If you are going to be doing any electrical house wiring, invest ten bucks and buy copper wire stripper. I spent years doing it as my Dad did, using plain old a pair of wire cutters or side cutters and adding just enough pressure on the handle to cut the insulation, but not the wire. Well, it didn't always work. I would sometimes cut the wire or put a nick in it where it would break if I tried to bend it. Also, the grips on the tip of a auto wire stripper is great if you have to make the loop go around a terminal instead of in the back of the fixture.
