relentlessly macho), I made the switch and saw an immediate and dramatic improvement in my knife skills I’m not one to judge someone based on how they hold their knife (or if I did judge, I’d it silently), but here’s the deal: If you’ve only ever used the handle grip, give the blade grip a try—you may find your cuts improving dramatically In return, I promise to judge you only slightly if you go back to using the handle grip What about your non–knife hand? In general, there are two positions you’ll find that hand in The most common is known as “the claw,” and when people cut themselves with a knife, it’s mostly likely because they weren’t using the claw Use this grip when dicing and slicing Protect the fingertips of your non-knife hand by curling them inward, using your knuckles to guide your knife When cutting food, always place it in a stable position, preferably with a cut surface flat against the cutting board Then guide the knife blade against the food with your claw hand For mincing, a different approach is required Place the tip of your knife on the cutting board and hold it in place with your free hand Rock the blade up and down to reduce herbs (or anything else) to a fine mince EAST VERSUS WEST: ... different approach is required Place the tip of your knife on the cutting board and hold it in place with your free hand Rock the blade up and down to reduce herbs (or anything else) to a fine mince