Wire Stripper

[Brazen]

Do NOT get a Belden StripMaster. Just to let ya know, it says it works for cat5/6 cable, but it doesn't. It works a lot like a stripper I had used before that didn't have a blade and just pulled the outside cover off, which worked awesome. But the Belden StripMaster does have a blade and mangles up all the inside wires. I got one and now it is useless.

 

[JW310]

That's why cat5 cable comes with that nylon string in with the wires. You're technically supposed to use that to cut the insulation for another inch or so after where you used the blade to cut the insulation, so that any nicks in the wire caused by the blade will be cut off anyway.

JW

 

[Brazen]

hmmmm, so you just grab the nylon and use it to slice through the insulation? DANG! I'm at home now, but I'm trying that first thing Monday morning! You mean I've been doing it like this for 8 years and nobody bothered to tell me?!

thanks

 

[JW310]

It's not one of the more well-known things among the basic tutorials on how to strip & crimp an end on ethernet cables. I think I found out about doing that from one of the links that JackMDS posted.

JW

 

[cmetz]

JW310, that's an interesting trick, gonna have to try that myself. I have a cheap but surprisingly durable jacket stripper that I adjusted to just score the outer jacket, then I pull from the end and it pops off mostly clean, leaving the inner jackets unharmed.