Best Steel for Cutting Wire ?

[lava_lamp]

Last week, I had to cut several wire ties holding some things together and not having wire cutters used my VG-10 Spyderco Delica. These were small diameter plastic coated wires like the guage used for handing framed art or photos - not click-lock plastic ties.

The edge of factory sharpened blade was nicked wherever it cut the wire and required the application of a new edge.

In an unintentional comparison test, I found myself in the same situation this week, cutting wire ties with my 154CM Benchmade Kulgera. It suffered the same result with nicks and damge to the blade.

My question is can other steels handle it withouth damage? Would S30V or D2 have done better? If not, what would?

 

[A_Blade_Afficionado]

Carry pliers, use those, not your knife. They will be easier to use and better suited.

 

[mete]

My Leatherman should work fine. For serious wire cutting like copperweld I have Klein 9" side cutter pliers with hardened edges.

 

[steelknight]

I have a nice skeletool it works fine save your knives

 

[Jason B.]

No knife steel will be able to handle steel wire, even steels like ZDP will suffer the same fate.

 

[Silverdagger]

The best steel is your buddy's steel. Leave your steel in your pocket and use his. LOL

 

[Thorsen]

a cheap one will work fine but carry something else for others tasks

 

[oracle5]

I nicked my S30V spyderco native doing the same kind of thing.

 

[neeman]

My Leatherman should work fine. For serious wire cutting like copperweld I have Klein 9" side cutter pliers with hardened edges.

Klein 9" side cutter pliers with hardened edges eat 16 penny nails and stainless steel wire.

A small pair of 6" Diagonal cutters will work very well for thinner wire.

 

[SSonnentag]

Tool steel is the best, ideally in the form of dikes.

 

[Seanski]

Yes, side-cutters of some sort instead of a blade. I've damaged my hard cutter portion of my multi-tools cutting some thin spring steel antenna wire. that's hard stuff! I usually use cheap and easy on the wallet to replace wire cutters to cut wire unless you need to cut something and have no option of having one available.

 

[Smash05]

Isn't the Kulgera S30V? You need a good multitool.

 

[joe-bob]

Buy yourself a nice pair of Snap-On dikes.

 

[Superfuzz]

I prefer tool steel wire cutters and keep a pair in my truck. Cheap from your local hardware. Dont abuse your knife or multi-tool. Not really made for it.

 

[jackknife]

Just stick a cheap nail clipper on your keychain, and use them. When they get too nicked up to function anymore, throw it in the trash and spend .99 cents on another one. A nail clipper will cut light wire better than a expencive knife.

 

[Cyblade]

Whats the best knife to use as a screwdriver....... Use the right tool for the right job with all the hundreds of multi-tools models out there you gotta be able to find something that works for you. Or go buy a cheap set of wire cutters depending on where you go you can spend as little as 3bux on a set that will work better than any knife for cutting wire.

 

[Lycosa]

Yup---tool steel.

 

[Joshua J.]

Get a Skeletool, they're awesome.

 

[Ron Athay]

I have to cut hardened wire in my business. Klien tools designed for the task work. My electricians pliers (Klien) cost $76 at a wholesale electrical shop. They cut anything up to about 8 to 6 guage steel. I got these after ruining a Leatherman's and Vise Grip and some unknown number of knives. Knives are way to thin. However the electrician's pliers do a really poor job of cutting anything. The right tool for the job, etc.

 

[Metal425]

Leatherman S2 Juice.