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TableTact

Dining Guide / Table Setting

Holding Your Knife and Fork

Fork in the left hand, knife in the right, index fingers along the backs. You’ll cut with less effort and your movements stay small and neat.

Try what you’ve read in questions based on real dining situations. · 6 min

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Holding Your Knife and Fork

Key Points

  1. Hold the knife in your right hand, the handle cupped in your palm and your index finger along the back of the blade near the handle.
  2. Hold the fork in your left hand with the back facing up (tines down) and your index finger along its back.
  3. To cut, hold the food in place with the fork and draw the knife back and forth. Keep your elbows close to your sides.
  4. Once you’ve cut a bite, bring it to your mouth with the fork still in your left hand. This is the common European style.
  5. When you talk or take a drink, rest your knife and fork in an inverted V on the plate.

Do

  • Rest your index fingers along the backs
  • Cut one bite at a time
  • Rest cutlery in an inverted V to pause

Avoid

  • Putting the knife in your mouth
  • Gripping cutlery in your fist
  • Gesturing with cutlery in hand

Handy Tip

Think of your index finger as a weight. A light press on the back does the work, so you don’t need to force it with your arm.

Customs That Vary

In the US, the “zig-zag” style is also common: cut a few pieces, set the knife on the plate, and switch the fork to your right hand to eat. Both styles are accepted as good manners.

Practice in a Lesson

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