Flush-cut side-cutting pliers are suited to trimming copper wire and soft metals, including cleanup and termination work in keystone jacks, while a heavy-duty, spring-loaded, high-leverage steel wire cutter supports tougher materials and one-hand operation. For copper-clad steel RG6 or shielded Category cable, choose a dedicated cable cutter designed for those materials rather than standard wire strippers or light-duty cutters.

Wire cutters in this category handle wire and soft metals up to 16 AWG, while a dedicated cable cutter handles RG6 cable and shielded Category cable. Depending on the cutter, materials include steel, copper, copper-clad steel, aluminum, and other soft metals.

For datacomm work, side-cutting pliers suit copper wire termination and cleanup in keystone jacks, including wire and soft metals up to 16 AWG. For coaxial cable and shielded Category cable, use a dedicated cable cutter designed for copper-clad steel RG6, copper, aluminum, and shielded cable.

Spring-loaded or spring-action designs help open the tool between cuts, supporting one-handed operation and reducing repeated hand movement. High-leverage handles, sharp blades, and flush-cutting edges help provide controlled cuts through wire, soft metals, and certain cables.