The first patents for barbed wire fence appeared in 1867 ... Smith’s patent shows a single-strand wire with wood or metal spools that have nails or wire spurs inserted into them, while Kelly ...

A spool generally holds 1,320 feet ... Since lengths of taut barbed wire exert heavy pressure, take care to anchor your posts well: Holes should be dug at least two feet deep (for extra stability ...

Since then, barbed wire has become a fundamental part of the landscape of the American West. Mike Wilson, a rancher in northern Washington State, uses it to keep his herds safe, as his father and ...