# Razor knives



## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

In all seriousness what is the attraction that some many guys use these for stripping large cable? When did this change happen?

I think I have knife skills but I use knives not razor blades. Haven't had good luck with not snapping blades when they get a little tension on them.

Give me a lineman's knife or hawkbill any day.










Or:











Or even this guy:


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

Razors are easy to change. I can't think of any time I've snapped a razor while stripping wire, though I'm sure it's happened. I run it perpendicular down the length and then around the wire. Then skin a thumbs width at the end and peel it off.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

You have to make sure to buy the Stanley blades that are marked heavy duty. They don't snap and the edge holds up better.

Using a utility knife with removable blades means that you always have a sharp blade and never have to waste time sharpening it.


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

HackWork said:


> You have to make sure to buy the Stanley blades that are marked heavy duty. They don't snap and the edge holds up better.
> 
> Using a utility knife with removable blades means that you always have a sharp blade and never have to waste time sharpening it.


Now that you mention it think I have a 100 pack of those I bought years ago. Probably why I haven't snapped many.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I have never snapped a blade. I'm not even sure how that could happen.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

99cents said:


> I have never snapped a blade. I'm not even sure how that could happen.


Ditto.


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

I believe a razor can be an electricians worst nightmare. For a few reasons, but mainly, they cut to far into the insulation. The blade should never touch the wire. 
I also know a guy who has always used lineman's to strip wire ends, he says he never scores the wire and I've checked to find a clean strip. I guess a guy gets use to the feel. Not my preferred method, though.


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## Tonedeaf (Nov 26, 2012)

http://www.ripley-tools.com/products/4-x-4-plus

They work great on big cables. 4/0-600MCM.

Alot easier especially when your arms get fatigued from wrestling large conductors all day long.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)




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## Sparky Girl (Apr 15, 2015)

I bought a Klein knife decades ago but it would never stay sharp enough. So I reverted to razor knives. They do the job, unless you're stripping high voltage cable. Then you need seine twine to strip the inner jacket off.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

I love the Klein knife. That and linemans and my knife and my fingers ANNNND annnnd annnnnnd.


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

My best friend used his teeth to strip speaker wire long ago. Broke his front tooth in half. 


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

I was going to say teeth but I've used that line too much lately.


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

Finger nails work good for small wire. But it's so hard on me fingeys 


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

99cents said:


> I have never snapped a blade. I'm not even sure how that could happen.


I have had piss poor luck with Lenox blades for snap strength and a couple other brands to think about it. I have Stanley at home but always had SH specials in the van.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Stanley blades are way more beefy:










Than say Lenox:










or the ones with a center hole:


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

I never bought blades being that my father is a wood butcher and has many cases of everything. 

While stripping lots of scrap large gauge wire in his garage many moons ago I noticed that the edge of the blade would break off after only a few cuts. I went thru 7-8 blades and this kept happening. I looked at the blade case and they were just plain Stanley. I had another case there that were Stanley and said Heavy Duty, when using these the edge remained fine. So from then on I always grabbed the Heavy Duty blades.

Now I see that Stanley makes normal, Heady Duty, Extra Heavy Duty, Fat Max, etc. lol.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

HackWork said:


> I never bought blades being that my father is a wood butcher and has many cases of everything.
> 
> While stripping lots of scrap large gauge wire in his garage many moons ago I noticed that the edge of the blade would break off after only a few cuts. I went thru 7-8 blades and this kept happening. I looked at the blade case and they were just plain Stanley. I had another case there that were Stanley and said Heavy Duty, when using these the edge remained fine. So from then on I always grabbed the Heavy Duty blades.
> 
> Now I see that Stanley makes normal, Heady Duty, Extra Heavy Duty, Fat Max, etc. lol.


Lenox is super sharp but also super brittle, I never got hurt but I've seen guys that have when the blade snaps as they are pulling the knife.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

I've had them snap on me too mech! Had pieces hit me around my eye and temple. That's when I stopped using them so much.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Majewski said:


> I've had them snap on me too mech! Had pieces hit me around my eye and temple. That's when I stopped using them so much.


Saw a kid that was skinning scrap in the shop at lunch time come into the office with a bloody pants leg, he broke the tip of a blade and basically punched him self with the knife in the thigh. Been cautious since. I keep my lineman's knife sharp, doesn't take much effort.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

Exactly. I've removed enough finger tips to intentionally do that again.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Majewski said:


> Exactly. I've removed enough finger tips to intentionally do that again.


When I started every guy carried a TL29 electricians knife.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

Nice! Those fetch a pretty penny now.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

I would only use a utility knife to strip wire in a pinch. It's a think flexible blade ground fairly flat. This is too likely to waver into the conductor. A stiff blade with a steeper grind would be better. 

A straight edge is better than a convex curved blade like on a pocketknife, and a sheepsfoot blade will be better than a pointy blade - that's why that splicer's knife is set up pretty well. 

But a convex curve like the hawkbill is going to be even more controllable stripping wire and less likely to drift into the conductor. I think that's why they're made that way. 

I have a couple whirligig tools that work well though.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

splatz said:


> I would only use a utility knife to strip wire in a pinch. It's a think flexible blade ground fairly flat. This is too likely to waver into the conductor. A stiff blade with a steeper grind would be better.
> 
> A straight edge is better than a convex curved blade like on a pocketknife, and a sheepsfoot blade will be better than a pointy blade - that's why that splicer's knife is set up pretty well.
> 
> ...


