How to hold a knife

How to hold a knife? A knife is a tool used for cutting. It helps us cut raw food like meat, vegetables, salads, and other kitchen-used items. While eating, holding a knife is a complete skill that requires proper learning. According to the purpose or usage of the knife, it is held in hand based on user convenience and safety. Another contributing factor for holding a knife is the type and form of the knife. Every knife is made for different purposes and has different styles; for example, a Bowie Knife is for hunting and fighting.  Therefore, their style and size also vary. Similarly, the grip of the knife also follows variations following the type of the knife.

Man’s hand and a  kitchen knife grip: -

The human hand is perfectly adept. It can grip every knife with minor adjustments though every knife has its grip size and style. For example, a Skinner Knife has its own peculiar grip.

Correct Ways of Holding a Kitchen Knife?

There are three main ways of holding a knife they are apply on a Chef knife: accuracy and capability for greater functionality.

Grasping from grip

Grasping the handle with the thumb on the spine of a knife

Grasping the blade with thumb and finger

Grasping from grip: 

In this knife-holding method, the dominant hand holds the knife's grip.

1. Holding the knife from the handle and spine: 

In this knife-holding method, the spine is given additional importance while holding from the grip. The spine of the knife is driven down with the help of the thumb of the dominant holding hand.

2. Grasping the blade with thumb and finger:

In this holding method,  a knife is held from the knife blade with the thumb and the index finger.       

What are the wrong ways of holding a Kitchen knife?

The following are the wrong ways:

• Placing the index finger on the spine of the blade
• Gripping from the back of a handle
• Use of free hand to accomplish the task

1. Placing the index finger on the spine of the blade: 

In this wrong holding method spine is pushed by the index finger while holding the handle with the dominant hand. is considered the wrong way of holding a knife.            

2. Gripping from the back of a handle: 

It is also the wrong way to handle a knife if it is held from the back of the grip/handle.                                      

3. Use of free hand to accomplish the task: -

Novice people often indulge in the habit of using their free hand while performing different tasks with a knife. It seems that the free hand is helping the dominant hand to perform the given task. But this free hand puts us at risk of cutting and wounding ourselves. However, some professionals differ with this point and suggest for use of a free hand but particular tasks like mincing, etc.

Bottom note

We can hold a Kitchen knife in the following two ways: 

Holding of a knife depends on its user. One may like to hold the knife from its grip and the other may like to grasp it from the blade. However, holding from grip is much recommended as the grip of a knife is made for holding while holding from the blade is not considered a good holding. The blade-holding method of a knife takes only two fingers to hold a knife i.e. thumb and index finger. This holding is not as firm as the handle holding is.