Disclosure: Klein supplied these strippers for the review. I buy most of my own tools, and sometimes companies send me items to test. Nobody has ever paid me for an opinion. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Klein Tools Heavy-Duty Forged Wire Stripper/Cutter: Live Cut and Strip Test
Real Tools. No Jokes. Today I’m running Klein’s heavy-duty forged wire stripper/cutter with the Klein-Curve handles through a live test: 14 and 10 Romex, number 10 stranded, some big stranded, and the true test somebody asked for in the comments, MC cable. Fair warning, I’m not a professional electrician by any means. I’m a maintenance guy, and most of our wiring is point to point.
Quick Verdict: Klein HD Forged Wire Strippers
Smooth, easy cuts, even on big stranded wire. Easy on the hands. Won’t cut MC.
- Cuts 14 Romex with hardly any effort
- Cuts stranded wire almost like nothing’s there
- Klein-Curve handles, easy on the hands
- Built-in crimper and bolt shears
- Blade still sharp after the test
- Won’t open wide enough to cut MC cable
- Horizontal knurling only, so twists can slip
- 10 solid takes a little more effort
Best For: Maintenance and occasional wiring work
What They Do
Per the packaging, they handle 8 to 18 AWG solid and 10 to 20 AWG stranded. They cut, twist and crimp, and there are bolt shears for 6-32 and 8-32 screws. They’re made in Taiwan, with six precision-ground stripping holes and an internal spring, so there’s no spring down at the bottom getting in the way of the crimper. The crimper is for non-insulated connectors, lugs and terminals on 10 through 20 AWG stranded. The cutting blade isn’t just straight. It has a little indentation that holds the wire while you cut or crimp, so it doesn’t slip out.
One thing right off the bat: if I’d had these before my original old-school stamped Kleins, my hands would probably be in a lot better shape today. Those were tough on my hands back when I was doing a lot of electrical work.
14 and 10 Romex
On the 14, set it in the 14 slot and it strips right off. It cuts all the way through all three conductors easily, with sharp shears and hardly any effort. Twisting worked well, too: the jaws were grippy, and the twist was almost effortless. Forgive my twisting. Like I said, I’m not an electrician.
The 10 is thicker wire with more meat to cut. It seemed to get a better grip on the sheathing when cutting the insulation, and it popped right off. It doesn’t slide down as far into the indentation, but you still get a good leverage cut. It takes a little more effort, which is understandable on bigger wire. The grip on the twist was really good, and you could see it pulling some copper in. On the cuts it was smooth, even pressure, without a lot of wrist strain.
Stranded Wire, Big and Small
Number 10 stranded copper: pops in, pops off. It cuts stranded almost like there’s nothing there. Very smooth and very easy. I had some bigger stranded too, probably single-digit gauge, and it slides down into the indentation and cuts very nicely. If you want to strip the bigger stuff and don’t have the right hole, put a little zigzag on it and the insulation pulls off. I cut mine a little deep, but that’s me, not the tool. If you do a lot of stranded work, these are going to be great on your hands.
The MC Test
Somebody in the comments of my Klein overview video said to cut MC. They won’t. They don’t open nearly as wide as my Knipex, so the cable doesn’t go in deep enough. The Knipex will cut MC, but like somebody else said in the comments, you have to open them up like a hedge trimmer. That’s about the only thing the Knipex will do that the Klein won’t. Then again, you’re not paying the Knipex price.
One more difference: these are knurled horizontally only, without a lot of cross-hatching grip, so you do get some slippage when you twist wire. You’ve probably seen guys on YouTube cut extra cross-notches into theirs for more bite. I don’t do much twisting, since ours is mainly point-to-point work, so that’s not my main concern. If twisting is a big part of your work, keep it in mind.
Klein vs My Knipex Strippers
I’ve been using my Knipex forged wire strippers for quite a while, and I love them. I don’t love the price. They’re in my top 5 Knipex tools. After the test, the Klein blade still had sharp teeth, no deformation and no damage. The Klein is the better price, but this wasn’t really a head-to-head, just a look at what each one offers.
| Klein HD Forged | My Knipex forged strippers | |
|---|---|---|
| Cuts MC cable | No, doesn’t open wide enough | Yes, open them like a hedge trimmer |
| Big stranded cuts | Very smooth | – |
| Twisting grip | Horizontal knurl, some slip | – |
| Price | Better price | “High dollar” |
The Verdict
For smooth cutting, even on big stranded wire, the Klein heavy-duty forged stripper/cutter is a good tool, and it’s easy on the hands. Romex and thicker solids take a little more effort, but I wouldn’t call it anywhere near hard to cut. It won’t do MC, and the twisting grip could be better. I’m taking them to work to put them through the full rundown. For a basic electrical tester to go with them, see my Fluke T6-1000 PRO review.