Tuck your thumb back and keep fingers curled to protect them while chopping
Prevent thumb and fingertip cuts by keeping the thumb behind and fingers tucked in while guiding the food.
He warns that people often forget their thumb and it pops out; his fix is to keep the thumb at the back and fingers in. He demonstrates a secure grip with the thumb anchored and fingers pulling back.
The short version
- Thumb stays back; fingers stay curled in.
- Go at a nice pace—speed comes later.
What you need
- chef's knife
How to do it
- 1
Place your guiding hand on the ingredient with fingers curled inward.
Keep fingertips tucked so the blade doesn’t contact them.
Watch this step - 2
Keep your thumb behind the fingers (not sticking out to the side).
This prevents the thumb from getting caught by the blade.
Watch this step - 3
As you cut, draw your curled fingers back gradually to feed the knife.
Move at a comfortable pace; don’t chase speed.
Watch this step
What goes wrong
Letting the thumb pop out while chopping
Always keep the thumb at the back of the guiding hand.
Why it works
A tucked “claw” position keeps fingertips and thumb out of the blade’s travel path.
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