Which end of the spiral cable is the correct one, A or B?
You’ll find the answer below, but before scrolling down, let’s think about it together.

Here are some stairs.

It’s easy to recall stairs we use daily, and they are likely called “right-handed” stairs because when we climb up, we continuously turn to the right, holding the handrail on the right. When descending, the handrail is on the left, and we turn left at each step. This isn’t a strict building standard but rather a widely accepted principle. However, it’s possible to encounter “left-handed stairs,” but regardless, when going up or down, we always turn in opposite directions. Now, what does our intuition tell us about the spiral of a cable?
Let’s think about a clock with a transparent face, allowing us to look at the hands from behind. It’s easy to imagine that, from behind, we’d see the numbers in a mirror image and the hands moving in the opposite direction from what we’re used to. So, what about our cable? Do we already know what it will look like? I was also mistaken—I thought the answer was in photo B. But it’s not. A left-handed spiral doesn’t become right-handed when viewed from the other side. It remains left-handed, here’s the proof.

If that were the case, every spiral would be the same, just viewed from a different angle. However, you can make a spiral cable with either right or left-handed twisting.
A chemist might say that a spiral is like a chiral molecule. Left-handed vitamin C is entirely different from right-handed vitamin C—we call them enantiomers.
But it’s easier to refer to the simplest analogy: the hand. The right hand remains the right hand, whether you look at the palm or the back!

Simech manufactures both versions of spirals: left-handed and right-handed!

But how should they be named? Once again, intuition fails us, as we typically refer to a right-handed spiral as the cable wound on the right-hand rotations of the machine (when it rotates clockwise) and a left-handed spiral when the motor rotates counterclockwise.

How can we identify this in a finished spiral cable?

Take one end of the spiral in your hand, as shown in the photo, and look at the first coil and in which direction each successive coil is wound. If it follows the direction of the clock’s hands, it’s right-handed; if counterclockwise, it’s left-handed. We would describe stairs differently, but for screws, we use the same language as spirals—if turning right tightens the screw, it’s a right-handed thread.

Now that we know how to distinguish left- and right-handed spiral cables, which version should you order from Simech? The best choice is typically the right-handed one, as luck doesn’t always play a role. It’s very rare for a client to order a left-handed spiral because that shape might be better suited for a specific application. One important rule is that the spiral’s twist must align with the core twist of multi-core cables, which is usually right-handed. But don’t worry—we’ve got this covered. As a leading spiral cable manufacturer, we know our craft well. We can select the proper twist for the cores or suggest the correct direction for the provided cable, ensuring optimal mechanical properties so the cable stretches without deforming and retains its properties for a long time.

Finally, here’s another picture of our transparent telecom cable.

You can see that although the spiral’s twist doesn’t depend on the end you’re viewing, the order of the wires is reversed on the other side. We always keep this in mind, for instance, when producing spiral cables with a plug, where the order of the cores must be correct and compliant with applicable standards.