Efforts to measure the mechanical properties of bulk solids or powders are hampered by the fact that any shear tester and shear testing method introduces anisotropy effects. Experimental evidence of anisotropy effects in fine cohesive bulk materials shows that the unconfined yield strength depends on the consolidation method used and the relation between the strain path directions during consolidation and at failure. The stress state during steady state flow, however, does not depend on the consolidation procedure. The anisotropic effects observed in experiments with cohesive powders is believed to be the result of the generation, destruction and subsequent re-generation of a maximum resistance packing structure.