Concertina wire has a history of more than a hundred years and remains one of the most recognizable elements of military field engineering. Its origins are linked to barbed wire, which was invented in the 19th century for agricultural use but was quickly adopted by military engineers as an effective means of restricting movement. With time, manually twisted coils turned into standardized products, which became known as concertina due to their resemblance to the bellows of the musical instrument. Throughout the 20th century, these barriers became more advanced and durable. The introduction of reinforced razor wire made them nearly impossible to cross without specialized tools. Gradually, the word concertina began to be used not only as a technical term, but also as a product name – and by the late 20th century, it started appearing as a registered trademark in various countries.
From Barbed Wire to Engineered Obstacles
The appearance of barbed wire in 1874 marked a turning point for both agriculture and the future of military engineering. American inventor Joseph Glidden patented an industrially suitable form of wire with sharp barbs – U.S. Patent US157124A. This invention quickly spread as an effective method for containing livestock. However, military forces also recognized its strength, affordability, and ease of deployment – and by 1888, barbed wire had already been adopted into the British Army’s field engineering manuals, though the term concertina had not yet been used.
World War I: The Emergence of “Concertina”
During World War I (1914-1918), combat engineers began coiling barbed wire manually into bundles that could be stretched out like an accordion. These improvised obstacles were not yet standardized products, but they proved highly effective for defensive positions. In English-language sources from that time, the term concertina began to appear to describe such coiled wire barriers. However, it was still a field improvisation, not yet a manufactured item.
The Inventions of Dannert
A significant step forward came in 1934, when German engineer Horst Dannert patented a self-supporting coil made of high-carbon barbed wire held together with metal clips – German Patent DE599829C. This design was an industrial product, ideal for serial production. Three years later, in 1937, Dannert received a corresponding British patent GB480082A.
Concertina Wire in the British Army
Starting in 1939, the British War Office formalized the use of concertina wire in engineering manuals. Documents such as Construction of Dannert Concertina Wire Obstacles and Field Engineering established the term concertina wire as an official designation for coiled barbed wire used in temporary fencing. The product became known as Dannert wire, but was also recognized as a type of concertina. During World War II (1939-1945), such barriers were used extensively by both the German Wehrmacht and the British Army. After capturing German coils in France in 1940-1941, British forces began manufacturing their own versions based on Dannert’s concept. From that point on, concertina became the accepted term for a specific type of military wire obstacle.
The Next Generation: Razor Wire
After the war, the transition from traditional barbed wire to more advanced technologies began. In 1959, U.S. Patent US2908484A was granted to Siegfried Ule, describing the construction of razor wire and its use in concertina formations (referred to in the patent as barbed wire spiral). This marked the first time Dannert’s concept appeared in the U.S. patent system – now featuring razor wire instead of barbed wire. The blades were stamped from sheet metal and crimped around a high-tensile wire core. These concertina coils became much harder to breach by hand and were soon used not only in the military but also for securing critical infrastructure.
Vietnam and the Cold War
During the Vietnam War (1960-1975), the U.S. military made widespread use of concertina wire. Period footage and photographs show both traditional barbed wire coils and razor wire concertinas. These barriers were used to protect bases, perimeters, field camps, and checkpoints. The term concertina wire became fully established in English-language military documentation and acquired an unambiguous technical meaning.
From Common Term to Trademark
As concertina wire spread into civilian use – for facility security, border control, and private property – the term began to appear not only in technical documentation but also in marketing. Starting in the second half of the 20th century, barrier manufacturers across different countries began incorporating the word concertina into product names, company names, and brands. This led to the registration of Concertina as a trademark by various companies and individuals. Beginning in the early 1960s, the word became subject to legal protection. Trademarks were registered both with national intellectual property offices (e.g., in the UK, USA, and Ukraine) and through international systems such as the Madrid Protocol. As a result, concertina ceased to be solely a generic term and became a protected designation in a number of jurisdictions.
Concertina Wire as a Technical and Legal Term
Concertina wire has come a long way – from field improvisations during World War I to a modern industrial product with a legally protected name. What began as an engineering tactic evolved into standardized military equipment and, later, into an object of intellectual property. Today, the word concertina refers both to a specific type of wire obstacle and to a registered trademark. That is why it's essential to distinguish between its historical, technical, and legal meanings when using the term in professional or commercial contexts.