Oils and Adhesives for Cutlery: An Overview

In an artisanal cutlery workshop, machining and assembly supplies play a discreet yet crucial role. Cutting oil protects the tool, cyanoacrylate adhesive secures the inserts, and lubricant facilitates threading: each product is used at a specific stage of the manufacturing process. Choosing them carefully improves precision, finish, and durability for every knife produced.

Cutting oils and lubricants: role and uses

Cutting oil is designed to support mechanical machining operations: drilling, milling, and tapping. By forming a lubricating film between the tool and the workpiece, it reduces friction, lowers the cutting temperature, and prevents metal overheating. It significantly extends the service life of drill bits, end mills, and taps, while improving the surface quality of machined parts.

Tapping: A Specific Lubricant

Tapping—the process of creating an internal thread in a hole—is particularly demanding. The tap works in a spiral motion within a dense material (steel, titanium, brass), and even the slightest excessive friction can cause it to break. A tapping lubricant, which is more viscous than a conventional cutting oil, ensures smooth gliding and produces clean, sharp, and uniform threads. In cutlery, this operation is used in particular for handle screws, folding knife pivots, and screw assemblies.

Machine Lubrication

Column drills, lathes, grinders, and band saws used in the workshop also require regular lubrication of moving parts. Machine lubricants reduce wear on bearings and shafts, keep mechanisms clean, and extend the equipment’s service life.

Adhesives for cutlery: choose based on the material

Assembling handle scales onto a ferrule or tang requires an adhesive suited to the material. Two main types are used in artisanal cutlery:

• Cyanoacrylate (super glue): instant drying, ideal for small surfaces, finishing touch-ups, and spot gluing on wood, bone, horn, or resin. Withstands light mechanical stress well.
• Two-component epoxy: structural bonding, working time varies depending on the formula (5 min to 24 h), high resistance to mechanical and thermal stress. Recommended for the permanent attachment of scales to solid tangs, handle linings, and inserts.

The choice also depends on the material to be bonded: certain resins and stabilized materials require a primer or specific surface preparation before bonding.

Mercorne and finishing products: a useful selection

The range of oils and adhesives offered by Mercorne is limited and carefully curated: only products that have proven effective on the materials in our catalog. For 34 years, we have worked daily with the same materials—natural and stabilized wood, bone, horn, mother-of-pearl, resins—and we understand the associated assembly challenges. Our products are selected for their practical compatibility, not for the number of items in our catalog. Same-day shipping, free delivery on orders over €90, returns accepted within 15 days.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oils and Adhesives for Knives

What oil should I use to drill stainless steel?

Stainless steel is a difficult material to drill because it is both hard and sticky. A high-quality cutting oil, applied regularly during drilling, is essential to prevent work hardening and maintain the drill bit’s cutting edge. Opt for a cobalt drill bit (HSS-Co) paired with a cutting oil suitable for stainless steel.

Can you glue the handle wood directly without sanding?

No. Regardless of the adhesive used, the joint surface must be lightly sanded (80 to 120 grit) and degreased with alcohol or acetone before gluing. On oily woods such as cocobolo or rosewood, thorough degreasing is particularly important to ensure proper adhesion.

Does cyanoacrylate bond to horn and bone?

Yes, in most cases, cyanoacrylate adheres well to natural or stabilized horn and bone. For a permanent joint subjected to significant mechanical stress (full-shaft neck), a two-component epoxy is nevertheless preferable due to its superior long-term strength.

How do you remove excess epoxy glue from a wooden handle?

Before full curing, epoxy can be removed with acetone or isopropyl alcohol using a lint-free cloth. Once cured, it requires mechanical sanding. Acting quickly, before full curing (generally 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the formula), is always more effective.