Adam Ragusea's DANGEROUS Knife Skills Shouldn't Be Practiced

[@DJ-Coma]

A better bodybuilder analogy would be this: “Whether lifting weights casually for exercise, or lifting weights as a professional bodybuilder, your form and technique is extremely important so you don’t injure yourself.” Essentially proving the opposite of the point Adam was trying to make.

[@somefreshbread]

Weightlifting and slicing onions are not comparable activities.

[@gaminikokawalage7124]

@@somefreshbread they are

[@OrdinaryEXP]

Claw grip isn't even a knife skill, it is a safety precaution, like "how to lift heavy objects without hurting your back" or "how to run a table saw without sawing your thumb off" kind of thing. Those who say "you just need to go slow" must have never tried cutting onions, vegetables with tough skin, meat or other slippery things. No matter how slow you go, one slip or knife bouncing off once is all it needed to slice your finger open.

[@supernintendo182]

"I don't need to lift from my legs, I'm not a professional mover lmfao" - The guy with debilitating back issues in his late 20s

[@cg1906]

As more or less an enjoyer of Adams content, i appreciate people who question and critique his takes that range from questionable to concerning

[@thomaso6579]

But he didn't critique it, he just refuted Adams arguments and didn't provide reasons or evidence

[@cg1906]

@@thomaso6579 I disagree, and I'm taking a break from schoolwork so I have a lot of desk energy right now so I'll type out a big long reply countering your assertion. This will all be in good fun, no hate my friend just a friendly but long disagreement :) LPC's critique is ultimately that Adam's claims failed to support his case because of four main reasons: 1. Adam did not account for the main purpose of knife skills: He claims multiple times that knife skills are intended to make you go faster, LPC counters that in fact it's about safety and should be used at any speed. The ability to move faster is a byproduct of proper knife skills, but not the reason why they are valuable to a casual cook. 2. Adam made false analogies: LPC counters Adam's claim of equivalency between knife skills and high-level body-building techniques by bringing up that knife skills are not about speed, but rather about safety. If I were to extend the argument, both bodybuilders and people trying to stay reasonably fit should know the proper safety procedure for the exercise equipment they are using. The reasoning here is that disinterest in expertise is not a good argument for disinterest in safety. 3. Adam demonstrates that he doesn't have a working understanding of the practice that he is critiquing: This is essential to a critique, and LPC argues that Adam's claim of a helical cut being an alternative to knife skills shows that Adam isn't engaging in a serious critique. I would argue that this also demonstrates that Adam is comfortable misinforming his audience about something he seems to have not done adequate research on. 4. Adam's analysis of the data was insufficient to make the claims he did: LPC argues that Adam's coverage of the kitchen injuries data fails to demonstrate that the claw method was used in the injuries that are being attributed to the claw method. He provided reasonings for every one of his points, and it is generally unneeded to provide supplementary data to critique someone on the basis of poor data analysis. I believe that all of these points work together to build a well-reasoned critique of Adam's safety rhetoric, citing multiple videos as evidence to demonstrate a pattern of engagement in this dangerous rhetoric. Adam claims repeatedly that Knife skills are a technique to improve speed when in reality they are a safety procedure no different than the proper handling of an axe. When he encourages people to take safety procedures less seriously and supplement them with slower yet riskier methods, he is engaging in dangerous anti-safety rhetoric. That is the core of the frustration in this video. I am also frustrated because proper knife skills can save you money and reduce food waste, but that's a story for another time.

[@Dctctx]

@@thomaso6579 he provided plenty of reasons and evidence

[@fahadahaf]

@@cg1906 Except for the fact that LPC's claim that the claw is safer is based on nothing more than personal anecdotes. IF there is evidence that the claw is in fact safer, feel free to cite a paper.

[@cg1906]

@@fahadahaf sure, go ahead and lay your fingers flat on the thing you're chopping with a chefs knife. I encourage you, it'll be great. No studies to say otherwise so I guess just hold the knife from the blade too. No other way of understanding the relative levels of safety after all.

[@TheGamingALaMode]

As someone who’s a solid fan of Adam, that video truly made me nervous, especially with an audience the size that he has, you’re just asking for people to hurt themselves

[@VladdViever]

I'm going to be honest. When I saw his first knife video I was horrified as a home cook and his second one was not much better. to me, if I'm going to be cutting slow anyways, why not just practice the correct grip anyways so that I can DEVELOP those skills. even taking safety aside, if I need to spend hundreds of hours learning it, then I may as well start today.

[@LaunchpadCooks]

Exactly. It's mind boggling

[@whatskraken3886]

It’s also really _not_ that hard. I developed knife skills to the point where I am the asshole going “brrrr” after a year or two. it doesn’t take 40 years of cutting a thousand onions a day, it just takes a bit of careful practice. and yes, i am now a professional, but i wasn’t a professional when i started cooking, and the average person doesn’t even need to get to this (still not that good, might i add) level. just my take.

[@OrdinaryEXP]

I have more beef with Adam misinterpreting Macro's quote. Telling the audiences to "just chop" is different from telling them to "chop haphazardly".

[@thooomaass]

Wow this is just like saying "Well, I'm not a formula 1 driver, so I don't have to wear a seatbelt. I will just drive niceee and slooow"

[@internetshaquille]

Walk, and never aspire to run

[@LaunchpadCooks]

And also you dont need to wear shoes

[@olivia6632]

I knew you would be here

[@somefreshbread]

Come on Shaq, leave the salt on your cutting board. edit: Yeah, I'm still bothered by this. Both of you guys are being a**holes when you don't have to be. You can offer critiques and suggestions without being a s**thead about it. It get it that LP's schitck is that he's overworked and miserable, but you too Shaq? Booooo.

