Choose barbed wire where the job is livestock deterrence and general perimeter security: it is a twisted wire carrying short pointed barbs, specified under ASTM A 121, with barbs up to 127 mm (5 in) apart on standard grade and 76 mm (3 in) on high-security grade. Choose razor wire where the threat is a person climbing or cutting: sharp blades are punched from a flat steel tape and wrapped around a core wire, and it has its own standards — ASTM F 1379 (terminology), F 1910 (the barbed tape product) and F 1911 (installation).
At a glance
- Barbed wire punctures; razor wire cuts. Different products, different standards.
- Barbed wire: ASTM A 121, double strand for perimeters; the referenced US specification uses a 2.51 mm line wire with 2.03 mm four-point round barbs, and allows up to 127 mm (standard) or 76 mm (high security) barb spacing.
- Traditional types: Iowa (four-point, double strand) and Glidden (single strand) — the type names that appear in ASTM A 121 and IS 278 alongside high-tensile wire.
- Razor wire: BTO-22 (about 22 mm blade) and CBT-65 (about 60–65 mm blade) are industry blade-type codes, not standard numbers.
- Coating: we produce 40 g/m² regular zinc and 200 g/m²-and-above heavy zinc; coating class is confirmed against your local standard in the quotation.
- Rolls: our standard roll lengths are 100 m, 200 m and 400 m — with 100 m the most common roll size in Australia and New Zealand.
What is the difference between barbed wire and razor wire?
| Barbed wire | Razor wire (barbed tape) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Short pointed barbs twisted into the line — it punctures | Blades punched from flat steel tape wrapped around a core wire — it cuts |
| Standard term | Barbed wire (ASTM A 121, two-strand) | Barbed tape (ASTM F 1379 terminology) |
| Product / installation standards | ASTM F 1665 for polymer-coated barbed wire used with chain link | ASTM F 1910 (product), ASTM F 1911 (installation) |
| Spacing | Barbs up to 127 mm standard, 76 mm high security; our grades 75 / 100 / 150 mm | Blade spacing set by the blade type, e.g. 34 mm on a manufacturer data sheet |
| Form | Straight rolls | Straight line or concertina coil, 450 / 500 / 600 mm closure diameter |
| Best for | Livestock, farm boundaries, general deterrence | Anti-climb and anti-cut security perimeters |
One wording point that trips up specifications: concertina is a configuration, not a material. A concertina coil is the helical spring form, and it can be made from razor wire (barbed tape) or from older non-blade coiled wire. Use razor wire or barbed tape for the material and concertina coil for the shape.
Which one should go on your fence?
- Livestock and farm boundaries: barbed wire. Single strand for long agricultural boundaries where cost and weight matter; double strand (the ASTM A 121 configuration) for perimeters.
- General perimeter security: barbed wire as a top wire over chain link or stock fence, often with polymer-coated barbed wire to ASTM F 1665 when it is used with chain link fabric.
- Anti-climb / anti-cut security: razor wire, normally as a concertina coil on top of the fence. US Department of Defense guidance describes barbed tape concertina being added to the top and, in some cases, the bottom of a fence.
- Both, on the same site: barbed wire on the stock fence and razor wire on the security section is normal on large properties — the two do not compete.
Two practical cautions. Barbed wire belongs where animals and people run only with care: it is a poor choice at chest height on horse paddocks. And razor wire is a cutting hazard, so check the local rules for its use before you design it into a boundary near public space.
How do you specify barbed wire?
- Strand: single for an economical farm boundary; double for perimeters — double strand is the ASTM A 121 grade that perimeter specifications call up.
- Line wire: our core range is 1.4–2.8 mm. The referenced US specification uses a 2.51 mm (0.099 in) line wire.
- Barbs: our standard barb is 1.5–2.0 mm. Heavier barbs (2.0 mm and above) are available on request. The referenced US specification uses 2.03 mm (0.080 in) four-point round barbs, so if you are matching a US or state specification, ask for the heavier barb.
