Joe Hardin, of Lebanon, cuts a piece of wood from a bourbon barrel he uses to make custom engraved products in his garage in Lebanon, Ind. For him, woodworking is more than making furniture and other objects. It’s a way to keep himself on the straight and narrow.

One tool Hardin still keeps in his shop today is his Lufkin Ultralok 12, a tape measure his grandfather gave him, along with a bag of other tools, when he got his first apartment.

“Unfortunately, I can’t use it anymore,” Hardin said as he rubs the tape measure back and forth between his hands. “I’m just afraid to completely destroy it. I would say this was my introduction to woodworking. I used to hang out at my grandfather’s shop and slam it shut, which is a big no no. I like to keep it around because sometimes the feel or the smell of something will take you back and my grandfather’s shop definitely had it’s own smell.”

“There’s something about the functionality and the beauty of a pen,” Hardin said. “Yeah, I can turn a beautiful bowl which I’m obviously not diminishing how wonderful a beautifully-turned piece is, but there’s something about a wood pen … there’s beauty and functionality. It’s everything I love about woodworking. Yes it’s beautiful, but it also functions.”

It takes Hardin only around half an hour to make a pen. For him, wooden pens are like vintage cars.

“They still function great, they write great. It’s just a smooth operation,” Hardin said.

Living near his grandfather, he said he spent a lot of time in his shop, soaking up his passion for woodworking. He then lost his direction and gave up the hobby altogether. But during his sobriety journey, he picked woodworking up again as a way to stay busy.

Sawdust collects at Joe Hardin’s feet as he uses his lathe. Hardin recently bought a new lathe that he said is, “like the Ferrari of lathes.” He was hesitant to buy such a nice machine but after conversations with his wife, he felt better about his purchase.

Hardin is two years into his sobriety journey. Woodworking, and turning pens gives him an avenue where he can express himself, and provide for his family.

In the future, he hopes to start a woodworking counseling facility where he can share his passion for woodworking with other people going through addiction.