Cutlery consumables: what are they used for?

In a cutlery workshop, consumables refer to all regularly-used products that wear out or are consumed as the work progresses: abrasives in all their forms, polishing pastes, protective oils, technical glues, finishing disks and leathers. They are used at every stage of knife manufacture - shaping, refining, handle assembly, final polishing and maintenance - and have a direct impact on the quality of the finish. Choosing the right consumable with the right grain at the right time often makes the difference between a mediocre finish and meticulous workmanship.

Abrasives: the heart of finishing work

Abrasives make up the largest family of cutlery consumables. They come in a variety of formats, depending on the machine and application:

• Abrasive belts for belt sanders (36, 60, 80, 120, 240, 400, 600...) - indispensable for shaping blades and profiling handles
• Abrasive discs for orbital and disc sanders - suitable for flat surfaces and finishing on composite materials (G10, Micarta)
• Abrasive papers and sheets - for hand work, progressive polishing or hard-to-reach areas
• Special abrasives - for hard materials such as high-density stabilizers, resins or horns

Grit progression is a fundamental rule: start coarse to remove material quickly, refine progressively to prepare the surface, end on fine grit (600 and above) before polishing. Skipping a step will produce deep scratches that no polishing paste will be able to erase.

Polishing discs and polishing pastes: the final shine

Polishing is the final step that reveals the quality of the work performed. It relies on two complementary elements:

• Polishing discs (cotton, sisal, fleece) mounted on a lathe or grinder. Sisal is more aggressive, adapted to rough polishing; cotton and fleece provide the mirror finish.
• Polishing pastes (green, white, red, blue, depending on application) applied to the discs. Each color corresponds to a specific abrasiveness and use - stainless steel, carbon steel, brass, aluminum, lacquered wood.

Mirror polishing on a stainless steel blade generally requires three successive passes: a sisal disc with green paste to remove the last abrasive scratches, then a cotton disc with white or red paste to gain shine, and finally a dry fleece disc or one with blue paste for finishing.

Oils, glues and assembly products

Handle assembly and material protection require reliable technical products:

• Handle oils (linseed oil, Danish oil, mineral oil...) - penetrate the wood fibers to nourish it, protect it from humidity and reveal its natural colors. Indispensable on unstabilized woods and certain horns.
• Technical glues (epoxy, cyanoacrylate, polyurethane...) - for gluing inserts, assembling bolsters or sealing full-length bristles. The choice of adhesive depends on the material, mechanical constraints and available working time.
• Protection and maintenance products - waxes, lacquers and surface treatments to preserve handles over time and facilitate cleaning.

Leather for cutlery: finishing, polishing and cases

Leather is a dual-purpose consumable in the workshop. Used in strips or straight on a wooden board, buffalo leather coated with polishing paste can be used to refine the edge of a blade after sharpening - the classic finish on leather. Leather is also used to make sheaths, guises or guards, and as a handle material in its own right. Mercorne offers selected leathers from SOVOS tannery, the French benchmark for leathers for leather goods and cutlery.

Mercorne and consumables: 34 years at the service of cutlers

Mercorne has been supplying cutlery consumables for 34 years, with the same rigor applied to our noble materials. Each reference is tested and validated for use in professional workshops. Our catalog covers the entire process - from roughing abrasive to finishing leather - so you don't have to look anywhere else. Orders are dispatched D+0 (depending on the time of day), with free delivery from €90 and returns accepted within 15 days.

Frequently asked questions about cutlery consumables

What grain progression should I use to finish a stabilized wood handle?

On stabilized wood, the resin fills the pores and provides an already dense surface. A progression of 120 → 240 → 400 → 600 is generally sufficient before moving on to polishing paste on a cotton disc. On very hard stabilized surfaces (high-pressure resin), we can go down to 1,000 or 2,000 before the final polish to obtain a semi-mirror appearance.

Can the same polishing discs be used for steel and wood?

It's best to avoid mixing materials on the same disc. Metal particles embedded in a disc used on steel can scratch soft woods or contaminate clear resins. Reserve one set of discs for each family of materials - steel, wood, resins.

Which glue should I use to bond G10 pads to silk?

Two-component epoxy (5 minutes or 24 hours, depending on the precision required) is the reference for handle/silk assemblies. The 24-hour epoxy offers better long-term mechanical resistance and a more comfortable working time for alignment. Cyanoacrylate can help out, but is not very resistant to side impacts.

How do I oil a non-stabilized wooden handle?

Apply a thin layer of oil to a clean, lint-free cloth, leave to penetrate for 15-30 minutes, then wipe off any excess. Repeat two or three times at 24-hour intervals for porous woods. Baked linseed oil penetrates deeply and hardens slightly as it polymerizes; Danish oil gives a more satin-like finish suitable for everyday use.

What's the difference between buffalo leather and cowhide for leather right?

Buffalo leather, thicker and firmer, is preferred for board-mounted leather rights: its rigidity ensures constant support along the entire length of the edge. Cowhide leather is softer and more suitable for hand-held finishing straps. In both cases, the grain used must be on the flesh side (plush side) and not on the grain side.