A Solid Choice for Electricians: Cable Stripper Review

Hello there, fellow reader!

I'm reviewing a cable stripper, also known as a cable knife. There are plenty of options out there, but this one caught my attention.

Every tool has its own philosophy and will appeal to different people. It's rare to find one that suits everyone's needs. Some prefer one tool over another due to its grip, features, ease of use, intended function, or the specific cable type and brand.

grip features ease of use intended function cable type and brand

For others, it's a different story, and even a third, fourth, or fifth tool might be needed.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution. In reality, you often end up using 2-3, and sometimes 4-7 similar tools for similar tasks.

Cable strippers, especially manual ones, are usually designed by in-house teams at companies like Weicon and Jokari in Europe. There are a couple of other companies, but their products are less common here.

Recently, Weicon and Jokari have started producing their own products under their own brands.

What's interesting is that they also manufacture OEM products for well-known brands like Knipex, Klauke, Haupa, Cimco, Wiha, Felo, Gedore - and the list goes on.

Some local brands, like Shtok, even order individual parts from German brands. But that's just a few exceptions, not the rule. Usually, what we get under our local brands is the same old KVT, Rexant, and Zubr – all mediocre Chinese stuff that's often below average quality.

What sets German brands apart from Taiwanese ones is how they mount their blades. They're mounted better and are more durable. You often see blades made from Solingen steel on high-quality German handheld tools. I've been familiar with this mark for at least 30 years, and it's even more common on their knives.

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If you grew up in the 2000s, you might remember visiting the tool section in a big hardware store like OBI. That's where I bought my LUX-TOOLS Profi++ trio of pliers. Back then, it cost around 750-850 rubles, which was a lot of money at the time. This tool came with red pouches, met the VDE 1000V standard for safe use under 1000V, and had component pouches on the handles. The pliers use Solingen steel, and the blades have precise laser sharpening. It doesn't mean you can use them to bite nails – you shouldn't and can't.

These pliers were designed by NWS, a company that's been making handheld tools from Solingen steel for years. You can tell the steel type by looking at the tool's markings.

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NWS Pliersxa0

I've got to say, the wire strippers I bought from OBI have been working like a charm and doing their job flawlessly. I used them under live voltage without any issues and actually replaced my old Knipex ones with LUX-TOOLS, which fit my hand better than my NWS ones and way better than the super-expensive Knipex.

One of the strippers got a bit 'zapped' in my hands. When some people don't understand or can't read, they put up a sign that says 'Do not turn on! Electrical work in progress' and put up a barrier in front of it. Well, I and my fellow workers are still alive, and we managed to shake off the scare. The short circuit created a tiny notch on one of the blades, but that's just a minor issue. In the past, I've seen Solingen steel show its strength a few times in my practice. KVT, on the other hand, just broke apart in my colleague's hands.

I've had some experience with cable strippers under the KVT WS-06 brand, which are essentially copies of the Jokari Super 4, WEICON Super № 5, Haupa 210683, and Klauke KL760180. At first, I regretted buying the original, but the KVT WS-06 didn't last long. The quality of KVT didn't match the price or the advertising claims. The original ones I bought later are still working great after many years, but that's a story for another review.

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Anyway, if we're talking about Klauke or Knipex brand, you can get the same tool for two to three times the price of the original. And it's the same German quality. The interchangeable blades are all interchangeable, so before buying, it's worth doing some research and not just going for the red brand.

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I got to meet the engineer from Weicon at a tool exhibition in Moscow, and they flew in from the German factory. I got to try out their tools and was really impressed. I ended up wanting to buy a few of their strippers. They're known for their professional-grade chemicals, but they also have a separate line for industrial design and develop tools for themselves and other brands. Often, their products are OEM for German companies. Their own brand is WEICON-Tools. They have their own manufacturing facilities, with the main ones based in Münster. That's also where one of their design centers is. They don't produce the steel themselves, so they order it from Solingen, a supplier I'd mentioned earlier.

