Razor Barbed Wire Views

General Goods

Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent passage by humans. The term Razor Wire, through long usage, has generally been used to describe barbed tape products. While razor wire is much sharper than the standard barbed wire, it is not actually razor sharp. Even so, the multiple blades of a razor wire fence are designed to inflict serious cuts on anyone attempting to climb through and therefore have a strong psychological deterrent effect. In many high-security applications, barbed tape supplanted barbed wire, which could be circumvented relatively quickly by humans without tools, while penetrating razor wire barriers without tools is very slow and difficult, giving security forces more time to respond.[citation needed] There is little difference in the breaching time for a well-equipped opponent.[citation needed]

Due to its dangerous nature, razor wire/barbed tape and similar fencing/barrier materials is prohibited in some locales. Norway prohibits any barbed wire except in combination with other fencing, in order to protect domesticated animals from exposure.[1] Some local jurisdictions further regulate or prohibit barbed wire altogether.[citation needed]

Razor-wire has a central strand of high tensile strength wire, and a steel tape punched into a shape with barbs. The steel tape is then cold-crimped tightly to the wire everywhere except for the barbs. Barbed tape is very similar, but has no central reinforcement wire. The process of combining the core wire with the steel tape was invented by the current owner of Razor Wire International, Renne Cano.[citation needed] The process of combining the two is called roll forming.

From the early 1970s, unreinforced barbed tape was commonly used in perimeter barriers of US prisons. In the early 1980s, several manufacturers began offering barbed tape with an embedded reinforcing wire and the product has been the subject to a patent dispute.[citation needed] Early brand names of reinforced barbed tape included Man Barrier and Razor Ribbon . The latter probably lent its name to the modern slang term.