Knife skills: bridge hold and claw grip
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK words and measures (hob, grams, gas marks); the US version uses stove, cups and °F. · US version of this page
The two holds that keep fingers safe, how to carry and pass a knife, and a practice session with soft food.
The bridge hold
Use the bridge hold to cut round food in half. Make a bridge with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other, holding the food firmly. Put the knife under the bridge and cut down through the food. Your fingers stay above the blade.
The claw grip
Use the claw grip to slice. Curl your fingertips under, like a claw, and rest them on the food. The side of the blade rests against your knuckles. Slice, then move your claw back a little at a time. Your fingertips are always tucked away.
Safe knife rules
- Put a damp cloth under the board so it does not slip.
- Carry a knife pointing down, by your side.
- Never try to catch a falling knife – step back.
- To pass a knife, put it on the board and let the other person pick it up.
- Never leave a knife in a sink of soapy water.
Lesson and quiz
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions marked by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.
Put it into practice
- Rainbow fruit cupsA no-cook pudding of fruit in rainbow layers with yoghurt – perfect for first knife skills.
- Overnight oatsA no-cook breakfast you make the night before: weigh, measure, grate and mix.
- Fresh tomato salsaA bright, no-cook dip that teaches dicing, the bridge hold and the claw grip.
- HummusA smooth chickpea dip – and a real example of an allergen (sesame in tahini).