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"To add visibility, for example, in 1876 Jayne and Hill used wooden blocks woven between two twisted lines and backed up by steel bars," he says. "Scutt's wooden block, with and without barbs, originated in 1880. Both wires are avidly sought by collectors, bringing about $150 and $10 respectively. O.P. Briggs added a metal plate to his design, which used two parallel wires, in 1882. Its collector's value is about $15."
Twisted and flat wires --sturdy and easy to see - were introduced in 1879 and 1881 by Jacob Brinkerhoff. "Brinks" flat was used in thousands of miles of fence. Considered "common" by many collectors, it is valued at 25 cents per "cut."
"By the 1880s, hundreds of wires had been patented with an amazing number and variety of designs," John says. "One -Cline's Rail - has three parallel wires joined together and spaced apart by a two-point barb. Its value today is $5. Many wires such as Reynolds' 'Necktie' can be bought for around a dollar."
Harold is a member of the Texas Barbed Wire Collectors Association, and John heads the American Barbed Wire Collectors Society. Between them, they can answer most collectors' questions.
Each man began collecting barbed wire in 1972: John as a working cowboy near Elko, Nev., and Harold during travels in Texas.
"I found some strange-looking barbed wire on the Ed Tomera ranch," John says, "and I later found it to be the first wire manufactured in the U.S., by Michael Kelly, in 1868.1 also found other antique wires still in use on the ranch."
He researched the history of barbed wire, and developed mounting and display methods that simplified collecting and trading. Two of his
thousands of 'plaques' were given to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George
Bush as birthday presents, and one was displayed at the San Francisco International Airport, where it was seen by millions of travelers. John says collectors today number in the tens of thousands in dozens of states and overseas.