Knipex 95 18 225 Step Cut Extra Large: A Bigger Reach for Tough Cuts

Introduction

Knipex has been expanding the Step Cut line, and the newest addition is the 95 18 225, also known as the Step Cut Extra Large. It takes the clever stepped cutting head that made the original 95 18 160 such a pleasant little cutter and stretches it into a 225 mm tool with serious leverage. The question is whether the bigger size is genuinely worth the higher price and the extra bulk in your bag. After spending real time cutting heavy wire with it, the answer leans yes, with a few caveats worth knowing about first.

Who This Tool Is For

The clearest use case is anyone whose hands are not what they used to be, or who simply wants heavy cutting work to take less effort. Cutting basic 12, 10, or 14 gauge wire is something plenty of tools can do, but a longer, higher-leverage cutter does it with far less strain. The trade-off is obvious: tools like this cost more, weigh more, and take up more space, which is why many people reserve them for the big jobs only.

The surprise is how well it handles work that is outside its intended audience’s discipline. Even for tasks as basic as trimming wire during outdoor wiring projects, the Extra Large Step Cut slices through material that stalls other cutters entirely.

Main Strengths

The standout capability is one-handed cutting of large cable. During testing, a piece of 600 volt line, which this tool is not specifically designed for, still dropped into the jaws and snipped through with a single squeeze. Choking up close to the head does not work for that size, but dropping your hand down near the handle ends makes the cut straightforward. You do need a reasonably strong grip and, frankly, larger hands to close it fully on cable that thick.

The comparison test tells the real story. A well-regarded pair of Snap-on cutters, even choked down to the joint, barely scored the same cable. Traditional diagonals obviously could not manage it. A favourite pair of Klein linemen’s pliers failed even two-handed, and another Knipex multi-size cutter could not complete the cut either. A high-leverage Wiha with stout handles got through it, but only with the hand lowered down the handles.

Meanwhile, the 95 18 225 handled the same material and, on lighter wire, the smaller original Step Cut showed the same family trait, cutting through with barely two fingers of pressure. That stepped blade geometry really does slice through copper like butter.

Things to Consider Before Buying

There are honest drawbacks. Availability was an issue early on; the tool was ordered as soon as it could be found and still took about a month to arrive. The price picture is also worth watching. Purchase price at the time was in the mid-fifties, but the price seems to hover around 70 dollars, so it pays to dig around before buying.

The size itself is a commitment. This is a 225 mm tool, and while that length is exactly what makes the cuts so effortless, it is heavier and bulkier than the 160 mm version that already handles most everyday wire work.

Buying Advice

If most of your cutting is ordinary gauge wire, the original smaller Step Cut remains the better value and is genuinely phenomenal on lighter cable. The 95 18 225 earns its place when you regularly face larger wire or cable, or when reducing hand strain matters more than pack weight.

One design note: this model uses the two-component handle rather than the newer three-component handle design that Knipex has started rolling out. If that newer grip matters to you, keep an eye out for it. The tool is also bolt rated, which is a sensible margin of safety for a DIY user who occasionally gets into projects they do not fully understand.

So is it worth it? For a brand that consistently makes excellent tools, and for anyone who wants big cuts to feel easy rather than painful, yes.

Conclusion

The Knipex 95 18 225 Step Cut Extra Large does one thing exceptionally well: it makes large, stubborn cable cuts nearly effortless, one-handed, with far less strain than conventional cutters. It costs more than the smaller version, it is bulkier, and pricing currently floats around the 70 dollar mark, but for anyone with bigger wiring jobs or tired hands, it is a tool that quietly earns its spot in the bag.