KNIPEX Tools 13 72 8 Forged Wire Stripper, 8-Inch

Ok ok.... it’s just wire strippers right? Wrong! It’s a symbol of my individuality and belief in person freedom. (Bonus points if you caught that quote). I love the Knipex water pump and plier wrenches, however their wire cutters fall short- bottom line (more info on that below). This led me on a hunt to to find the ultimate wire strippers and found it was way more convoluted than meets the eye so I will detail my findings here and hopefully save you some cash and some pain in the process. Anyhow, in an ideal universe I’d like one tool to do it all for me: an insulated crimper, 10-20 awg solid and stranded stripper, a cutter and an 8-32 bolt cutter. Preferably high quality, even more preferable if made by workers paid a fair wage in a union environment (I mean, I can dream right?) The ones that tick the boxes though aren’t exactly perfect, which makes me start to consider dual tool situations. However since everyone is a little different let me just save you some research and describe those that were in the running for me. However in short my basic feeling is that the companies that generally make excellent other tools don’t do a great job at wire strippers. I generally love Klein, but have come to realize a lot of their product line now is missing common sense product design (like a locking feature on the K12035, or a spring on the K12065CR crimper version when the less expensive Milwaukee has both. The Knipex as well is a notable lemon in their product line. And, some brands you would not say are synonymous with electrical tools seem to have come out on top in some ways. I’ve owned or used the following noteworthy contenders: Knipex - I was expecting to love these and just felt pretty lukewarm about them right off the bat. Sure they’re machined very nicely and sharp; but they’ve got a very weird joint / pivot mechanism that clicks every time you use them and seems a bit janky overall. On top of that for me it just isn’t that great to use- note very ergonomic or intuitive. Doesn’t give me the same joy their Cobra and plier wrenches do. I know, sacrilegious but what can I say I’ve gotta be honest. Your mileage may vary. Carlyle / Napa - nice contender but requires a multi tool approach. Makes the snap on stripper / crimper and made in USA but again it only does stranded. Also inexpensive when purchased from Napa. A nice cheaper alternative to the Klein 2005N. You can find these on sale for like $20. And there’s both an angled and straight general stripper that comes with these in a 3 piece set that’s a great deal and nice quality. If you primarily work with electronics and not home or industrial electrical these would be my pick. Klein - 1010 - the old standby for me. Pretty much does it all- but isn’t in the same league as others in terms of build quality, also rusts fairly easily. Definitely not as strong as others that make a more lineman style stripper. Klein 1019 “Kurve” - new to me, seemingly an upgrade on the 1010 without anything noticeably absent. Might be a better choice than the 1010 for you. Klein 2005N- now we are talking Klein.... but only does stranded... but does it well. To me the best of the Carlyle / Snap on style stranded wire type. Pair this with another like the K120035 for solid and you’ll be good to go. Pair it with the Klein crimping tool (rebranded as Titan and others elsewhere) and you have it all. K12035 Klein-Kurve Wire Cutter - same quality as the Klein above, different use case. Basically same feature set as the Knipex and in my opinion the super choice. The 12035CR has a crimper, but you sacrifice the lower spring for leverage on the standard model. Personally I’d opt for the one with the spring and get the separate Klein crimper. Make sure you get one that locks shut as that really annoyed me. The standard 12035 obnoxiously does not have a locking lever, but does have the spring. This irritates me personally to no end. Milwaukee - 9 in. 7-in-1 Combination Wire Strippers Pliers- I actually like this tool better than the Knipex and most of the others as well. It’s also isubstantially cheaper for what you get... however you are dealing with an imported tool if that matters to you. It may not be as sharp or as attractive and fancy but it definitely gets the job done. This and maybe a Titan crimper if you’re picky and you’d be good to go. If you can only have one, get this one. It’s a really well thought out design and covers all the bases. However, I think it’s made in China. If you are USA or bust, go with the Klein or Carlyle recommendation above. Also, this 9 in 7-in-1 is notably different from the less expensive Milwaukee stripper which looks fairly similar. The 7-in-1 as of writing is about $30 and the other about $10 cheaper. Be sure you are getting the right model. Gardner Bender - Think of it like a Klein 1010 but stainless steel with an integrated voltage checker. Stainless is a bonus and markings are in the metal not paint or a bad laser etching job- which is a big complaint I have with the klein 1010- the rusting and inability to read the letting after a while. It’s no frills while at the same time action packed. Super duper convenient- tons of options. Isn’t German tool steel and is on the flimsy side (a-la the thin metal blue handled Klein 1010) but definitely gets the job done. Added bonus of a non-contact voltage checker which is a great plus. Actually a really attractive tool in terms of versatility. It’s a no-nonsense approach similar to the Milwaukee- you give up some of the Milwaukee build quality for some additional features and the very convenient voltage checker. You can’t go wrong with either of those as a home diyer type looking for low space impact and most features. My one complaint on these is that I don’t like the handles personally, and while I haven’t experienced it some have had issues with the voltage checker. That’s pretty much it.... the cream of the crop unless there’s some uber-fancy Swedish wire stipper I haven’t heard of... I’ve pretty much seen and used it all. I stay away from the automatic strippers as I find them finicky and is only one small piece of the toolkit I need to get the average electrical job completed. Once you get everything together you’re talking a small tool bag of junk.... I want it all to fit in my pocket or toolbelt. So I won’t say what’s the best, as there is none, but the most versatile is likely the Milwaukee but for the professional electrician you may want to explore a dedicated tool for each of your use cases. Hope that helps. Over and out.