Deal (unit)

{{Short description|Archaic unit of volume used to measure wood}} '''Deal''' is an obsolete unit of measurement formerly used in the UK and US to measure what is today described as "Dimension Lumber". <ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures. Their SI Equivalences and Origins.|url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediasci00card_043|url-access = limited|last = Cardarelli|first = F.|publisher = Springer|year = 2003|isbn = 978-1-4471-1122-1|location = London|pages = [https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediasci00card_043/page/n94 52]}}</ref> From the late 18th to the early 20th centuries, the term "deal board" referred to rough sawn Spruce or Pine planks two to three inches thick (sometimes thicker), up to 12" wide and 12 to 14 feet long. These were often re-sawn into smaller dimensions by the end-user for use in Wood Framing, Cooperage and Furniture making. They were traded as a maritime commodity.<ref>{{cite book|year=1819|title=Practical abridgement of the laws of customs and excise|url=https://archive.org/details/practicalabridg00unkngoog|author=Charles Pope|edition=5th |section=CCXLIII}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A Dictionary Practical, Theoretical and Historical of Commerce and Commercial Navigation|author=John Ramsey McCulloch|chapter=Docks on the Thames (London)|page=590|volume=1|year=1840|publisher=Thomas Wardle}}</ref> The term "Deal" is also used to refer to wood from Fir or Pine trees<ref>{{Cite book |last=Heath |first=Francis George |title=Tree Lore |date=2012 |publisher=David & Charles Publishers |isbn=978-1-4463-5854-2 |series=The Paranormal Series |pages=42}}</ref>

== Definition == {{self-contradictory|date=November 2025}} Deal (UK) is equal to {{cvt|7|x|72|x|2+1/2|in}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Simmonds |first=P. L. (Peter Lund) |url=http://archive.org/details/b21780535 |title=The commercial dictionary of trade products : manufacturing and technical terms, moneys, weights, and measures of all countries |date=1892 |publisher=London; New York : George Routledge and Sons |others=Wellcome Library |page=30 |chapter=Batten}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Deal (US) is equal to {{cvt|144|x|11|x|1+1/2|in}}.<ref name=":0" />

Whole deal is equal to {{cvt|144|x|11|x|5/8|in}}.<ref name=":0" />

Split deal is equal to {{cvt|144|x|8|x|16|in}}.<ref name=":0" />

Note: Cardarelli seems to be inaccurate. A whole deal should be {{cvt|1+1/4|in}} thick,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of WHOLE DEAL |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whole+deal |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref> a split or slit deal should be {{cvt|5/8|in}} thick,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of SLIT DEAL |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slit+deal |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Simmonds |first=P. L. (Peter Lund) |url=http://archive.org/details/b21780535 |title=The commercial dictionary of trade products : manufacturing and technical terms, moneys, weights, and measures of all countries |date=1892 |publisher=London; New York : George Routledge and Sons |others=Wellcome Library |page=121 |chapter=Deal}}</ref> and a deal not specified as either whole, slit, or split should be twice as thick as the whole deal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-06-24 |title=Deals (The Diary of Samuel Pepys) |url=https://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/4992/#c32261 |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=The Diary of Samuel Pepys |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-06-23 |title=Monday 23 June 1662 |url=https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1662/06/23/#c32221 |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=The Diary of Samuel Pepys |language=en-gb}}</ref>

== Conversion == 1 Deal (UK) ≡ 105/144 (= 0.72916667) cubic feet ≡ 8.75 (or 35/4) board feet ≡ 0.02064770064 m3

1 Deal (US) ≡ 1.375 cubic feet ≡ 16.5 (or 33/2) board feet ≡ 0.0389356640640 m3

1 Whole deal ≡ 55/96 (= 0.572916667) cubic foot ≡ 6.875 (or 55/8) board feet ≡ 0.01622319336 m3

1 Split deal ≡ 128 cubic feet ≡ 1536 board feet ≡ 3.624556363776 m3

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Units of volume Category:Customary units of measurement