A cored reactive metal wire is formed by gathering at least three strands of continuously fed elongated reactive metal wires into a bundle and aligning the bundle of wires with a continuously fed sheet of metal sheath. The bundle of wires is then compacted into a generally cylindrical shape and clad with the sheet of metal sheath whereby the compacted bundle of reactive metal wires form a core of the cored wire in which the core has a substantially larger diameter than each of the strands of continuously fed elongated reactive metal wires.