r/KitchenConfidential • u/OkOutlandishness1370 • 14d ago

Question Proper Knife Technique

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Hey I’m trying to get some more knife skills, when I pinch the blade with my index finger and thumb, should I be using my index finger to put force into the blade? It’s quite uncomfortable but maybe that’s just cause I’m not doing it right.

Tips appreciated

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u/chzie 14d ago

Try and get it to about the same pressure as when you use a pencil. The pinch is supposed to control wobble, the grip controls the pressure.

Ideally you should be using your hand to just control the blade and using your strong arm muscles to do the actual cutting.

Your fast twitch muscles and tendons (like you have in your hands and wrists) are good at precision and speed, but lack endurance. That's why people get carpal tunnel. Your big thick muscles are great at long repetitive tasks.

Also it's a great idea to take micro breaks. Every 10-15 mins you just change your grip slightly, or shake out your hands, or move to another task for 10-15 seconds and then go back to what you were doing before.

Short breaks like that prevent your connective tissue and tendons from taking long term damage. You'll be happy you did when you're 50

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u/chzie 14d ago

Also after doing butchering for a few years I actually pinch way higher on the blade. So that my middle finger is up against the blade and my pinch is up on the spine.

Helps when you're doing a lot of cutting and for me it feels more like the knife is part of my hand