Barbed wire marks and deters; concertina obstructs. Here is how they differ, and how to choose.
| Barbed wire | Concertina coil (razor wire) | |
|---|---|---|
| Made of | Two twisted line wires with wire barbs wrapped on | Punched steel tape with razor barbs, clinched on a spring steel core, formed into a coil |
| Barb | Twisted wire points | Pressed blades, 10–65 mm |
| What it does | Marks a line and deters | Obstructs — cuts and snags on contact, springs back |
| How it is fixed | Strained in straight lines between posts | Coil cradled in Y-angles or laid on the ground, with straight razor tape lines |
| Standard | IS 278:2009 | No IS — tender item or defence (CQA) specification |
| HSN | 7313 00 10 | 7313 00 20 |
| Typical use | Farms, plantations, plot boundaries, the top lines of a fence | Factory, depot, substation, campus, railway and defence walls |
They are used interchangeably. Razor wire or razor barbed tape (RBT) is the bladed tape on its core; concertina is that tape formed into a coil; PTCC (punched tape concertina coil) is the name used in tenders and on GeM.
For keeping people out, yes — its blades cut and snag and the coil springs back when pushed. Barbed wire is cheaper per metre and better for marking long boundaries.
Concertina wire is razor wire formed into a coil. Straight razor tape is also used, as the horizontal lines of a concertina fence.
Tell us your dimensions, wire specification and quantity — we'll come back with a quotation and lead time.
