Just like the first step to fighting crime is learning how to put on a cape, the first step to perfect knife skills is learning how to hold a knife.

There are two basic grips: the handle grip, and the blade grip. If you've only ever been using the handle grip, give the other one a try—you may find your cuts improving dramatically. There's not much more to say that the slideshow doesn't explain, so I'll depart from usual form and cut myself short.

That's good news if you're into the whole brevity thing.

About the author: After graduating from MIT, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt spent many years as a chef, recipe developer, writer, and editor in Boston. He now lives in New York with his wife, where he runs a private chef business, KA Cuisine, and co-writes the blog GoodEater.org about sustainable food enjoyment. Become a fan of The Food Lab on Facebook for play-by-plays on future kitchen tests and recipe experiments.