Hardwood Log Grading in the United States—Part 1: 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. Hardwood log grading is an essential component of any hardwood sawmill's operation and effectively sets the stage for profit or loss. Various efforts have been made to develop a standardized log grading system by both the forest products industry and the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDAFS) since the beginning of the 20th century. However, even after over a century of effort, there is still no broadly accepted standard for grading hardwood logs. The purpose of this article is to document the historical evolution of hardwood log grading systems. Understanding the development of hardwood log grading systems over time can help to produce a better log grading standard in the future.