The invention refers to the production of a barbed suture (84) consisting of non-absorbing material such as silk, nylon, polyester, polypropylene or cotton or of bio-absorbable material such as polymers and copolymers of glycolic and lactic acid, in particular of flexible filament material. The barb suture is provided for holding a patient tissue in which the barb suture is inserted as well as in bringing together and holding closed a open wound in human or animal flush to allow a healing and regrowth together two sides of the wound. According to the invention a suture filament material of about 100 to 500 µm in diameter is provided and the filament material is machined by a cutting means (80,81,90), including a laser beam, to produce barbs (94) with orientation in one direction along at least a first portion of a length of the filament material, thus producing a length at least of one-way suture with barbs orientated in a common direction
