We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bradley Horton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bradley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

“It’s beautiful and beyond my expectations!”

“Just as pictured, and higher quality than I expected.”

“This cutting board is so much better than I expected.”

“I custom ordered this board, and it far exceeded my expectations. It is beautiful, and the craftsmanship is unbelievable!”

Nothing motivates me to strive for better than receiving reviews like these. I take great pride in ensuring that nothing leaves my shop without passing multiple inspections—even if it means taking extra time to fix an issue that others might overlook. This process can sometimes be time-consuming and costly, but shipping something I’m not 100% satisfied with is simply not an option.

In today’s market, most consumers start their search for products with the big online retailers. We all know which company I mean. The problem with mass-market products, even if they look similar to what I create, is that the cost of production is far lower. A potential customer might see a two-pack of cutting boards for a fraction of the price of a single board I make. But what they often don’t realize is that a product made from high-quality materials and crafted with care will outlast those budget options many times over. This is what leads to “throwaway culture,” where items degrade quickly, are used a few times, and then end up in the landfill.

I often get asked about cost, and it’s a difficult question to answer without sounding pretentious, but here’s the truth: you get what you pay for. By purchasing from a specialist, you’re getting a far superior product compared to a mass-produced, low-cost item from a big-box retailer. Cheap products may look fine at first, but they often contain harmful chemicals, warp after washing, and can even damage your kitchen tools.

When you buy cheap, mass-produced furniture that comes in a flat box for DIY assembly, you’re essentially buying furniture made from “trash.” Low-end furniture is usually constructed from particle board, which is just sawdust glued together. It’s easily damaged by moisture, scratching, or dents. On the other hand, hardwood furniture, like the kind that’s been passed down through generations, can last a lifetime or longer. That vanity from 1905 your great-grandparents handed down? It’s still here because it was hand-crafted from solid materials that were meant to endure.

Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced world, many consumers are looking for convenience and low-cost options, even if they come at the expense of quality. When I started my business, I had to make a choice: I could mass-produce low-end products to compete with the overseas imports and try to match their prices, or I could focus on crafting artisanal, hand-made pieces that, with proper care, will last a lifetime. I chose the latter. It requires more work, more attention to detail, and results in fewer sales overall, but the joy I get from reading glowing customer reviews is worth every bit of effort.

Bradley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Bradley Horton, and I’m the owner and sole operator of NW Wood PDX. I’ve always had a passion for working with my hands, and from a young age, I was fascinated by how things worked. I was known for being a bit destructive—I loved taking things apart, but wasn’t always great at putting them back together. Sorry, Mom and Dad.

When COVID hit, my day job took it very seriously. I came down with what turned out to be a common cold, but with the same symptoms, I was forced to quarantine for two weeks. I don’t do well when I’m left with nothing to do. So, one of the first days, I wandered into my garage to see what needed tidying or reorganizing. That kept me busy for a couple of hours, but then I remembered I had a stack of leftover lumber from a fence project the year before. I also had some basic tools—a cheap table saw from Home Depot and an old miter saw I found at a yard sale.

With summer around the corner, I decided to build a simple planter box for the backyard. It came together quickly, so I made another one to match. As they sat side by side, I thought, “Why not add a bench between them?” It wasn’t perfect, but it was on par with what you’d find at your local garden shop. From there, I built a matching double bench with a small table separating the chairs. All of these pieces were made from cedar 2x4s and leftover fence planks, with some basic miter cuts.

I thought they looked good enough to share on my personal social media, and the response was incredible. Friends started asking if I could make them similar pieces, while others were skeptical and challenged me to prove I actually built them. That response led me down a deep rabbit hole of woodworking research—watching countless videos, reading discussions from older woodworkers on decades-old forums, and learning everything I could about the craft.

Eventually, I visited a local boutique hardwood shop and bought a little bit of this and that, mostly because the woods looked beautiful. I started with simple projects—cutting straight lines, gluing pieces together in striped patterns, and sanding them smooth before finishing with oil to bring out the colors. I’ll never forget my first small project: a strip of padauk sandwiched between yellowheart and mahogany. It was too small to be a cutting board, too big to be a coaster, and too thin to be anything else. A few years later, I added a second piece to make it thicker, and now it hangs in my shop as a reminder of where I started.

Since officially launching my business in February 2022, I’ve taken on a variety of jobs—refinishing furniture, building doors and countertops, and modifying existing pieces for customers. But what I really love is creating my own designs. I specialize in hardwood end-grain chopping blocks, ranging in size from a tiny 2.5″x4″x0.5″ board for a lizard’s Instagram page to a massive 24″x36″x2.5″ chaos board, weighing over 50 pounds, for a professional chef buddy of mine. If you’re ever in Bend, OR, be sure to check out his restaurant, Wonderland Chicken Co!

One of my most popular creations is my “spirit boards.” A high school friend asked me to make a Ouija cutting board, which required using my laser engraver. We were both thrilled with the result, and after posting it online, it gained a lot of attention. However, due to copyright concerns, I didn’t feel comfortable advertising the original Ouija design, so I asked my tattoo artist, Hades (yes, that’s their real name), to create a custom spirit board layout. It turned out fantastic.

I’m especially proud of my dark Oregon walnut butcher blocks. Leading up to Christmas 2022, I had an order form on Etsy for custom sizes and a few add-on options. They were so popular that season I had to take the listing down because I simply couldn’t keep up with demand. But, I plan to open up limited orders again this holiday season, so stay tuned!

How’d you meet your business partner?

My co-founder and business partner is my wife, Jeraleh. We met shortly after high school and have been partners in crime for nearly 20 years. Both of us grew up in Yakima, Washington, and we made the move to Portland together in 2014.

In 2017, Jeraleh was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her bravery throughout this battle was nothing short of inspiring. Over the course of that year-long fight, she proved to me—time and time again—that she is a true warrior.

While Jeraleh is technically hands-off in the day-to-day operations of the business, I consider her to be my essential quality control. Nothing gets packed up and shipped until I get her feedback. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. She’s the driving force behind me starting this journey. She gave me the courage to take that first step and pushed me to follow through. There were countless moments when I felt uncertain or overwhelmed by the idea of taking that leap, but it was her unwavering support, along with your encouragement, that kept me going when I doubted myself.

Jeraleh, from the bottom of my heart, I love you, I appreciate you, I respect you, and I am profoundly grateful for who you are. Thank you for always pushing me to be better.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I started my business with little to no capital, always a DIYer at heart. Over the years, I slowly gathered tools, starting with a $129 green table saw, a nearly antique single-bevel SEARS miter saw, and a few clamps I found on Facebook Marketplace. My first few months of building and selling were a grind. Every penny I earned went right back into the business—some smart choices, but mostly mistakes. For instance, I sold the wobbly table saw after about five months and upgraded to a contractor saw, only to replace it after three months with a heavy-duty hybrid saw. It was a good move, but soon I noticed a disturbing trend among experienced woodworkers—missing fingers. That’s when I realized I needed a safer saw, one with a safety feature that could save my digits.

The process of upgrading cost me more than it would have if I’d done more research instead of making impulse buys, but I’ve learned from it. Along with the saw, I replaced the miter saw, invested in quality sanding equipment, and realized that a good dust collection system is crucial for health. You don’t need top-of-the-line equipment starting out; just research your craft, buy a few used tools, and keep upgrading as you go.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.NwWoodPDX.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/nwwoodpdx