Basic Knife Skills, Learn to Cut Like A Pro...

Now you have your beautiful new Samura Knife lets learn how to use it with style. Good knife skills aren’t all about speed, technique is what matters. We have all watched a professional chef slice and dice so fast that your eyes are left spinning but it’s important to get the basic technique right first and the rest will follow.

Today we are going to focus on how to correctly hold your knife, then the item you are cutting. The Knife used for demonstration is the beautifully weighted Samura Pro-S Lunar Damascus Chefs Knife.

The Handshake Grip

Wrap your hand around the knifes handle like you’re shaking someone’s hand. This is a strong knife grip, and a great way to start but what you gain in strength you may lose in precision.

The Pinch Grip

‘The pinch’ requires practice and is most commonly used by professionals, as it’s a safer and more precise technique. Place your index finger slightly curled on the side of the knife's blade, close to the handle and your thumb on the opposite side of the blade. The rest of your fingers wrapping around the knife's handle.

Point Grip - Used for Yanagiba knives

Place the index finger on the spine of the knife the blade and grasp the handle with the remaining fingers and thumb. This technique is used by Japanese chefs and gives amazing precision, a sharp blade is a must for this to be if mastered, but with a quality knife it gives surgical precision.  

Dagger Grip - Commonly used for butchery and deboning

This is a strong knife grip used to debone meat. The grip is similar to the handshake with the blade facing down. Used for when it’s time to prep and debone meat and fish.

Now you can hold your knife lets learn how to hold the food that needs cutting

Protecting the fingers whilst slicing is a must or you will soon be ordering plasters on subscription or worse. It takes practice and discipline, but once you make it a habit, it will become a natural and safe way to hold items you wish to cut.

Shape your free hand into a claw by tucking four fingers behind your middle finger. Hold the food with your claw hand, using all fingers to hold it steady, with the thumb and smallest finger stabilising the sides. Make sure the fingertips are always farther back from the knife edge than the knuckles. Moving the food forward with your thumb and smallest finger or moving your claw hand back along the food slide the edge of the blade across the knuckles at desired thickness of slice required, always keeping all your fingers behind you knuckle.