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🔶️ Cable Knife Plus with Cable Jacket Removal 0.5-6 mm² S 4-28 Multi Weicon-Tools wcn50057328, Universal Stripper

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My previous version of the box had the article number wcn50057328, which you can see in the photo below

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In the current market, the same box is being sold with a slightly different article number in our networks (on Ozon, Valberis, and so on).

This is already a re-packaging of the tool.

When I got the tool straight from the factory, it came in slightly different packaging. In better times, the Germans used to bring the tool in the original packaging. Either way, I don't see any reason to keep the packaging intact, especially if you've got 20-50 different handheld tools that you use regularly.

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From the specifications

Length: 145 mm

Maximum outer cable diameter: 28 mm²

Minimum outer cable diameter: 4 mm²

Individual wire section: 0.5-6.0 mm²

The knife is designed for working with and cutting round cables.

For flat cables, you can use individual wire stripping up to 6 mm².

The knife doesn't have insulation for working with voltages up to 1000 V

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The tool's features and capabilities are described on the box.

Additionally, there's a step-by-step guide on how to use the tool, complete with images.

I didn't bother checking the instructions on the box, as everything is pretty straightforward and easy to understand. However, for a beginner, this little guide is super helpful.

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💪 What I like about it

You can adjust the depth of the cable jacket cut on the fly without breaking the cable or creating a stepped profile.The central knife-excenter allows for both cross and longitudinal cuts on round cables.Removing PVC insulation from wires with a cross-sectional area of 0.5 / 0.75 / 1.0 / 1.5 / 2.5 / 4.0 / 6.0 mm²,The tool's non-slip plastic coating prevents it from slipping out of your hands and provides good shock-absorbing qualities.The tool's ergonomic design.The knives are cleverly concealed, making it easy for a non-expert to prep cables for connection at home, or even teach a child or student how to work with cables – essentially, the tool has great ergonomics and safe working properties.The central, rotating knife-excenter is easily replaceable with a similar item or equivalent.xa0

🔶️ APPLICATION

This tool is only as good as the situations you put it in – it's all about real-world usage.

Some small examples of usage.

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✅ For stripping the jacket off round cables with an outer diameter of 4 to 28 mm²

Knives for cross and longitudinal cutting with adjustable depth thanks to the rotating knife-excenter allow for either a cross-section cut with the knife rotating around the cable or a longitudinal cut.

Normally, I'd extend the knife just a bit less than the cable diameter. In any case, the cable's easy to bend without breaking the insulation, and the jacket cracks at the right spot without damaging the PVC insulation.

I've found that making a crosscut is a breeze, and it's surprisingly easy to do with just one rotation of 270 or 360 degrees.

You just pull out the blade, set it to the right distance under the clip, and rotate it around the cable's axisxa0

Alternatively, you can also make a longitudinal cut along the length of the cable, unwrapping it as you go.

When doing this, you'll want to move the blade along the tip of the cable until you reach the end. It's a good idea to make a crosscut first, as a way to mark the length of the insulation, so it doesn't tear further.

The red wheel lets you adjust the blade's extension on the fly.xa0

After making the crosscut, a gentle bend and the insulation starts to slide off.

From there, it's just a matter of pulling off the insulation.

For the VVGNK cable and white grommet I'm working with, I can simply remove them by hand or by pinching the insulation, and then pull off the grommet along with it.xa0

✅ I was impressed with how easily I could strip the PVC insulation from standard power cables with cross-sectional areas of 0.5 / 0.75 / 1.0 / 1.5 / 2.5 / 4.0 / 6.0 mm², specifically the PV-1 type and its analogs.

This is a typical set of diameters for the most common cable sizes

in multi-apartment constructionindividual housing and constructionadministrative buildingsresidential and commercial centersOnce I knew the cable's cross-sectional area, I'd refer to the selection scale on the stripper

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Stripping cables like the VVGng 3x2.5 mm²

On the scale, you'll find both AWG and our standard mm formats

And, as you can see, it works perfectly for cables like the VVGng 3x1.5 mm²

The blades are well-sharpened and smooth, making it easy to remove the PVC insulation from the cable's core."One thing I was curious about was whether I could remove the insulation from a multi-core cable.

