Nakiri knives are a Japanese chef knife and they should be held in the same way you would hand a regular kitchen knife. The good thing about Nakiris is that because their blade is curved, they can rock back and forth on ingredients as opposed to cutting through them like other knives. This makes them perfect for chopping small pieces of onion or grating ginger.
- Place thumbs of both hands on either side of the spine opposite the cutting edge and grip firmly until your fingers contact with the heel guard (or bolster). This will prevent any accidental slippage during use.
- Grip may also be modified for combinations such as push cut where one pushes down with two fingers while simultaneously driving towards the target object with another