Making Conductive Connections: Wire Strippers at a Glance
Possibly one of the most-used tools in an electrician’s bag is that trusty pair of wire strippers. With a variety of styles and brands to choose from, each sparky arrives at their own conclusion as to what is the best suited for their role on the job site.
Each electrician deals with their own set of challenges on the job site. A lineman may be able to get away with a simple pair of beefy linesman pliers for cutting and crimping, due to the fact they’re only working with heavy gauged cable.
A commercial electrician may want something that works equally well for solid and stranded wire, with a focus on both durability and precision. Maybe they’re working almost solely with Romex™, or specifically with datacom and its fine gauge wire—and there are strippers for each of those particular use cases.
Without delving into specialty tools, the wire stripper comes in a few standard variants, recognizable by any electrician worth their salt: