Combining works of art and functional furniture typically isn’t an easy feat to accomplish, but craftsman Brad Unsworth, founder of Tactical Heritage, is up for the challenge. Unsworth has been creating specialty pieces of carpentry for over a decade now, rapidly gaining recognition for his creative use of live edge wood and woodworking techniques.
Unsworth believes in creating high-quality heirloom pieces that cannot be found in modern stores or produced in factories.
“All of our units are custom designed and built to last. They’re not manufactured with cheap materials and stapled together,” stated Unsworth. “We individually select, glue, and screw every piece of timber to ensure the quality of our work.”
Live edge wood is special in that it retains the natural lines and patterns of the trunk of the tree that it is milled from, highlighting the raw, natural beauty of the wood. Tactical Heritage strives to preserve this distinct beauty in its pieces.
Tactical Heritage works with a wide variety of local trees and wood, including longleaf pine, pecan, cedar, black walnut, and oak. Unsworth himself recovers, mills, and kiln-dries much of the wood that is used for live edge slab pieces. The slabs are then ripped down to a solid two-inches thick, ensuring sturdy, quality pieces.
“We personally hand select and torch every piece of timber to guarantee a unique grain pattern and knot assortment,” explained Unsworth. “It’s a level of dedication you can’t find many other places.”
Many of Tactical Heritage’s clients see videos of Unsworth’s work or similar work featured in online videos or pictures. They discover Tactical Heritage when looking for local carpenters that are capable of creating these unique works of art, as there are very few craftsmen in the Sandhills region who have the skillset to create these pieces.
“We do a little bit of everything: live-edge slabs and epoxy, concealment furniture, custom wooden flags, remodeling, furniture design, and more,” said Unsworth. By offering such a diverse range of services, the custom craftsman is able to reach and serve a broader clientele throughout the Sandhills.
According to Unsworth, many clients have been selecting live edge and resin countertops as a bold alternative granite as of late. The live edge pieces not only have a strong visual impact, but are also easy to clean and maintain, leading to a recent spike in interest for work surfaces. The ability to customize the surface and colors allows live edge pieces to work with any color scheme or style of decorating.
Tactical Heritage does take custom orders, and is more than happy to work one-on-one with clients to achieve the perfect result.
“I enjoy dialing it in just how the client or home owner wants,” said Unsworth. After a design is created, each project generally takes two to four weeks to craft. Unsworth can work with any idea or design and can implement just about anything into a project. “I thoroughly enjoy working with clients on a personal basis to make their visions a reality.”
For more information, find Tactical Heritage on Facebook, visit www.tacticalheritage.com, or contact Brad Unsworth at 910-638-5895.
