Barbed Wire and Razor Barbed Wire Mesh History

The beginnings and evolution of barbed wire: Before the invention of barbed wire, our forebears ingeniously employed readily available natural resources for barrier constructions. Their materials of choice predominantly included trees for posts, stones for durability, prickly bushes for their inherent deterrent properties, and mud for binding elements together. A testament to human innovation, these fences served as precursors to the modern-day fortified barbed wire.

As explorers reached the shores of the Americas, they quickly discovered that conventional fencing materials were sparse. This scarcity spurred their pursuit of a more cost-effective fencing alternative. The technological advancements displaying evidence in the form of the hot drawing cold rolling process, which had originated over four centuries ago, provided them with the desired solution. By 1870, this evolution had reached a point where high-caliber smooth iron wire of varying lengths became accessible. Ranchers swiftly utilized these smooth metal (iron) wire strands to construct fences. However, despite their ample benefits, these fences fell short when it came to containing poultry, which managed to navigate past them quite comfortably. 

In 1867, two inventors attempted to add thorns to smooth iron wire, but there was no practical proof of their efforts. It wasn't until 1874 that Michael Kelly invented a highly practical method for adding thorns to iron wire, which then began to be used extensively.Joseph Glidden discovered that in the common small rural areas, there was a wooden rope with many sharp iron nails on one side, tied to smooth iron wire inside. This discovery thrilled him greatly and led to his invention of the current shape of barbed wire.Glidden took the thorns and placed them in a make-shift coffee bean grinder, then wound the thorns at intervals along the smooth filaments and another filament twisted around the thorns to hold them in place.

The Prosperity of Barbed Wire: Following Glidden's successful invention, more than 570 patents for barbed wire have been developed and continue to this day. It is considered "one of the inventions that changed the face of the world." Glidden is hailed as the father of barbed wire. Many companies began investing in production equipment for mass manufacturing.