Why the same Term but different Amount?

[firemedic589]

I have a question for the northern fokes. Here in the DC, Md & Va area, fire wood that is sold by the "cord" is a 128cuft. Now, I have family in the Watertown Ny area and all the wood is sold by the "cord" but it is a face cord and not a true cord. Why is there a difference in measurements when using the same term?

I found this interesting when I saw on Craigslist a "cord of wood" for sale for $50. It seems that up there if I want 128cuft of firewood then I would have to buy 3 cords per seller. That difference in terms wasn't just a local person, but also several dealers...

[beenthere]

It is the reason that many states have passed a commerce law that states what a cord of wood measures out to be... all I've seen or heard about refer to a cord as 128 cuft of stacked wood.

Sellers will get by with whatever is local and with what they can get by with.

[Raider Bill]

In Tennessee a face cord is called a "rick".

[M_S_S]

In California and Oregon wood is sold by the cord (128 sq ft), 1/2 cord, 1/3 cord, 1/4 cord etc.. A full cord of 16" wood will have 3 tiers or ricks, but it is not legal to sell by them, only if you call them the fraction of a cord that they are. Ed

[Brad_S.]

Here in Western New York, it is usually called a "face cord" and is usually identified as such. Wood here for suburban homeowners is almost always sold by the FC and rarely by the cord. (i.e. you would call and order three face cord instead of ordering a cord from a seller.)

I suspect the seller in Watertown was either an amateur trying to make a little beer money and unaware of the proper nomenclature or trying to bamboozle someone.  A cord is a cord anywhere, as far as I know.

[firemedic589]

At least everyone here agrees as to the term. There is a dealer up in Watertown that is selling the wood buy the "cord" which i actully a FC. When I spoke to several people last year while I was up there they all used the term cord in place of the term FC. I just didn't understand why...thx

[beenthere]

Found this for NY

In New York State, when advertising firewood, dealers are also legally required to adhere to the following:
A full cord is defined as a stack of firewood measuring 4ft x 8ft x 4ft
A half cord = 4ft x 8ft x 2ft
A third of a cord = 4ft x 8ft x 16in
A face cord = 4ft x 8ft x 16 or 18in
A rack = 4ft x 8ft x 18in
A truckload = 9ft x 9ft x 3ft
If the word "seasoned" is used in advertising firewood, the dealer must specify how long it has been seasoned and whether it was air or kiln dried.

http://ccetompkins.org/energy/heating-wood/buying-firewood

[terry f]

   Beethere, you had me until you got down to face cord, rack and truckload. Fractions or multiples of cords seems to only fair (universal) way of measure, but I know face is popular on here.

[beenthere]

terry
Those are for NY. 

Years back, when 4' wood was cut/stacked by hand in the south, I recall the term "rick" was used for half a cord. The size was 4 x 4 x 4 feet (IIRC).  Terms vary over time by local usage and "word of mouth".   ;D

I see a pub from the PNW area uses "rick" or "short cord" as something similar to a face cord.
http://nnrg.org/files/pubs-and-resources/measuring_timber_products.pdf

[doctorb]

My favorite use of the term "cord" is when you hear or read someone say that "the fish were stacked in there like cord wood." 

[Raider Bill]

I think Rick started out as Rack till the Southern accent got a hold of it. :D

[Weekend_Sawyer]

When I used to sell firewood I would deliver a 1/2 cord at a time, because that's all that fit in my truck.
I can't tell you how many times the buyer would be surprized to find out that only 1/2 cord fit in  a pickup truck.
Over and over they would tell me but I paid full price for 1 pickup load last time and he called it a cord.

Jon

[r.man]

Around here we have the cord, face cord thing as well and you just need to clarify that both parties are talking about the same dimensions and that sidesteps potential problems. Cordwood however was a different thing. Cordwood was four foot long split wood that got loaded into train box cars to be shipped to urban markets. Many local people made badly needed cash by doing cordwood over the winter. I always took " stacked like cordwood " to mean like the big piles of four foot firewood at the railway sidings waiting to be loaded.

[thecfarm]

My Father would talk about Cliff Cordwood. He was talking about split 4 foot wood. He thought some guy named Cliff split the wood way back when.  I have never heard of selling wood around here in anything but by the cord. Be it ¼-½.

[CRThomas]

I have a question for the northern fokes. Here in the DC, Md & Va area, fire wood that is sold by the "cord" is a 128cuft. Now, I have family in the Watertown Ny area and all the wood is sold by the "cord" but it is a face cord and not a true cord. Why is there a difference in measurements when using the same term?

I found this interesting when I saw on Craigslist a "cord of wood" for sale for $50. It seems that up there if I want 128cuft of firewood then I would have to buy 3 cords per seller. That difference in terms wasn't just a local person, but also several dealers...

