I thought it was sharp ;(

[Gray Fox]

I have a MT Kestral that I thought was fairly sharp...

The other day I had to move a computer from one place to another, this meant I had to cut some kind of nylon/plastic (thick) cable ties,
the Kestral could not even scratch the cable ties. I had to get some shears and snip the rascals...( and I really had to squeeze the
shears to pop the ties...)

Do you think that a serrated blade might have made a difference?

--Jerry

 

[Chang]

I don't think it's so much that it is sharp... a coarse edge does better with that type of cutting. I had a combination Gerber EZ-Out when I was cutting cable ties (just because I was bored and I was messing around in the school computer lab). The plain edge section didn't quite do it, so I slide the blade down to the serrated edge section and it tore through the cable tie with no problem. Of course, I returned my BM Stryker today because it was half serrated (ugly and hard to sharpen). I'm getting a plain edge. And I'm probably going to get a Spyderco Rescue to carry along with the Stryker so I can have something serrated to chop ropes and stuff.

-Chang the Asian Janitorial Apparatus

 

[K Robinson]

I cut cable ties on a simi regular basis and the serrated blade on my Leatherman Wave makes short work of it.

Kevin

 

[Jeff Clark]

If you have room to saw, a serrated edge will work better for this purpose. A pair of nail clippers may work the best. I don't use serrated blades so I use other techniques and plain edges. Sawing a cable tie with a plain edge is virtually futile. Sometimes I find a way to slip the point of my blade under the tie with the edge turned upwards. Then I lever the edge up into the tie using mechanical advantage. In other cases I force the blade under the tie with the edge up and use the wedging effect to get mechanical advantage. If there is a lot of room I sometimes open my knife part way and squeeze the tie between the knife handle and the blade (like a clipper). Sometimes I just have to use brute strength an hack through the tie (this can be dangerous). In any case it takes a lot of force and essentially push cutting to get a smooth blade through cable ties.

Once I lent my razor sharp 3.25" lock bladed SAK to a store clerk to cut a small cable tie. His method was to turn the point towards himself and pull through the tie. Before I could stop him, he stabbed his other hand and had to go to the emergency room for stitches.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Serrated blades yes, but it's mainly the chiseledge that cuts plastic well, which the chiseledge is made up with.

The Spyderco Harpy is good at this, similar blade shape as your Microtech Kestrel, but with the chiseledge tip it helps to slip under the tywrap and push cut through cleanly.

G2


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"The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!"
Take the time to read your Bible Now, don't be left behind...


G2 LeatherWorks

 

[Costas]

The Cricket eats plastic tie wraps for breakfast!!!
...(and it is legal to carry everywhere).

 

[Elvislives]

Zip ties are in my every day, I work in a sorely understaffed IT department and aside from my daily super-specialized form of network management I get to worry about cabling and the like. Knives are dangerous around cables, use a small pair of snips (wire cutters) for the job

Brandon

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Elvis, but the hawk bill like blade on both the Harpy and the Cricket can reach into a bundle of wire, come up from underneath and you do a pull cut away from the wire to cut the tywrap, works great! Snips can accidentally catch a wire so those are not fool proof. You ought to try out one of the Harpies.

G2

------------------
"The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!"
Take the time to read your Bible Now, don't be left behind...


G2 LeatherWorks

 

[TomW]

Elvis nailed it. Cable ties are dangerous to cut with a knife. Serrated blades give you a definate advantage but they're not the right tool for the job. Working in tight places you need the control you can't get with a knife. Last thing you want to do is nick a wire or yourself with a knife. Cutting pliers is the right tool.

 

[Frank]

If I just have a few cable ties to cut, I just use the Micra on my keyring. If I need to cut a bunch of them, or they're great big ones, I grab some diagonal cutters.

 

[Brian_Turner]

Cable ties tend to be one of my least favorite materials to cut with a knife. They're one of those things where starting the cut takes a lot of force, but once the material is penetrated, it seperates quite easily. This lends to applying a lot of force against the material, and then the blade accelerating rapidly once the cutting begins. Even with serrations, the technique is to hook the material into a serration and pull. Same buildup of force, relieved in a hurry.

If the tie is on a rack, it's easy to jolt the blade into the rack surface. If the tie is on a cable bundle, it's easy to nick the cables. To avoid cutting the cables, we often (as described above), will insert the blade under the wrap, edge out, and lever up through the wrap. High force + rapidly accelerating blade + edge toward user = bad.

It's very rare that I'm able to actually use the edge of the knife in a slicing fashion on cable ties, more often just the tip, levered through. As such, it's rare that serrations will do anything "extra" for me on cable ties.

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AKTI Member #A000832

"Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, the bear eats you."

 

Just in case you forgot: glassfibers are (slightly) harder than (most) steels....
So cutting glassfibers does no good to your edge....
Thats why scisors and cutting pliers have been invented.
Happy sharpening

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D.T. UTZINGER

 

[Gary W. Graley]

I agree fully, pulling a sharp object towards you with force isn't always a good idea

, but using diagonals on a tywrap that is tight on a bunch of wires can be dangerous as well, the points of the pliers can reach too far, so the Harpy works well in that condition, just don't go hog wild a yankin' and a pullin', control is needed and it's always more fun when you can use one of your knives...?

G2

------------------
"The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!"
Take the time to read your Bible Now, don't be left behind...


G2 LeatherWorks

 

[Brian_Turner]

Gary -

The way to use diagonals in that circumstance is to snip off the "lock", rather than trying to cut the wrap itself. The lock should stand out from the surface of the bundle, allowing access without having to force your way under (and into the cable bundle).

You can also often use a tiny screwdriver to press down on the tab inside the lock. Using this method, the tie simply unlocks, and slips free. Also allows the tie to be re-used.

------------------
AKTI Member #A000832

"Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, the bear eats you."

 

[Elvislives]

Gary-

You betcha, I'll use any excuse to try a new knife. Where's the best place to get one?

Brandon


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I've got the schizophrenic blues
No I don't
Yes I do...

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Brian, yep know what you mean, sometimes it's not the handiest to get at and they are harder to snip off, the lock part that is.

Elvis, didn't I just see you drive by?....
There are a lot of places to pick up the Harpy, if you post in the Knife Wanted section you'll likely hook a seller quick at a decent price.

G2

 

[Spim]

I go with the NO knives, on Cable ties around computers, Guys...I just built a Hotrod box with 100++ very small ties on the wire looms to get better cooling etc...cut and replaced most of them as I proceeded thru the build..I used small very precision insulated handle diagonal cutters..super control! A few years ago ruined a very good pair of small scisors
cutting 1 cable tie, put a nick in the blades!%$#@! learned a big lesson...

 

[e_utopia]

Ok, this is freaky. I was just thinking I should post on this topic 'cause I just had to cut a bunch of cable ties on a race car wiring harness to re-do it. I guess I'm not the only person who likes cars and knives.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com