Rule 17 of 27 · Chapter IV — The Knife and the Cut
Learn the claw and let the knife do the work
Why this rule exists
How you hold the food matters as much as how you hold the knife, and the claw grip is the single technique that keeps your fingertips out of the blade's path. Curl your fingertips under and back, gripping the food with your knuckles forward, and the flat of the blade rides against those knuckles as a guide, so the edge physically cannot reach your fingers. It feels awkward for a day and then becomes automatic, and it lets you cut faster precisely because you are not afraid. Paired with letting the knife's weight and sharpness do the cutting, rather than forcing it down, you get clean, even, safe cuts with far less effort. Good knife work is not about speed or flair; it is about a safe grip, a sharp blade, and letting the tool do what it is designed to do.
In practice
Curl the fingers of your guiding hand into a claw, tucking the fingertips back so your knuckles face the blade and the tips are protected. Rest the side of the knife against your knuckles and let them set the width of each slice as you inch back. Grip the knife itself with thumb and forefinger pinching the blade just ahead of the handle, not choking the handle alone, for control. Use a smooth forward-and-down slicing motion, letting a sharp knife glide rather than forcing it. Go slowly while it is new; speed comes on its own once the grip is automatic, and never at the cost of the claw.
When it doesn't apply
Some tasks use different holds by nature, like the pinch for peeling with a paring knife, or a rocking mince where the tip stays down. Very small or round items may need to be halved for a flat, stable base before the claw applies. And nothing here replaces attention; the claw protects a distracted moment, but a tired, rushing cook should slow down regardless.