super glue finish on kitchen knife handle?

I don't think I remember seeing any handles on kitchen knives finished with super glue… are there any good reasons for this?

What are pros and cons of super glue finish?

I saw a few videos on youtube and some pictures of Magnus razors finished with super glue and it seems to be a relatively easy way of getting very glossy finish.

I just did this to a ho wood handle on a knife I'm gifting to a relative. In my limited experience, it takes a high level of polish and gives an extremely waterproof finish. It does get a bit slick when wet and feels very plastic-y and dead though. Also, a bit of a pain to apply by hand. The stuff sets up so quickly

James said:

I just did this to a ho wood handle on a knife I'm gifting to a relative. In my limited experience, it takes a high level of polish and gives an extremely waterproof finish. It does get a bit slick when wet and feels very plastic-y and dead though. Also, a bit of a pain to apply by hand. The stuff sets up so quickly

Click to expand...

+1 on those comments.

....It does make high gloss possible/easier but it's tricky to apply well. Fumes can be pretty irritating for many, and when sanding the dust has been known to have the same effect ... Too artificial/cold/plastic for my personal preference....slippery

Added negative, it's a very brittle coating. Depending on the thickness of the glue you use (eg whether it penetrates or is just a surface coating) and how many layers you use, CA finishes can chip too.

Slippy and plasticky IMO also you can't top it up easily like an oil or wax finish

Any high gloss finish will have a plastic/glass feel to it. and since the surface is like glass it will not be the best grip, i have a handle that Mike made me in buffarlo horn high polished natural witch has the same effect when it comes to grip. I have seen some of Rader's knives that has a glossy finish to. It's not a big deal for me i love the looks and even the feel of a smooth handle.

If you want something to look very sexy and not plan to use it as a workhorse then go for it.

I would not say that its easy to get a even finish since it depends on what your coating, a Wa handle for an example has many angles/faces witch is tricky but it can be done. It's abit time consuming and takes some time and practice before you get it right. I have seen another way to do this if u have a lathe, some ppl use a mix betwin a type of wax witch im not sure about, mixed with CA. You apply it on a soft cotton piece and then the friction from the wax will make the coating dry a even coat, while the lathe is spinning. Results is a glossy finish.

If you want to try the apply by hand method. Always use protection mask, u don't wanna breath it when you apply and sand with superglue.
Get loctite 406 or CA i guess,Rubber Gloves, Micro Mesh and Protection Mask.
Sand/polish the handle to the highest grit you can and clean the handle.
Apply a coat of 406 and make it even with your fingers. wait till its dry and repeat. 8 to 10 times is what i do.
When all layers are on work Micro Mesh from 1500 up to 12k.

When you get it right the results are just so nice..

No good before pics but here is the latest handles i did before i coated them.



After.




Here is a video of a fail attempt on my Takeda handle that a friend tried on. If you look closely you can see that the coating was not even, it can bee seen in a few angles. He tried this 3 times i think before he gave up since angles of the handle started to change from all sanding. So he went with a danish oil finish
[video=youtube;qkMVahhxgqM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkMVahhxgqM[/video]

Magnus, remembering your straight razors I really hoped to hear your reply, and you did not disappointed. Thanks a lot
irate3:

No problem mate.
you can also do it the bullet proof way but time consuming, you sand inbetwin every coating.

No problem mate.
you can also do it the bullet proof way but time consuming, you sand inbetwin every coating.

btw found a good guy with video on the lathe method. (note his finish is only like 800 grit at 12k we talk glas )[video=youtube;I-FXOsMR2tY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-FXOsMR2tY[/video]
[video=youtube;8zsJXC-17rU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zsJXC-17rU[/video]