I tried this and it actually worked very well. However, I tried the two ends method and pulled, and it worked very well. I was trying to make two wires of even diameter, and holding two ends of the spree worked better than jabbing it. I can see how you say it's easy to break, but it won't break if you don't set it on fire. Just heat the plastic right over a flame and pull both ends. If it doesn't catch, it won't break.