And the answer is yes, you can!

But I'd recommend using a stripper matrix with a step size one notch above the nominal value listed on the cable's datasheet.

So, for example:

for a 1.5mm^2 cable, use a 2.5mm^2 step sizefor a 2.5mm^2 cable, use a 4.0mm^2 step sizefor a 4.0mm^2 cable, use a 6.0mm^2 step sizefor a 6.0mm^2 cable, don't strip it at alland for smaller gauges, it's also a good idea to use a step size one notch above the cable's gaugeThe benefits

there's a container to store the stripped insulationxa0

Container for PVC insulationThis makes a huge difference in terms of mess and cleanup.

It's a lot easier to work with when you're not dealing with loose insulation everywhere.

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The container's depth also allows for adjustable wire exposure, which is super handy for connections to mechanisms or circuit breakers, as well as terminal blocks.

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Additional notes on this product.

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✔️ One thing to keep in mind is that most strippers are designed for single-core cables, not multi-core. For multi-core cables, I'd recommend using automatic strippers like the Weidmulller Stripax and its equivalents.

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Now that Weidmulller Stripax is widely available on AliExpress, I'm not going to judge the originality of my purchase. Like Wiha, it's a modern tool that's become ubiquitous on the platform.

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✔️ One thing I'll note is that any standardized manual tool works flawlessly with imported standardized cables, which have strict requirements for insulation and cross-sectional area. That's something our domestic manufacturers and many Chinese ones lack.

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✔️ I've found it easy to work with cables like NYM, VVG / VVGng / VVGng - XXXX for stripping the outer sheath. And that's a cable with GOST marking. Don't get confused between the Soviet-era GOST requirement and the recommended GOST action post-Russian Federation birth. 'b GOST is a far cry from the one we used to have in the USSR. If you got your tool and product by GOST back then, it's a different story now.

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Despite that, you can still use a cable made to TU standards. However, this will increase the workload by 30%.

It's also suitable for stripping wires with a cross-sectional area of 0.5 to 0.6 mm².

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✔️ I've come across comments from users (electricians) who dislike the fact that the maximum wire stripping capacity is 15 mm².

Let me reiterate that this is a German product, and they're known for being meticulous.

Take a look at any catalog of German electrical installation components from companies like Siemens, Hager / Berker (they're one corporation), Jung, Berker, Merten, Kopp, and others.

SiemensHager / Berker (This is one corporation)JungBerkerMertenKoppothersWhat do you see?

You'll see that the maximum wire stripping capacity for connecting to electrical installation components is 12-15 mm².

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✔️ One thing to note is that when cutting the cable's longitudinal sheath, the knife-excentric requires occasional adjustment.

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I've found this stripper to be super handy in a variety of situations.

It's perfect for preparing cables for connection in panelboards.It's also great for stripping wires of the same type and cutting them to the right length when installing end devices.Anywhere you need to work with round power or information cables with an insulation diameter of 1.5 mm² or more.When preparing cables for connection in homes, apartments, or buildings like hospitals, clinics, administrative offices, or commercial centers.xa0

One thing I wish this tool had was a terminal stripping option, rather than just a longitudinal one. But that's a feature for a different stripper, and even the Weidmulller Stripax I mentioned earlier is more suited to working with automation and panel equipment.

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📌 Side note

The Weicon-Tools wcn50100002 spare blade is a game-changer.

It's compatible with the Weicon-Tools S4-28 and S4-28 Multi cable strippers (art. 50055328, 50057328).

Replacing it is a breeze.

