August 28, 2025
Ronaasen & Son v Arcos Ltd [1933] UKHL 1 (02 February 1933)
Facts The appellants, Arcos, Limited (‘the sellers’), entered into a contract to sell a quantity of Russian redwood and whitewood staves to the respondents, W. N. Ronaasen & Son (‘the buyers’), for the purpose of making cement barrels. The contract specified, amongst other dimensions, that the staves were to be of “1/2 an inch” thickness. Upon delivery, the buyers measured the staves and discovered that while they corresponded with the contract in other respects, a significant proportion did not conform to the specified thickness. Only around 5% of the staves were precisely 1/2 inch thick; the vast majority (over 80%)
