The most frequently used knife is the chef’s or French knife. The positioning of the grip and of the food under the blade both influence the degree of control and leverage a person has over the knife.
A chef’s knife should be firmly held with the base of the blade between the thumb and forefinger and the other fingers wrapped around the handle. While one hand grips the knife, the other hand must hold the food and guide it toward the blade. Curling the fingers of the guiding hand under while holding the food allows the knuckles to act as a protective shield and keeps the fingertips away from the cutting edge. It is best to allow at least a half-inch barrier of food between the blade and the fingers holding the food.
Different sections of a blade are used for different tasks. Light tasks such as cutting out the stem end of a tomato can usually be accomplished with the tip of the blade, or even better, with a knife more suitable to small tasks, such as a paring knife. Heavy duties such as chopping off tough carrot ends are better accomplished by making use of the weight and thickness found at the base of the blade. Most other cutting tasks are carried out using the center of the blade.
