The risk factors of high repetition, high force exertions, and awkward postures have been recognized as increasing the risk of cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremities in certain jobs and tasks. Measurement of the reactive forces associated with hand tool use, an important component of an ergonomic evaluation, can be difficult in the field. The forces associated with powered hand tools have been measured at the object being worked upon, but few instances of direct instrumentation of non-powered hand tools have been reported. A system for field measurement of manual tasks is presented. System configuration and performance characteristics are detailed as well as the development rationale, system capabilities and limitations.