"Wayne Cook" wrote in message
...
| On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 21:46:21 +0000 (UTC), Christopher Tidy
| wrote:
SNIP
| I've always been taught to never score around the circumference of wire
| with a knife, by hand. When I strip wire with a knife, I do it similar
| to sharpening a pencil, but I use a skinning knife and not a utility
| knife. My preferred skinning knife is this one.
|
| http://www.buckinghammfg.com/linemen/opsk.html
|
| Th only time it's OK to ring a wire, is when you are stripping
| semiconductor off of poly and you use a tool called a banana stripper.
| Here is a page of cable preparation tools.
|
| http://www.brenco-inc.com/catalog/ri...ip/default.htm
|
| Don
|
| So what's wrong with cutting circumferentially? As Carl implies, you
| don't have to cut right through the insulation. Just cut it enough that
| a bit of flexing will snap the insulation. As far as I can see it's the
| neatest way, and I haven't experienced ill effects.

I did say score, and didn't say cut. With a sharp knife you will always
be able to use the same pressure to score the same amount. With a dull
knife you never know what you'll get. Had this arguement a number of times,
with folks who ought to know better.
I've used the insulation cutting tools. Problem is, when you're dealing
with tight fitting insulation, you still have to score it longways, and
can't always tell for sure if you're stripping it exactly the right length
or aren't spiraling the cut around the wire, a major annoyance for me. I
also rarely strip the same kind of wire on a regular basis (usually on an
emergent sort of thing) that I won't even attempt to try and keep all the
strippers and settings on hand for all the types I would do, when a single
pocketknife does the job (actually, I really like the Stanley 10-049 with
the 11-041 blade, not the one it comes with. So sharp it was scary, and it
locks open.)

| As long as you're careful to not nick the conductor there's nothing
| wrong. But most electricians are in a hurry and would cut into the
| conductor when doing that. Thus they're taught to do it the other way.
|
| I noticed that the local electric guys use a linoleum knife for
| there stripping and do it like sharpening a pencil.

The keys are sharp blade and the angle must be the right one to cut into
the insulation but not allow the edge to cut into the strands. I think the
linoleum knives have a single sided edge, unlike most knives, correct? That
might be part of the reason they use it.

| Wayne Cook
| Shamrock, TX
| http://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook/index.htm