A face cord is in my area a rank a 4 ft by 8 ft by 16 inches a 1/3 of a cord which is about right for $50.00 there will be arguments over this every place in the the USA people will argue over this but people in city's don't have the room for a cord that's 4 ft by 8 ft by 4 ft I always look at what the customer want he tells me he wants a rank of firewood he gets a 4 ft by 8 ft by 16 inches

[CRThomas]

I have a question for the northern fokes. Here in the DC, Md & Va area, fire wood that is sold by the "cord" is a 128cuft. Now, I have family in the Watertown Ny area and all the wood is sold by the "cord" but it is a face cord and not a true cord. Why is there a difference in measurements when using the same term?

I found this interesting when I saw on Craigslist a "cord of wood" for sale for $50. It seems that up there if I want 128cuft of firewood then I would have to buy 3 cords per seller. That difference in terms wasn't just a local person, but also several dealers...

If I could bye a cord of wood delivered for $50.00 I would order 100 cord that would be a deal

[jwilly3879]

Right now green wood is $75.00 for a face cord of 16" mixed hardwood. Seasoned is very scarce now but if you find it $100.

Face cords are the most common way to sell if you only have a pickup to deliver, the dump truck guys sell by the truckload and have a good idea what they get on.

[terry f]

    Interesting Beenthere, that publication is 11 years old and local to me, and they use the term face cord, something I had never heard of until here. I also find it interesting that you get over three cord per thousand board feet, that seems like a lot. Maybe those firewood guys know something about the value of a tree. Around here its only standing dead or downed trees that are cut, so seasoned is never in the adds, just species. Everyone calls Doug Fir, red fir, and Western Larch is tamarack.

[xalexjx]

I advertise as 4 face cord loads, then always specify 1 and 1/3 pulp cords

Right now green wood is $75.00 for a face cord of 16" mixed hardwood. Seasoned is very scarce now but if you find it $100.

Face cords are the most common way to sell if you only have a pickup to deliver, the dump truck guys sell by the truckload and have a good idea what they get on.

im selling it cheaper off the conveyer, selling it for 75 delivered down to minerva/ chestertown area.

[36 coupe]

Calling an 8 foot pickup load of wood a cord is an old form of cheating.My trailer measures 4x8 feet and has 2 foot sides.It holds a half cord of sawed firewood stacked.Years ago I delivered wood to a neighbor lady.I stacked the wood in her shed.She came out to pay me.I told her I had a second load to bring her to make a full cord.She said a fellow brought a pickup load ,he called it a cord.Friend just got cheated buying wood.Seller said his  pickup with a 6 foot bed hauled a 1/2 cord.The wood was poor stuff, punky and hollow.After Ive cut my own wood Ive had enough wood cutting.My 77 Chevy 3/4 ton would haul a 1/2 cord of oak edgings.The sawmill had a pipe frame that held a half cord.Just filled the 8 foot bed level.Made the old Chevy grunt on long hills on the way home.This was back when fire wood sold for 40 bucks a cord.My friend has built a rack that will hold a cord of sawed fire wood so he can get full measure next time.

[36 coupe]

I have a question for the northern fokes. Here in the DC, Md & Va area, fire wood that is sold by the "cord" is a 128cuft. Now, I have family in the Watertown Ny area and all the wood is sold by the "cord" but it is a face cord and not a true cord. Why is there a difference in measurements when using the same term?

I found this interesting when I saw on Craigslist a "cord of wood" for sale for $50. It seems that up there if I want 128cuft of firewood then I would have to buy 3 cords per seller. That difference in terms wasn't just a local person, but also several dealers...

Could we call a quart of milk a face gallon?

[Al_Smith]

When I sold firewood it was by the pick up truck load .Stacked and about one layer above the bed edge it was slightly over 1/2 cord .40 bucks but that was a long time ago .
Now of days I just do my own .I'll leave that firewood sales for the younger and more energetic ones . ;)

[Corley5]

This whole debate about the evil face cord has been beat to death more than once  :  It's just as easy to sell a short 128 cubic foot cord as a 42.6667 cubic foot face cord.

[Al_Smith]

I tend to agree .Even by the truck load .As long as you give the buyer a good measure few will complain .

Then again there's always the loose medium and tight cord .A tight is a mouse can wiggle through.Medium a cat can chase a mouse through and a loose a mouse, cat and dog can get through .Then again depends on the dog I suppose.A Jack Russel in hot pursuit of a cat would,a St Bernard would not .More than likely the St Bernard would just knock over the stack and swallow the cat in one fell swoop .

[John Mc]

Could we call a quart of milk a face gallon?

Wouldn't that be half a face gallon?