Abstract: Safety hoses protected by wire mesh and an apparatus for manufacturing them are disclosed. The hose assembly has an inner flexible tube, wrapped with two helices made of ribbons of woven, wire mesh. An outer flexible tube is fitted over the helixes. The ribbon is woven from metal fibers having a diameter of less than 0.20 mm and open apertures of less than 0.45 mm. The ribbon is preferably made of bias-cut material and the pitch of the helixes is such that the warp threads of the ribbons overlap at an angle between 15 and 33 degrees. Alternately the hose may be ribbon braided, having two or more ribbons of woven wire mesh braided together over the inner tube. A modified “May pole” braiding machine to accomplish such ribbon braiding is disclosed.