anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter?

Posted by: TheSock

anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 12:54 PM

On the leatherman thread I asked what bayonet (I like the idea of having a good wire cutter) would make a decent all round knife. But not everyone will see that.
So for those not into leathermen:
Is there a knife with a good wire cutter (not necessarily a bayonet) that is also a decent all round knife?
The Sock
Posted by: pezhead

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 12:59 PM

I have an M9 bayonet with wirecutter. I also have used the Leatherman wire cutter.
Posted by: TheSock

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 01:28 PM

Was the M9 any good as a wire cutter and knife?
The Sock
Posted by: Tarzan

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 03:36 PM

This is just my personal experience, but I have never seen a knife or multi-tool that had a wire cutter on it that was robust enough to actually cut wire without doing damage to the tool. Unless of course it was so big and heavy as to be impractical for what I consider every day carry. The AK-47 bayonets are pretty good, but much heavier than the type of knife I would typically carry for every day use. YMMV
Posted by: KG2V

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 03:39 PM

I forget which one has replacible carbide jaws (Sog?) but that always sounded good - carbide is HARD, and if you do chip them, rotate 120 degs, can continue - after 3rd edge, replace
Posted by: jzmtl

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 04:19 PM

That's Gerber. It will cut through hardened stuff that damage regular cutters (i.e. fishing hooks), but the down side is if you over stress it too much the whole thing can shatter, carbide is very brittle.

I recall one of the surefire folders has a build in wire cutter.
Posted by: Byrd_Huntr

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 04:31 PM

Originally Posted By: TheSock
On the leatherman thread I asked what bayonet (I like the idea of having a good wire cutter) would make a decent all round knife. But not everyone will see that.
So for those not into leathermen:
Is there a knife with a good wire cutter (not necessarily a bayonet) that is also a decent all round knife?
The Sock


I have been a Leatherman owner since the early days(before the basic tool was even called a PST). I have a Wave on my belt right now and a Supertool and Supertool 200 in my BoB's. They all have a strong super-sharp knife or two, and the new Super Tool 300 has a replacable carbide hardwire cutter. In my opinion, you would need to look no further. These tools are compact and weigh about 8 ounces. At $10 an ounce, it's a great value with a 25 year guarantee.
Posted by: jzmtl

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 05:21 PM

Leatherman uses 154cm cutters, not carbide.
Posted by: roberttheiii

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 08:51 PM

Ha - I've cut many a fish hook (which I think are pretty hard?) with my Van Staals - but they're pricey! :P
Posted by: roberttheiii

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 08:54 PM

Just checked - van staals use tungsten cutters w/a rockwell hardness of 60.
Posted by: Art_in_FL

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/05/10 09:33 PM

I have cut a good bit of wire with my Leatherman Wave.

On the electrical side it seems to handle everything up to #8 copper and aluminum easily enough without damage.

Standard #16 soft iron and galvanized iron tie wire is easily handled even when doubled.

Standard steel and aluminum chain-link fencing is about as large as it goes comfortably for the several cuts that can be necessary. It isn't suitable for every-day or production work, extended use would spring the jaws, but I've cut my way through a couple of fences and it is still kicking.

Thinner but tougher high-tension barbed wire has to be handled using the shearing notch in the cutter nearest the pivot and such cutting take a touch longer so it isn't suitable for production work but for incidental and occasional use it handles it well enough. I've cut two or three double strand fences since getting them and no issues.

The one common 'wire' I have yet to try the Leatherman on is razor wire. Typically this is hardened stainless steel tape that defies, or at least resists, most cutters. The trick is to fold it and work it back and forth letting metal fatigue work for you. A piece of heavy cloth, heavy leather gloves if you have them, are pretty important. Pliers are as often good as most wire cutters that haven't been designed for the job. Normal aviation shears work but unless they are high end units that are very hard with good steel they dull quickly.

For the sort of incidental use a hiker might need the Leatherman Wave seems to work well enough.
Posted by: TheSock

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/06/10 07:09 AM

Actually it's the leverage of the multi-tools that restricts their wire cutting. I was thinking a bayonet would overcome that with the greater length. Are they any good as knives?
The Sock
Posted by: pezhead

Re: anyone recommend a knife with a wire cutter? - 07/06/10 11:14 AM

I don't always carry the M9 when camping so I haven't tested it as much as I should. The wire cutter has served its purpose. Most of the time I have a dedicated wire cutter & use that it's nore manuverable.