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Knife skills

Knife skills: grip, claw, and the three cuts you actually need

More than 90% of kitchen knife injuries happen with a dull blade or a bad grip, not a sharp one — a sharp knife held correctly is the safest tool in your kitchen. Knife skills are not about speed-chopping for show; they are about control. Learn the pinch grip, the claw, and three cuts, and you will prep a meal's worth of vegetables in minutes without ever feeling like you are racing the blade.

By Josh Strauss, Mise Kitchen Team · Published

The grip

Pinch the blade — not the handle — between your thumb and the side of your index finger, right where the blade meets the handle. Wrap the other three fingers around the handle. This pinch grip gives you control over the tip and edge, where the work happens. Gripping only the handle hands all the leverage to the heel of the blade and makes precise cuts impossible.

The claw

Your guide hand holds the food. Curl your fingertips under so the flat of the knife rides against your knuckles and the blade can never reach your tips. The knuckles become a wall that sets the thickness of each cut. Move the claw back in small steps as you slice.

The three cuts

Almost every recipe asks for one of these.

  1. 1
    Slice. Push the blade forward and down in one smooth motion, letting the curve of the blade do the cutting. Keep the tip on the board.
  2. 2
    Dice. Slice into planks, stack and cut into sticks, then crosscut the sticks into even cubes. Even size means even cooking.
  3. 3
    Mince. Pile the diced pieces, rest your free hand flat on the spine, and rock the blade through the pile until fine.

Keep it sharp

A few passes on a honing steel before each session keeps the edge true; a proper sharpening every month or two restores it. A sharp knife glides where a dull one slips. Good knife work is also the fastest way to hit the prep windows in a 30-minute weeknight plan.