knives from the demo booths and sharpen them, bring them back and not charge a dime. Who does that?"
Damon said Peterson is an avid gardener, raising sweet corn, cabbage and tomatoes, which he regularly gives away. He also builds model trains.
"He's into everything," she said. "He has a very active mind. I remember when he used to pay to take his sons fishing in Alaska. He just loved to do that.
"He is the most giving, kind, sentimental man you could ever know. I think when he closes up that sharp shop, people are really going to miss him. He was very good at what he did."
Peterson is glad he opened the shop. He said all tools need sharpening from time to time. In fact, dull tools can be downright dangerous, even more so than one that's razor sharp.
"I learned quite a bit about tool sharpening and the importance of doing it the right way," Peterson said. "It's important to know what a sharp tool looks like."
Now that he's retiring for good, Peterson said he plans to spend a little more time reading and writing poetry and spending time with his family -- Wanda, his wife of 68 years, their seven children, 30 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and black-and-white dog Zoe.
"My tools are up for sale," he said. "But I loved the job. I met a lot of very good people and developed some wonderful friendships. I want them to know how much I appreciated it."
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