Raychem wire strippers identification?

[artv]

Hi
I’m after replacement jaws for this wire stripper.
I can’t find them anywhere - maybe the tool is a rebrand of another tool. It’s at least 20 years old. Please see attached pics. I’m in the uk.
if anyone has any ideas where I could get these plastic feeling jaws I’d be very grateful! They just about work but are pretty chewed up. If all else fails I may try 3D printing! They measure 30mmx5mm. It says on inside not for Teflon.
It’s possible you may be able to exchange the complete jaw for different materials I don’t know.
Thanks!

 

[merkyworks]

Searched “polystrip blade” on ebay showEd some NOS replacement blades but not the cheapest.

Alpha BLD-5 Wire Raychem Polystrip Nickless Wonder Plastic Wire Stripper Blades | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Alpha BLD-5 Wire Raychem Polystrip Nickless Wonder Plastic Wire Stripper Blades at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Brunel]

Hi, I am in the UK and have some similar strippers - they came from my late father who was an aerospace wireman between 1981 and 1992 so they will be at least 30 years old. They were used for airframe wire which has very tough insulation and a precision wire stripper is needed. I don't have mine to hand so can't check the make, but I know the same style of tool are also called a "Stripmaster" and made by Ideal Industries. It wouldn't surprise me if Raychem rebadge them.

Page 15 (PDF numbering) of this file shows them and lists part numbers for spare blades:

https://www.idealind.com/content/dam/electrical/support/aerospace-catalog.pdf

Ideal Industries have a UK office in Warrington - no harm in giving them a call.

 

[Indexmill]

Just buy a new stripper. The exact same style is widely available.

 

[artv]

Thank you Merkyworks - unfortunately those polystrip blades on ebay in the UK are over £100!

Thanks Brunel. I did come across the Stripmaster - but couldn't find the blades - I will contact them good idea thanks!

Indexmill - I have other strippers but really like these. New ones look around £100 so pricey. If I can get blades for under £10 it's worth keeping it going I think. It's a very effective tool even with the knackered blades!

 

[artv]

FYI - @Brunel - I contacted Ideal, who put me onto Heamar their retailer - but they've never seen these strips and want to sell me a new tool . I have the CK wire stripper which is pretty good but not as good as the Raychem - and even with the worn red blades the Raychem still works pretty well for thinner stuff - but would have liked to get this tool back to its former glory. Thanks for your help.

 

[richpa]

Hi there, Your cable strippers are Ideal and badged up for Raychem. I have about 5 pairs of Ideal strippers and have been using them for the last 30 odd years. With regards to replacement blades on your unit It depends on what type of cable you are are stripping. The blades on your unit must be for a very specific type of cable. In general you can get any number of the Ideal replacement blades for standard insulation or even Teflon sheath for a lot less than a new pair of Ideal cable strippers.

 

[artv]

Thanks @richpa! Do you have a link to what I'd actually need to replace to convert them for standard insulation? I've had very confused correspondance with Heamar!

These were originally from BT - so probably for some sort of telephone cable.

Thanks!

 

[LaurentsLab]

I have a couple of these and have been doing some research on them (and will put out a blog post about them with more history and pics in a few months).

These were a collaboration between Raychem, who invented and produced the blades and Alpha Wire, a maker of cabling and tools. They date back from the 70s.

The blades are a special (patented) material that's hard enough to cut through most insulation (not Teflon as the documentation says) but soft enough to deform in contact with the metal conductor. So when you use them, you basically "create your own holes".

The wire stripper body seems to have been made by SES in France. They still sell Stripmaster-like wire strippers under their own brand and the Facom brand and were the OEM for the first gen Klein Katapult.

The body is derived from a standard SES wire stripper but the blade-side jaws are customized to allow the Raychem blades to be slipped in and out. Because of this, the body cannot be repurposed to use Stripmaster or Stripmaster-clone blades.

The body was sold mostly by Alpha Wire under the STRP-25 reference and to a lesser extent by Raychem under the Polystrip brand (reference 959001). Blades can be found both under the Alpha Wire brand (reference BLD-5) and the Raychem brand (Polystrip AT6500). The Alpha Wire blades are blue while the Raychem blades are red, but they are functionally identical. There is just one model of blades.

EBay regularly has some blade "wheels" for sale, but they are usually expensive. The wire strippers themselves also get listed on occasion.

Happy to answer any further question.