In the USA, I think that an electrical inspector would Red Tag a job if they saw where the conductor(s) that is/are terminated on a circuit breaker, or fuse termination ---- if the solid, or even the stranded 14, 12, or 10 AWG wire were "NICKED"!!
I personally used and have no problem with the use of a linesman pliers to skin away the wire, but if a qulaified person or installer doesn't have the "feel" down pat, the wire will be NICKED, and a simple movement forward, and back will break the wire at the point where the "nick" in the wire was located.
Most of the training publications show using a knife, a dull one at that.
I haven't had time to look into the new NECA, NEIS Standards to see what they show.
Any new kids going through school somewhere? What are they teaching you to use?
PS: NEIS = National Electrical Installation Standards by the National Electrical Contractors Association.