Joseph E. Johnson developed the twin wire technique in 1929. It was based on the principle that two light (.010 inch) wires would work more physiologically that one heavy wire. Both wires were inserted into the same channel, which was fastened with a ligature wire or a cap.

There are several advantages of two small wires over one heavy wire. The twin wires are more resilient than one large one. The twin arch wires move the teeth bodily when fastened to them by a locking device which cannot be done with a single wire. The locking device is required as the twin wire arch cannot be ligated to the teeth using wire ligatures. The twin wire had the advantage of being more comfortable than other techniques but it lacked control of the canines and premolars and was unsuitable for extraction cases.