Wire stripper

[in_sympathy]

Hi all, hope you are doing great this holiday season .
I have a question about using a wire stripper on SAKs. I mean I watched tons of videos and still don’t quite get how to use it. For now it is totally useless in my opinion, especially in comparison to the one on the Wave. So I decided to ask you guys for a proper manual - maybe I’m doing something wrong and you could teach me . Many thanks in advance .

P.S.: I have a Forester just in case

[smiller43147]

I'm interested to see the responses you get.  We're talking about the little notch at the base of the bottle opener (cap lifter). 
I've never actually tried using it, as it looks useless. 
I put it in the same category as counting the key chain ring as a "function".  Just fluff to up the number of functions to advertise.

[twiliter]

The only way I could ever get it to work is on 14 or 16 gauge wire, when part of it was already stripped enough to fit the wire in the notch. By then you could go ahead and finish stripping the end with whatever you used to get the stripper notch to work. I might be using it wrong too. 

I think there are some creative uses for it, like bending wire or something, but I consider it fairly useless. 

[in_sympathy]

The only way I could ever get it to work is on 14 or 16 gauge wire, when part of it was already stripped enough to fit the wire in the notch. By then you could go ahead and finish stripping the end with whatever you used to get the stripper notch to work. I might be using it wrong too. 

I think there are some creative uses for it, like bending wire or something, but I consider it fairly useless. 

Yep, but maybe someone hacked it and found the right way to use it, so I decided to ask

[VICMAN]

If you will open the main blade on the knife and then open the bottle opener to 90 degrees you can lay the wire to be stripped across the handle and put it in the notch, then close the main blade gently on the insulation of the wire and rotate the knife or the wire until the insulation is notched all the way around. Then open the blade, remove the wire and use the notch in the bottle opener to pull the insulation off of the wire.

Here is a video I just found on the internet (the only difference between the way he uses it and the way I use it is that I use the notch to pull the insulation off.)

[twiliter]

That only works on models with the stripper in the next layer over to the blade, Soldier, Spartan, Compact, etc., not so easy on a SwissChamp. Also he is using the blade to strip the wire, the notch is pretty superfluous. I have seen that video, thanks for retrieving it VM. 

I generally use a set of side cuts to strip wire, pinch the insulation twice then pull the end off, but if I was going to do it a lot I think I would invest in a Squirt ES4. 

[twiliter]

The only way I could ever get it to work is on 14 or 16 gauge wire, when part of it was already stripped enough to fit the wire in the notch. By then you could go ahead and finish stripping the end with whatever you used to get the stripper notch to work. I might be using it wrong too. 

I think there are some creative uses for it, like bending wire or something, but I consider it fairly useless. 

Yep, but maybe someone hacked it and found the right way to use it, so I decided to ask

I hope someone comes along who has it figured out.

[VICMAN]

That only works on models with the stripper in the next layer over to the blade, Soldier, Spartan, Compact, etc., not so easy on a SwissChamp. Also he is using the blade to strip the wire, the notch is pretty superfluous. I have seen that video, thanks for retrieving it VM. 

I generally use a set of side cuts to strip wire, pinch the insulation twice then pull the end off, but if I was going to do it a lot I think I would invest in a Squirt ES4. 

If you are using a knife such as a Swiss Champ you would just use the blade by itself to score the insulation all the way around, and then use the notch in the can opener to pull off the insulation.

The main use of the notch is for pulling off insulation (stripping the insulation off) once it has been scored.

[in_sympathy]

If you will open the main blade on the knife and then open the bottle opener to 90 degrees you can lay the wire to be stripped across the handle and put it in the notch, then close the main blade gently on the insulation of the wire and rotate the knife or the wire until the insulation is notched all the way around. Then open the blade, remove the wire and use the notch in the bottle opener to pull the insulation off of the wire.

Here is a video I just found on the internet (the only difference between the way he uses it and the way I use it is that I use the notch to pull the insulation off.)

Cool, thanks! Now I get the idea, however it doesn’t work for me yet - maybe I need to master the technique. With smaller gauge wires the wire just won’t stay in place while I rotate either the wire itself or a knife and it won’t do the trick. But I have to say that I have sharpened a can opener just a bit and now I can use that for stripping wires as well. Still I find the wire stripper on my Wave much more useful and overall better designed.

[VICMAN]

Still I find the wire stripper on my Wave much more useful and overall better designed.

I will agree that the wire stripper on the Wave is more efficient in comparison.

[twiliter]

Still I find the wire stripper on my Wave much more useful and overall better designed.

I will agree that the wire stripper on the Wave is more efficient in comparison.

I would think so too. What I'm saying is by the time you score the insulation and fiddle around trying to get the notch working, you might as well just take the insulation off with what you scored it with. Most of the wire I deal with can be stripped with a thumbnail once the insulation is cut. I still don't see the point, I hope you figure it out Alex! 

[Sawl Goodman]

I can just about never find my "proper" wire stripper so I've had to become reasonably good at cutting the insulation with a blade and stripping it with scissors.

I've never used the SAK wire stripper. Should try it some time! It should work well for its gauge.

[ThundahBeagle]

Seems the whole idea behind this is to avoid needing a sharp blade and possible cuts to the hand while stripping wire. I have stripped wire with this, but pretty narrow gauge. I don't set the wire in at 90 degrees to the notch - I lay it in at 45 degrees press with my thumb and twist so that the sharpest edge of the notch is scoring the insulation (not that the edge is very sharp). Then I jam my thumb against the wire in the notch and pull.

While It does work that way, it takes some getting used to. And I agree...the Leatherman V notch wire stripper on the can opener is a much better wire stripper.

Then again, the Vic bottle opener (cap lifter)r is far superior to that of Leatherman.

[shibafu]

Even if it's not so good for stripping insulation, the notch is useful for bending thick wire.

[in_sympathy]

Even if it's not so good for stripping insulation, the notch is useful for bending thick wire.

Maybe, but I never really needed that and would probably use pliers for that kinda job

[in_sympathy]

Now I’m thinking of making a V-notch on my Forester out of that strange stock stripper

[Rich S]

I've found that if you use a round needle file and sharpen the notch toward the outside of the scales, that it works much better as a wire stripper (at least for small gauge wire).

Rich

[Sparky415]

While I was looking for pictures Rich nailed it, 

I slightly adjusted my old Spartan with a dremel
It's hard to see but theres a 'back bevel' so it works for me holding the wire in my left hand and using my thumb over the blade in my right

[twiliter]

OK Rich and Sparky, this is starting to make sense. 

[twiliter]

Now I’m thinking of making a V-notch on my Forester out of that strange stock stripper

Good idea, a lot of MTs have them.