I tried the needlenose method. Maybe I need more practice...
Geeze I don't know what could be so hard. Grab the end of the wire where you want the strip to begin with your needle nose 90 deg to the wire and kind of slide it off. If you are right handed you would hold the wire with your left hand and move your pliers to the right. I suppose if you try to do it head on and pull it isn't going to work too well. I can actually do two wires at a time with this method.
-Hal
