An Ironwood Stick, or “Ironstick” as its commonly called, is a modern redesign of the classic Biltmore stick developed by Carl A. Schenck in the late 1890’s after he founded the first school of forestry in the United States.

The classic tool was sized for fully grown European men, and measures only tree diameter and height. Our redesigned Ironstick is redesigned to be much more user friendly, and has additional functionality including stand average basal area, linear distance, a compass, surface fuel, and a QR code that will lead to educational material.

In short, it’s a complete starter kit for anyone interested in practicing forestry.

Despite its humble appearance, this is a professional tool. A simple stick in appearance, there is a significant amount of trigonometry and algebra behind the design. No other entry level tool has this level of functionality, especially at this price point. A user with the right knowledge base can use this tool, and only this tool, to complete professional timber cruising jobs to industry standards.

You should use the longest that you are physically able to hold properly. While a shorter tool may be an attractive idea to all, a longer tool minimizes any errors that could arise from the user’s form. The tool itself is absolutely precise … all lose of precision is due to our inability to hold the tool perfectly in place. Furthermore, for using the tool’s basal area function, a longer stick is important for focusing on the end of the tool and tree’s farther away.

We have invested heavily in woodworking tools to ensure that sticks are produced as straight and square as possible. That being said, wood is a hygroscopic material, which means it absorbs ambient moisture. To put it plainly, wood likes to move, especially if it is being used in an environment radically different from where it was cut (high desert). Even a significant amount of curving and warping should affect its measurement abilities.

The width and length of each Ironstick design is specifically designed to correspond to certain mathematical proportions so that they may be used to measure basal area. For example, an 18” tool that measures BAF10 and BAF 20 would be too short to properly illustrate instructions on the instruction panel. As the end users for the youth versions are…. well, youth, graphical instructions were a priority. Therefore, to make the instruction panel higher, it was designed to measure BAF30, which has a higher length to width proportion.

The grain and color of poplar is as diverse as it is beautiful. Each piece is unique but should be produced to the same strict standards for length/width/height. In addition, small changes in the design happen frequently as we continuously learn and improve the design; however the core functionality of the tool will not change.

Each Ironstick is given two coats of clear waterbased polycrylic. This finish requires no upkeep except to keep it away from moisture as much as possible. Do not use it for tasks it is not intended for, and that includes whacking branches! In the future, we may offer the Ironstick in denser hardwoods such as ash or hickory at a higher cost.

Yes! This should be reflected automatically in the webstore. However, we are foresters, not web designers, so if it is not working, shoot us a line.

This website is built using Squarespace, which does not support quantity based pricing. Instead, this is reflected in a % discount based on how much you spend. That means you can work towards “quantity pricing” as you mix and match different products instead of only getting discounts.

Current Discounts
>$300 - 17%
>$1,500 - 20%
>$5,000 - 25%
>$50,000+ - 50%

Currently, shipping is a flat rate of $15 for the first tool and +$1.50 for each additional tool.

We want you to be completely satisfied with your tools. If you are not satisfied for any reason, you may return within 30 days of receipt so long as the tool is still in sellable condition. Please feel free to try it out, but if it's dinged or scuffed, you bought it.

Your Questions, Answered