• Cutting through cable requires a tool with strong jaws and sharp edges. Electricians and other building professionals use both single- and dual-handed tools to slice through cable of various diameters. Various cable cutter tools are used to cut cable, including solid copper cable and braided steel.

Diagonal Cutting Pliers

• Electrical workers use diagonal cutting pliers, also referred to as "dikes," to slice through both individual electrical wires and sheathed electrical cable. Like a pair of scissors, dikes consist of a set of hinged handles and cutting blades. The dikes' cutting blades are small and wedge-shaped. One side of the dikes' blades is flat, and the opposite is curved. The flat side of the blade allows its user to cut wire flush with surfaces, such as drywall or studs, and the curved side of the blade acts as a pair of pliers, allowing its user to grip and pull wires or cables.

Wire Cutters

• Wire cutters slice through both individual electrical wires and sheathed electrical cable. Unlike diagonal cutting pliers, wire cutters have a long, thin, cutting blade. The interior edge of wire cutters is sharp enough to slice through bundled cable, such as a plastic-sheathed electrical cable. Small indentures line a portion of the cutting edge of the wire cutter's blade. The indentures correspond precisely to the specific diameter sizes of wire. When pressed against the correct wire, the indentures shear through plastic insulation and leave the metal wires intact.

Cable Cutters

• Cable cutters cut through thick electrical cable and stranded, structural cable, such as wire rope. They appear similar to a gardener's lopping shears; two C-shaped cutting heads attach to straight, hinged handles. To use cable cutters, the user places the cutting heads over a cable and compresses the tool's handles to create a clean cut through the material. The cable cutter's handles are long, usually 1 to 3 feet, and provide the extra leverage required to slice through thick, metal wires.

Ratcheting Cable Cutter

• A ratcheting cable cutter's internal mechanism reduces the amount of muscle power required to cut through thick cables. Like standard cable cutters, the ratcheting cable cutter consists of cutting heads and hinged handles. The ratcheting cable cutter's heads, however, remain locked in place following the compression of its handles. With every compression of its handles, the ratcheting cable cutter grips and bites a cable. As such, the ratcheting cable cutter relies not on short, strong bursts of strength but repeated, firm pushes.