Wire strippers are a hand-held tool also known as cable strippers which are designed to remove insulation or outer sheath from electrical wires and cables without damaging the core wire. There are various types available from stripping the cable and cutting copper and each is made with components and materials to best suit their application. You can find out more in our wire stripper tool guide. Sheath stripper - Simple rotary action cutter and stripper perfect for 2-core and 3-core mains cables and leads. Produces safe ring-of-cut for outer and inner insulation on all types of flexible cable.

Auto or automotive models have synchronised jaws which allow users to easily cut through and strip away wire sheathing with a single squeeze of the handles. Laser Wire Strippers Choose the right wire stripper for the cabling that requires work. Factors which should be considered include the gauge (diameter) of the wire, its function, and the presence of any metal shielding Laser radiation emitted by the tool vaporises the insulation material, but the inner components are highly reflective and so are unaffected by the standard beam. If the cable includes any metal shielding, a different type of laser can be used for cutting. Rotate tool 90 degrees to cable at first cut point and advance cutting wheel down into insulation. Guide the tool down the length of the cable ensuring sufficient cut depth. Adjustment of cutting wheel depth as required to cut insulation. Some of the different types of wire stripper are explained in more detail below: Manual Wire StrippersBlade cut depth will vary according to cable size, progressive advancement is best Step 1: Rotary Cut Wire stripper pliers - V-shaped stripping jaws for removing plastic insulation from single and multicore conductors. Available with VDE handles.

Carl Kammerling International has launched an innovative new Steel Wired Armoured (SWA) cable stripper, designed to speed up the process of SWA cable termination for installers. If you know the gauge, match it to the corresponding notch on the jaws of the wire stripper. Alternatively, if you do not know the gauge or the notches on the stripper are not labelled, place the wire in each until the sizes match Place tool on the cable at gland point and advance cutting wheel down into the outer insulation. Rotate the tool around the cable to cut through outer insulation. Continue to advance cutting wheel into steel strands to required depth. Repeat insulation only cut approx 2” further along the cable. Pistol wire stripper – these models feature self-adjusting blades which both grip and strip cabling in a single motionSplit and remove outer insulation sheath. Unwind the steel strands and snap using fingertip pressure at cut point. Remove second portion of insulation and splay strands. Adjustable strippers – these usually have both manual and automatic adjustment mechanisms; insert a wire and the device will automatically adjust to accommodate, but precise manual adjustments can also be made

Thin wires are highly vulnerable to damage during the stripping process so proceed with caution and use a suitable adjustable stripping tool. This includes TV and broadband cables Triple action strippers – these professional models allow users to apply three different types of cutting action – spiral, linear, and rotary. Spiral is particularly well-suited to stripping materials like rubber Adjustable stripper - self-adjusting stripper with the ability to crimp, strip and snip wires. Designed with precision and made to last. Sheath strippers – by contrast with triple-action models, sheath strippers offer a simple yet effective rotary cut, ideal for leads and cables with two and three cores. They typically also auto-adjust for different diameters Stripping or cutting live wires is not a sensible idea as it is potentially very dangerous. However, professional electricians are required to work with live wiring on occasion, and several models of stripper and plier feature electrically-insulated handles for these tasks.Automatic wire stripper - Cuts and strips insulation from a range of wire sizes in one operation. A single squeeze of handles opens and closes the synchronised jaws and strips insulation clean.