The curved hawkbill blade holds into the jacket better without slipping out. as easy as a straight blade.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

350X said:


> I believe a razor can be an electricians worst nightmare. For a few reasons, but mainly, they cut to far into the insulation. The blade should never touch the wire.
> I also know a guy who has always used lineman's to strip wire ends, he says he never scores the wire and I've checked to find a clean strip. I guess a guy gets use to the feel. Not my preferred method, though.


Tell me why the blade should never touch the wire.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Actually, I always seem to lose the knife before I run out of the spare blades it comes with. It's good to know what replacement blades to buy if it ever gets to that point.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

Check inside the panel!


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Majewski said:


> Check inside the panel!


You think I'm stupid enough to leave a highly conductive tool inside a panel?

On second thought, don't answer that...


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

I don't think, I know. Because you're human! Hahaha


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Majewski said:


> I don't think, I know. Because you're human! Hahaha


I've found all kinds of things on top of tall panels and switch gear.


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

99cents said:


> Tell me why the blade should never touch the wire.




Maybe I should have said "conductor". 
Blade should never touch the conductor. 
Comprende...


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

99cents said:


> Tell me why the blade should never touch the wire.


the suggested reasoning in this is that a scar on the surface of the wire interupts the flow of electrons across the wire and therefore creates a posible heating incident at that point. what i wonder is how did they prove that the electrons only flow on the outside of such wire?:001_huh:


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

99cents said:


> Tell me why the blade should never touch the wire.




Actually, my friend, it's quite simple. 
Unless your using your teeth,fingernails or something softer than the conductor, the blade metal will be harder than the conductor. Therefore can score the conductor. Do you know why this is not good?


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

papaotis said:


> the suggested reasoning in this is that a scar on the surface of the wire interupts the flow of electrons across the wire and therefore creates a posible heating incident at that point. what i wonder is how did they prove that the electrons only flow on the outside of such wire?:001_huh:




Ding..ding..ding..winner. Give this man a prize. 


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

350X said:


> Ding..ding..ding..winner. Give this man a prize.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

no words to describe how humbled i am at the moment:vs_cool:


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

Except those 11 words?


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

:thumbsup:


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

350X said:


> Actually, my friend, it's quite simple.
> Unless your using your teeth,fingernails or something softer than the conductor, the blade metal will be harder than the conductor. Therefore can score the conductor. Do you know why this is not good?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The final 3/4" of a multi strand conductor squashed under a lug?


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

half of it not even touching anything!


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I hope some anal engineer doesn't read this thread. He'll have us stripping wire with a shoehorn.


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## 350X (May 20, 2016)

99cents said:


> The final 3/4" of a multi strand conductor squashed under a lug?




Some things are better taught than typed. Sorry you're sol here. 


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

If you have a neatness fetish, or you perform a lot of big wire terminations:


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

telsa said:


> If you have a neatness fetish, or you perform a lot of big wire terminations:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4mN-CSWJAw


You posted that on the first page.

That tool works fine, but it's expensive and only cuts specific sizes. I can strip the end just as fast with the same utility knife that I have with me at all times.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

HackWork said:


> You posted that on the first page.
> 
> That tool works fine, but it's expensive and only cuts specific sizes. I can strip the end just as fast with the same utility knife that I have with me at all times.


I have two of those. One for larger conductors and one for smaller conductors.
I terminate dozens if not hundreds of larger cables each year and just never had the patience to make the necessary adjustments to the cutting blade on those things so, for me, it's just another novelty item.

The klein tanto blade seems to be my go to tool for cable terminations these days.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

350X said:


> Some things are better taught than typed. Sorry you're sol here.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Electrons are persistent little bastids. They always find a way.


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## KennyW (Aug 31, 2013)

I tried to use various hawkbill blades for a couple years. As soon as they get dull the work gets sloppy, and dangerous. I carry a pocket knife and I sharpen it when I needs it. Keeping a cable stripping knife that I use constantly sharp was way too tedious. 

I use a Gerber "superknife" folding utility knife now with heavy duty blades. I make a longitudinal cut along the jacket, cutting all the way through, then a circular cut Round the conductor just scoring the insulation. Peel it off. 

For the cut around the conductor you only need to score the insulation, no need to cut all the way through. The cut along the conductor lengthwise is pretty forgiving, you'd need to be a real barbarian to do any meaningful damage to the conductor when doing the lengthwise cut. 

I love tools and gizmos, and experimented with everything I could get my hands on, all kinds of fancy knipex knives and strippers. A utility knife with a fresh blade is the best. Only exception is the really thin instrument cable like for proximity switch cord sets. I have a little coax stripper for that.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

A quick swipe through before use and one after keeps a sharp knife sharp. Been doing that for years.


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## Jhellwig (Jun 18, 2014)

The only wire I was taught you don't want to score concentrically is aluminum. I thought copper didn't matter.


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

They make stranded wire so you have spares in case you cut off a few.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Jhellwig said:


> The only wire I was taught you don't want to score concentrically is aluminum. I thought copper didn't matter.


I was told from the start that scoring of any kind would cause a heating problem / hot spot.


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