Hardwood Log Grading in the United States--Part I: A Historical Perspective

The ability to efficiently and consistently characterize the quality of hardwood sawlogs is an indispensable part of operating a hardwood sawmill. And it is equally important for buyers and sellers of hardwood logs to negotiate prices on a uniform basis of both scale and grade. While scaling of logs is relatively straightforward, assuming buyer and seller agree on a specific log rule to use (e.g., Doyle, Scriber, International), grading logs for the purposes of evaluating quality is more complex.