When was the branding iron invented

According to a Smithsonian. There are also allusions to the practice in Roman literature and in the Bible, namely with Jacob the herdsman. Cattle were introduced to the Americas by Spanish explorers, and the tradition of cattle branding came as well.

The practice was soon taken up by cattle owners throughout the Americas, but it was made well-known by the cowboys of the American West. According to the TSHA piece, early Anglo-American Texan ranchers utilized the alphabet for their brands, as opposed to the pictographs with meaningful curlicues and adornments used by Spanish and Mexican ranchers. The branding practice developed to the point where it almost has its own language and meaning. Keeping records of brands began in Mexico by the Spanish in the s, and the earliest recording in Texas is believed to be of Richard H.

Today, some ranchers still utilize cattle branding to mark their stock, much like they did in the s. Advancements in cattle branding include the use of an electric brander; the metal is heated with electricity rather than fire.

Some ranchers rely solely on ear tags to identify individual animals and to prove ownership. A uniform branding requires that all of the strikes be evenly distributed in relation to the surface of the skin. The strike iron should be hot enough to cause third-degree burns to skin tissue, in order to form a permanent scar. Sources of heat can be anything from a propane torch to an open fire.

Strike brand instruments are fabricated from metal, either as complete tools or as small, shaped designs held by a gripping tool. Metal retains and transfers heat effectively, quickly, and predictably to the skin. Most strike branding tools are made from thin, high-grade stainless steel sheet metal. Other materials used as branding tools include the following: silver, copper, random metal findings, and ceramics.

Thin materials are preferred for branding irons, because they are easy to heat and form, and decrease the risk of unwanted damage.

Cautery branding uses modern tools and technology, such as soldering irons and lasers, to apply the branding. An electrocautery unit, invented by Steve Haworth, has been called laser branding. This branding technology is similar to an arc welder, but designed for the skin. The body is negatively grounded while the positively charged electric spark jolts from the branding electrode to the skin, searing the skin tissue it touches.

An electrocautery unit provides precise control over the depth of the brand and intricate nature of the designs. Cautery branding, regardless of the tools and technology utilized, is considered to be the most painful form of branding. Freeze branding is similar to strike branding. Instead of putting the branding iron into a fire to heat it, it is immersed into liquid nitrogen or another cooling solution. The iron is then pressed into the skin.

If the hair grows back it will be white. Freeze branding takes longer to do than fire branding and may take days to become visible, while fire branding shows results immediately. This branding method is extremely rare and not often used among body modification enthusiasts, but ranchers consider it as an extremely effective method for branding their livestock, because it does only minor damage to the hide and leaves distinctive branding marks of white hair.

Branding fumes contain dangerous biological substances from the skin of the person being branded. While some of these airborne viruses and bacteria are dangerous to humans, the heat of the branding destroys most of these germs that can affect humans. Still, branders use HEPA air filters, ventilation systems, and respiratory masks while branding to prevent the transfer of airborne viruses and bacteria.

There are two schools of thought regarding the aftercare of brandings-LITA or "leave it alone," or irritation. Leaving the branding alone will allow the body to heal consistently; however, if a person is not genetically disposed to keloiding, the raised area of the scar will be minimal. Irritating a healing branding wound increases the height of the resulting scar; however, it also produces unpredictable healing and scarring.

Branding cattle was also a technique to deter cattle rustlers, although thieves became skilled at changing brands to cover up their stolen goods. Since brands became so numerous, a system was needed to record them, and soon laws were passed that required livestock owners to record their brands. Pocket books were carried by ranchers so they could identify their cattle. Cattle would be checked when they passed through different territories to make sure they had a bill of sale consistent with the brands recorded.

Acting as trademarks, brands were also a way to regulate and impose taxes. With the many branding options to choose from it became a work of art to create an authentic brand. With ranchers using simple letters and numbers with a symbol, styles were incorporated by changing the way the letter or symbol looked and were then labeled as lazy , crazy , flying and walking.