Trump's recent quotes about the beautiful concertina wire on the U.S./Mexico border prompted this excellent historical perspective on barbed wire from Slate:

https://slate.com/technology/2018/11/co ... story.html

Since its invention 150 years ago, barbed wire has always been about protecting the powerful and their property from the powerless through violence.

That has often been true of firearms as well, but they have occasionally been used to defend the powerless as well -- one of the reasons we are here.

Barbed wire has no such redeeming history. It has almost exclusively been a tool of oppression, through the privatization and enclosure of the U.S. West, through the WWI battlefields, through the WWII concentration/death camps, through modern prisons.

As far as I know, barbed wire was an agricultural invention. Now razor wire, that shit's used to keep/kill people.

I always thought barbed wire was to keep cattle in and predators like coyotes out.
Razor wire's different.

Alibaba.com offers 163 different types barb wire products. About 79% of these are barbed wire, 6% are fencing, trellis & gates, and 1% are traffic ...

Trump may have seen barbed wire on TV, but he has never had the fun of working with it. Blood letting at its finest, and Donald doesn't like blood.

The history of advertising barb wire as a true deterrent was interesting but I have found agricultural barb wire to be a minor annoyance to humans. Climbing over or through is relatively easy. If determined, wire cutters defeat it readily.

BKinzey wrote: Mon Nov 12, 2018 4:19 pm The history of advertising barb wire as a true deterrent was interesting but I have found agricultural barb wire to be a minor annoyance to humans. Climbing over or through is relatively easy. If determined, wire cutters defeat it readily.
Fencing-pliers.jpg

It wasn't to many years ago in Texas, being caught with those in your possession could give you jail time.

Alibaba.com

China's Amazon.com - probably tested in Mao camps.

The modern version is "gated communities", there are tons of them in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells etc. and other upscale areas in the US. Instead of concertina wire they have wrought iron fences and gates, keeps the rich inside and protected and "immigrants, thieves and murders" outside.

May be to keep them inside and away from honest people. all depends on which way the barb wire on topic facing. No days with the razor wire rolls you don't rally know.

TrueTexan wrote: Mon Nov 12, 2018 4:26 pm

BKinzey wrote: Mon Nov 12, 2018 4:19 pm The history of advertising barb wire as a true deterrent was interesting but I have found agricultural barb wire to be a minor annoyance to humans. Climbing over or through is relatively easy. If determined, wire cutters defeat it readily.
Fencing-pliers.jpg

It wasn't to many years ago in Texas, being caught with those in your possession could give you jail time.

I carry those (fencing pliers), levered bolt/lock cutters and hacksaw in my truck - probably looking at serious jail time.

FDT

BKinzey wrote: Mon Nov 12, 2018 4:19 pm The history of advertising barb wire as a true deterrent was interesting but I have found agricultural barb wire to be a minor annoyance to humans. Climbing over or through is relatively easy. If determined, wire cutters defeat it readily.
Fencing-pliers.jpg

I work at prisons and razor wire is infinitely nastier than barbed wire. It can't be easily cut unless you perhaps cut an entire section and remove it. With something like chains and a truck. Or a bulldozer for large expanses of the stuff.

And wear your reinforced gloves. I have defeated barbed wire in my misspend younger days but razor wire is a whole 'nuther level of nasty.