We didn't know until we looked it up. Ha. Isn't that how most of the world's knowledge goes? If you're like us you learned a "sorta way" to hold a knife when cutting an apple as a kid. Turns out, adults have named various ways to hold knives. Here are four of them:
Pointed Finger Grip
This one is good for control. Maybe it's a cantaloupe and you just need to get the top of the wedge? Anyway. The blade becomes an extension of your index finger with this grip.
Hammer Grip
This is a common grip. Afterall, the whole handle is there. You're not necessarily wrong to want to use it. However, this grip limits some of your control and is not real easy on your wrist. It's better for holding a hammer or throwing an axe in most instances.
Pinch Grip
We're suckers for the pinch grip. It provides a lot of control from side to side as well as up and down. Further, it makes it easy to choke up on the knife. Here you can use a chef's knife to cut with more precision simply by holding the knife in the middle of the spine (the top of the blade).
Combo Grip
This one keeps the index finger forward like the pinch grip but slides the rest of the fingers back on the handle similar to the handle grip. It can be used on all knives but you might find you prefer it on smaller knives.