Knurling Knurling is a great way to provide additional texture or an attractive finish to a surface. Typically produced on a lathe, the texture is created when a pattern of straight, angled, or crossed lines are rolled or cut into the material. Knurling is not limited to lathe processes only. As you can see from this video, knurling can be installed in many ways. The most common application is rolling. Hardened wheels are pressed into the softer material with extreme force. This force displaces