A wire stripper is a small, hand-held device used to strip the electrical insulation

Electrical insulation

thumb|250px|[[Coaxial Cable]] with dielectric insulator supporting a central coreThis article refers to electrical insulation. For insulation of heat, see Thermal insulation...

 from electric wire

Wire

A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...

s.

Manual

A simple manual wire stripper is a pair of opposing blades much like scissors

Scissors

Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin...

 or wire cutters. The addition of a center notch makes it easier to cut the insulation without cutting the wire. This type of wire stripper is used by rotating it around the insulation while applying pressure in order to make a cut around the insulation. Since the insulation is not bonded to the wire, it then pulls easily off the end. This is the most versatile type of wire stripper.

Another type of manual wire stripper is very similar to the simple design previously mentioned, except this type has several notches of varying size. This allows the user to match the notch size to the wire size, thereby eliminating the need for twisting. Once the device is clamped on, the remainder of the wire can simply be pulled out, leaving the insulation behind.

Automatic

When engaged, an automatic wire stripper simultaneously grips the wire from one side and cuts and removes the insulation from the other. To use it, one simply has to place the wire in the jaws and squeeze the handle. While this device allows even a novice to strip most wires very quickly, it does have some drawbacks. An automatic wire stripper only works on wires in a certain size range. If a wire is too small it may be broken by the pulling force, and if a wire is too large it will not fit in the jaws. When stripping the wire, an individual should grip and pull outwards to prevent injury. Mechanised automatic wire strippers can strip 10 gauge or thicker wires.