Depends on the barb I guess. I use gaoucho, and it does give me some trouble pushing the barbs off..Had trouble stripping some of them myself. Of coarse, if you have this type of what used to be a 'normal' barb, good luck pushing it off.
Most good barbed wire today uses a reverse twist at the barb, but looking at it close, you can see which 2 barb points belong to the same twist, and it's usually only the 2 outside helix that are holding the barb tightly to the wire runner.
If a barb gives you trouble, it's easy enough to grab the 2 mating points with any pliers and twist the 2 ends of a pair of points just a little, then do the other 2 points and the barb usually will slip right off..with or without the tool, but the tool makes it lots easier.
Might be worth making an insert to fit inside the Gripple tool to better grab the barb tho. Maybe cut a slot into a gripple itself to slip over the wire behind the barb. Have to look into that..maybe..
learning curve....
Hardest thing I was having to remember was to keep the tool pushed up against the gripple when opening the handles to make the next 'grab' and stretch..AND to open the handles wide enough to ensure the grip release activated. If you don't open the handles wide, jaw grip stays engaged and the part of the tool with the hollow that the gripple rests in just pulls itself away from the gripple.
I haven't done a whole lot of gripple work, but I've come to like gut stretching. No matter what way I've put up wire, especially barbed wire, it's always easier to work out in the open part of the fence when stretching and not up next to the end or corner posts.
How I did it last.. that seemed to work best for me:
(yrmv)
(most of my fences are already built, so I'm either adding some extra strands to existing 5 strand fence or repairing existing fence. 400 yard runs is about the longest I see me making anymore.)
1. Make a tie on one end, either manually or with the Gripple tee clips.
Start unrolling the wire toward the end point.
2. About 1/2 way, stop and string out a comelong with a wire dog on each hook. Put one dog on the wire, pulll up about 2 feet of slack in a big 'U' and put the other dog on..make sure the dogs bite. Use a goldenrod if that's your choice..that 2 feet of slack makes sure you have wire to go thru the gripple.
3. finish unrolling the wire, pull the slack by hand as much as possible and make your end tie.
4. Go back to the comealong, cut the wire and tension with the comealong.
5. Remove the barbs as needed and install the gripple, tightening whatever slack you have between the dogs with the gripple tool.
Why I like gripples.
I can still use my hands plenty easy, but am on blood thinners big time because of cardiac problems and apt to go into Afib any time. This is from 3 days ago working with a little short of run barbed run of 22' between a gateway and corner after a little bull tussle, and yes, I wearing some good leather gloves. Looks lots worse in person but I bled like a pig and can't be doing that no more. Gripples mean I can stay pretty far away from the barb points. (I'm sure Tornado wire is good stuff, but I cringed when I saw Luke mention they had points sharp enough and long enough to hit bone..I don't need jeans, shirts and even bed sheets to get any bloodier than they already are)