- Barb spacing: our standard grades are 75 mm, 100 mm and 150 mm. 75 mm corresponds to the high-security band (ASTM A 121 allows up to 76 mm) and 100 mm to the general-purpose band (ASTM A 121 allows up to 127 mm). 150 mm is our economy grade for large agricultural boundaries; other national specifications such as IS 278 do include a 150 mm spacing, so confirm the figure your local standard calls for.
- Type and coating: Iowa (four-point, double strand) and Glidden (single strand) are the traditional type names in ASTM A 121 and IS 278; high-tensile wire is the modern farm grade. US specifications also distinguish Type A (aluminium) and Type Z (zinc) coatings with Class 2 and Class 3 options, and 12½ gauge two-strand four-point wire with 5 in spacing and Class 2 zinc is a common agricultural build.
How do you specify razor wire?
- Blade type: BTO-22 (blade length about 22 mm) and CBT-60/CBT-65 (about 60–65 mm) are the common industry codes — BTO for Barbed Tape Obstacle, CBT for Concertina (Cross) Barbed Tape. They are trade codes with no public standard definition, so confirm blade length, thickness and spacing on the drawing.
- Blade spacing: shown on manufacturer data sheets, for example 34 mm between blades.
- Core wire: commonly 3 or 4 core wires of 2.2 mm or 2.5 mm.
- Coil: closure diameters of 450 mm, 500 mm and 600 mm are common, with 10 m, 12 m or 15 m of coil per roll and crossing points such as 13 per metre.
- Form: straight-line or concertina coil, depending on whether it goes on a wall top, a fence top or a ground-level barrier.
- Corrosion: manufacturer salt-spray test values of 72 hours or more for galvanised and 96 hours or more for stainless steel are quoted for blades — supplier test data, not a standard requirement.
Which coating and roll length should you order?
Two separate things get quoted for coating. The standard is the specification the wire is made and tested against — for example AS/NZS 4534, ASTM A 641 or your own national standard. The coating mass is the measurable parameter inside that specification, expressed in g/m² of zinc. A quotation should state both.
Our zinc coating is supplied from 40 g/m² (regular zinc) all the way up to 200 g/m² and above (heavy zinc). 40 g/m² is the regular grade parameter, not the top of our range — if your site is coastal, high-rainfall or otherwise aggressive, specify the heavier coating and we quote it. Tell us the standard and the coating mass your project calls for, and we produce to them.
For context when you are comparing quotations: AS/NZS 4534:1998 replaced the older A and B classes with six coating mass classes. If your specification names a class, send us the class and the wire diameter and we will confirm what we supply against it.
On rolls: our standard roll lengths are 100 m, 200 m and 400 m, and 100 m is the most common barbed wire roll size in Australia and New Zealand. Tell us the run length and we will quote the most economical roll size — and, for export, the packing that fills your container best.
What about safety and installation?
- Razor wire: keep coils restrained until they are fixed to the bracket, wear cut-resistant gloves, and install to ASTM F 1911 rather than improvising a mount.
- Barbed wire: barbs cut skin, clothing and animals. Tension it properly, keep it out of reach of horses and children, and remember that a barbed top wire is only as good as the fence beneath it.
- Support: both products need sound posts and bracing. A top wire adds load to the end assemblies, so check the post spacing and depth before you add one — see the star picket installation guide.
For the full specification breakdown by gauge, strand and spacing, see barbed wire specifications explained; for how barbed and razor wire are combined with chain link on high-security sites, see perimeter and security fencing for the Middle East. Our barbed wire and razor wire range is on the barbed wire and razor wire section of the home page, and chain link fabric is specified on the chain link fence product page.
Frequently asked questions
Tell us the threat and the run length — we will spec the wire.
Send your security requirement, the fence it goes on, the coating class you need and the run length, and we will recommend barbed wire or razor wire with the right grade and roll size — or ask us for the barbed wire and razor wire specifications first.
