Considering that the US still uses single wires for wire-pulls.
Most of the work we do here in New Zealand are Multi-Cores (as in either 3-phase+ EGC, or 3-Phase+ Neutral and Earth (ground)).
We "sleeve" the whole part of the installation, as it pretains to cables running down poles, from a 400/230V transformer. (11 or 22kV Primary)
If you can damage a Neutral-Screened cable with 0.125" outer insulation on it, you need to find another job.
Skinning any sort of wire during installation is just poor workmanship.
But, the point I'm trying to make is, why do things have to be made harder, just because they were done like this 50 or so years ago?.
