To rip (open up) flat cable, such as the kind shown below, use a cable ripper or a utility knife to score it lengthwise. To rip round cable, only use a utility knife so you can carefully follow the contours of the wires, reducing the possibility of cutting into the insulation of the sheathed wires or nicking any bare wires.

When ripping either kind of cable with a utility knife, always work on a flat horizontal or vertical surface and cut away from your body, never toward it.

1. Slide a cable ripper onto a flat cable. Press the handles together and pull to score the sheath.

2. Bend the cable until the scoring cracks and then peel away the outer sheath and all separation materials to expose the wires.

3. With diagonal-cutting pliers, cut off the peeled sheath and other separation materials, leaving just the wires.