Does Chris Kimball know how to hold a chef knife?

[Robin Garr]

I just ran across a video ad in which Chris Kimball is selling a Henkels Nakiri Japanese knife, and that's okay. But two things surprised me: He spends the first minute or two showing off what he calls "a European-style" chef's knife and argues how useless it is ... and while doing so, spends the entire time holding the knife wrong! He wraps his hand around the handle rather than pinching the top of the blade for better control. Tell me that I'm not the one who's been doing it wrong ... it really looks weird to me.

https://youtu.be/sTDNZUvioVs

I'm on your side, Robin. I think you should pinch the top of the blade and wrap a finger or two around the tang and not just hold by the handle.

Largely, I hold by the handle, but I also adjust my grip for each task. It's not a fixed bayonet.

Same as Jeff. It depends on the job. each hand to each knife and person is different. I usually grasp the back of the knife, but with a smaller and lighter knife, I might not. If I am using my Cleaver, I most definitely get a good pinch grasp on the back of the knife.

I was watching ATK the other day. It was one of the "at home" shows where Dan Souza was cooking something (I forget what). I noticed that he was holding the knife by the handle and not "pinching the spice" as I was always taught.

[Robin Garr]

I was watching ATK the other day. It was one of the "at home" shows where Dan Souza was cooking something (I forget what). I noticed that he was holding the knife by the handle and not "pinching the spice" as I was always taught.

Maybe it's a new thing? Was Souza using a standard chef knife or something more exotic like a Japanese knife? That might make a difference. (I don't know that, just speculating.)