How to strip wires like a pro (and my must

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

Stripping the insulation off wires is a task that DIYers and makers have to undertake regularly, but it's not an easy skill to learn, and there's scope for making a real mess of things, especially when the wires are thin and easily broken.

Also: How to fix broken wires the easy way - with heat-shrink butt connectors

I came across a good example of this the other day when someone asked me for advice. In the process of stripping the insulation off the wires connected to a component, they accidentally broke the wires and made them too short to be used. Nothing that some precision soldering couldn't fix, but still, a hiccup they could have done without.

Here's how to strip wires the easy way. In fact, I'll show you two ways.

To use this method you will need some decent micro cutters. Here I'm using the Knipex electronic snips, but any decent quality snips can do this trick (you can buy a pack of five for around $12).

Super sharp, safe up to 1000V, and will last a long time if not abused!

First, I use the snips to nibble a tiny bit of the insulation, breaking the surface but not going as far as the conductor underneath.

Next, I put the blade of the snips on the spot where I nibbled off the insulation, apply a bit of gentle pressure to the snip -- enough to grip the insulation, but not enough to cut the wire -- and then apply pressure with my thumb to the back of the cutters.

The pressure of the thumb on the snips should send the bit of insulation flying off into the distance (hopefully not for you to later find it in your coffee!).

And you're done!

If you have a lot of wires to strip, then nothing beats a dedicated cable stripper. This Knipex cable stripper is not cheap, but it is packed with all sorts of features, from the ability to strip the insulation from wires of varying diameters to safely cutting the outer sheathing from cables. There's even a hidden blade for trimming.

Its ability to strip the insulation without damaging the conductor wire is the most important benefit.

Stripping tool for cables with cross-sections and an additional blade for longitudinal cuts.

When in doubt, choose a size bigger and work down until you find one that grips the insulation without biting into the wire beneath.

Clamp the stripping tool down on the wire and twist.

Apply pressure to push the tool away from the wire to remove the insulation.

The insulation will break away, slide along the wire, leaving the conductor undamaged.

The tool captures the bit of insulation, so it doesn't end up in your coffee!