best way to make wiring connections

When you're hooking up a remote start/security system and you need to attach wiring to factory wires that are 20/22 gauge.... what's your best method of stripping the wire insulation to expose the metal underneath? I needed to strip two wires at the ignition switch in our car last night and between the short run of wire I had to work with and the awkward position of it in the car coupled with the fact that it was 20 gauge wire... I was almost certain I was going to break the wire and render the car inoperable. Is there a tool that will strip the wire nicely? I remember seeing in a movie they used a "laser" to vaporize the insulation. That would be cool if a tool like that existed. Also, if you want to tap into power at a vehicles fusebox, is there a connector that will plug into the box like a fuse but supply a power lead out? I usually make these from a pronged connector and cut off one ear of the connector but I'm looking for a better solution to pull power especially when all the power wires leading to the fusebox are impossible to get to.

I'm with Kevin here probably even use the same Klein strippers. We aren't allowed to use taps here, there are problems electronically and mechanically (they don't actually make a good electrical connection and they will vibrate loose). Soldering is the only acceptable way to go.

I used my strippers to cut the insulation in two places 3/8" apart and then run a utility blade along the sheath to release the rest. The wires at the ignition switch made me feel like I was disabling a bomb... one wrong move and the car would be bricked... Which leads me to another issue. The wire I was splicing into was 20/22 gauge and I was splicing in with 14 gauge. I ended up splitting the 14 gauge in half and wrapping half around the 22 gauge and then taking the other half around the opposite direction. Because these are such low current circuits I could probably have cut half the wire off the 14 gauge or maybe spliced a short section of 22 gauge to the 14 gauge outside the car first. Is there a better way to handle this?

I take a razor blade and lightly go around the wire. Then I cut around again about 1/2" away. Then I take the blade and run another cut from the first to the second. If the wire is stripped enough, it should peel right off. If not, do it again. Once you get a feel for the insulation thickness and blade sharpness, you can do it pretty quickly.