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🔶️ That's a wrap

Let's get to the point. The original source is always better, and it's usually 95% more reliable than a replica. I'm talking about the genuine tool versus a Chinese knockoff with a bunch of different names. If you only need it once or for occasional use, a Chinese copy will do. They're cheaper, after all. But things have changed lately, and it's not uncommon to see the same brand names like Stock, IEC, and various Russian TM's (which is just a bunch of nonsense) with subpar quality from Chinese manufacturers. We've got a weird obsession with local brands like Rexant, Zubr, IEC, Stacker, and many others. They're all trying to make a profit while still looking good to consumers. But the truth is, most of these TM's don't actually produce anything; they just buy, order, and slap on some stickers. That's why we're often surprised. The only decent products from these brands are few and far between, and unfortunately, 97-99% of the time, they're not even their own. But there are some exceptions, like DKS. Yes, it's an Italian company that produces automation, automation systems, robots, and conveyor belts for production, as well as machine tools for making other machine tools. And we've got a subsidiary in Tver that produces a cable carrying system that's way better than IEC. I'm bringing it up as an example. There aren't many companies like DKS that produce their own products. And I mentioned IEC because there are so many TM's that are way worse. The DKS brand also produces tools that are ordered. Unfortunately, I don't remember them producing their own localized tools in Tver. I've got the original DKC tool brought back from Italy, and it works like a charm.

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I've worked with plenty of cable strippers, and each one has its own unique characteristics. The diameter and thickness of the casing can vary greatly between manufacturers, making it essential to find the right tool for the job.

When working with a single type of cable, I can adjust the blade for cutting the insulation to get the job done quickly and efficiently. In some cases, I make the blade's overhang smaller, so I can snap off the insulation after scoring it, rather than cutting through to the wires.

Alternatively, I often use my trusty Olfa knife with a marking gauge to make a thin score and then use the gauge to pry open the casing.

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Overall, the knife has been a game-changer for me, especially when working with round cable. It's also super handy for stripping individual wires after removing the insulation.

Of course, it's not a fully automatic stripper, but it gets the job done with minimal fuss, even with cables of varying diameters.

It's definitely a useful tool to have in your arsenal, especially when tackling electrical work in your home or office.

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One thing that's really impressed me is the central knife-excentric mechanism, which is often available and easy to replace.

If you have the chance to try out a cable stripper before buying, I highly recommend it – each one is designed for a specific hand size.

As I'm writing this, I've got the Weicon № 400 cable stripper in my hands, which I've grown to love and use frequently.

It's a solid tool that's performed admirably in my work.

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🔷️ PLUS POINTS

The ergonomic design is super convenient and well thought out.The plastic is really sturdy, and even if you drop it from a height, it won't break into pieces.The adjustable knife for stripping insulation is easy to set up and use.The crimping grip on the hook holds tight to the insulation and keeps the whole tool in place without any wobble.The stripper for individual wires with a container for the cut-offs is really handy.The removable blade for stripping the outer sheath is a breeze to swap out.It's common to find a spare blade and knife assembly for sale.This is the perfect solution for stripping the insulation from round cables.It's suitable for working with both flat and round cables, specifically for stripping wires up to 6mm² in diameter.⚠️MINUSES

The price has gone up.You can mostly find it in reduced-profile stores on platforms like Ozon and Valberis.xa0

OTHER USEFUL FEATURES

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I've also been using the UVEX Ultravision 9301105 safety glasses for all my cutting and drilling jobs.

I've also been using the Haupa FlexBag reversible ratchet with a built-in hammer and 51-piece bit set for various tasks.

I've also been using the KVT press pliers PKVk-16t for torquing to compress the ends of wire connectors up to 16mm in diameter.

I've also been using the DeWALT DWST1-75552 tool belt to keep my tools organized and within reach.

The METABO BS 18 Li 602116530 cordless drill has been my go-to tool for a week now, and I've gotta say, it's been a game-changer. The 2 x 2.0 Ah batteries have been a lifesaver, and the 13mm capacity has made quick work of even the toughest projects. I've also been using the Toughbuilt quickly detachable TB-CT-20-LX holster to keep my drill within easy reach. I've gotta admit, I was skeptical about the build quality at first, but after using it for a while, I'm impressed with how solid it feels. The battery life has also been better than I expected, and the ease of use has made it a favorite among my friends and family.