[@nikosfilipino]

OMG PAPA IS HERE

[@1998tkhri]

I think he's more saying, "I don't feel a need or desire to run, so it's not worth it to me to learn how."

[@ZanHecht]

What Adam is missing is that while spending 30 extra seconds isn't a big deal in a home kitchen, people are fundamentally impatient when doing repetitive tasks, and while you might be able to give it your full attention for a short time, it's hard to maintain the focus needed to prevent injury with the fingers-out method when you're actually cooking for your family every night. Also, cutting is a chore, and techniques that make it take longer and require more concentration are just going to discourage people from cooking.

[@chalmersmathew4831]

I watch adam from time to time, but videos like this keep me away from ever subscribing. Even disregarding the misinformation and safety hazards, he sounds so condescending and passive aggressive with how he delivers his information.

[@Grabehn42]

I'm not a professional cook, but number one (using your knuckles) is a thing I started doing on my own as soon as I first grabbed a knife cuz it felt natural. It helps you stabilize the blade, keeps your fingers away from the knife's edge and helps you go faster through whatever your cutting. So when he said "does it help you? I dunno" I went "Yes, yes it does, cuz immediately you're not risking cutting a finger for no reason.

[@majinbuulover420]

His message SHOULD have been ‘You dont need Pierre’s skills or speed, but you should stay safe,’ but what the fuck is this lol

[@charles3840]

I was "walking" and nearly chopped off my thumb tip because there were so many distractions in the kitchen. I'm practicing (and getting better) with the claw technique to reduce the the risk of a similar or worse mistake. You can drive slowly, but still end up hitting someone because you took a hand off the wheel. You still need a certain amount of skill and technique to drive safely. Dangerous activities are dangerous because they involve actions that produce higher risk, not because they are done quickly.

[@awildmausappears]

I can kinda see where he was coming from with the whole "don't let professional chefs tells you you need to go super fast with your knife", but that doesn't excuse his shitty knife safety. You can be slow and safe at the same time.

[@CIoneOutcast]

Honestly, I'm happy to see a professional cook actually call Adam out. He's proven in the past that he can get a big ego about things. I've always respected his deep dives into history and certain subjects but I find his videos about professional skills to be flippant. Like I've always been told, get good and then you'll get quick. It doesn't matter if cutting with the pads of your fingers "feels better". It's not as safe and therefore you'll never get quicker.

[@ikbenale]

What if he doesn't care that much about getting quicker?

[@CIoneOutcast]

He clearly doesnt care about getting quicker because he's not even willing to learn to do something correctly.

[@ikbenale]

Yeah, that's what I just said: he doesn't care about getting quicker. And there's nothing wrong with that. There's many skills I don't bother to perfect because my current level at them serves my purposes, and undoubtedly this happens to you as well. So what would count as "correctly" in this context? His need is to turn ingredients into small chunks without hurting himself and, if we're to take his word, there's another video where he says he can't remember the last time he cut himself (and honestly at the actual speed he cuts it's not surprising), so it is working perfectly fine for him.

[@CIoneOutcast]

​@@ikbenale the problem is that he has a widely viewed public platform. He may not remember the last time he cut himself but he's teaching unsafe cutting techniques.

[@ikbenale]

But is his technique unsafe when used at the speed and in the context he uses it? We could concede that a proper claw technique is safer than his method no matter the speed. But "less safe" doesn't mean "unsafe" in all contexts. Again, everyone does this with any skill they apply: they find a level of proficiency acceptable for their use. When I go biking I don't follow all the safety techniques that professional athletes use. But also I never go as fast as they do, nor do I do it in an rocky mountain, I bike at a reasonable speed in a bike lane. Undoubtedly, my driving is less safe than that of an athlete, but it's acceptable for my low-risk context. In this video the chef says he has seen people cut themselves with improper knife technique when you inevitably get bumped when working in a busy kitchen. Well, most people don't work in a busy kitchen. Also most people don't have to look away from their cutting board because they have to check on three other dishes they have on the stove, they're just making one dish and they can fully focus on cutting. Honestly I don't have "proper" technique either, mine is different than Adam, but even though I cook most days I also can't remember the last time I cut myself with my technique. Honestly the home kitchen is just very low risk for a lot of people at the speed and volume you do things.

[@pandora7727]

I don’t mind Adam, and I’ve actually tried a few of his recipes and some were nice. I had never seen those two videos from Adam, so I went to see it and read the comments. It’s like you said, it’s him validating his own method and a lot of his audience were thanking him because it validated their method. I’ve even seen some comments from people claiming to be chefs saying that it’s fine to do. Very disappointed in Adam. Thank you for reacting to it and hopefully he’ll see it and his fans will actually watch your video instead of mass disliking it.

[@fahadahaf]

How is this video not validating the "chef"-y method? This video relies on anecdotes, same as ragusea; with the added bonus of gatekeeping.

[@pandora7727]

@@fahadahaf are you /srs or /j

[@OriginalGabriel]

I normally don't get behind KZbinrs shitting on KZbinrs, but I could barely make it through this video of his ... and I'm just a home cook. I was pretty much screaming at my computer the entire time.

[@Zvox]

i have a disability that affects my ability to rotate my wrists to use the claw technique and it actually makes me LESS safe because i simply can't hold that position with my hand for more than a few seconds before they suddenly get exhausted and shaky. i bring this up because while i agree that you should always do the safest thing possible when wielding a knife, the safest thing isn't always the thing that a professional might do. if it's extremely uncomfortable for you to use the claw technique, it's probably a better idea to approach chopping like ragusea does. just take it really slow and reset after every cut. that's what i do and at 33 years old i've never cut myself once in the kitchen because i'm constantly aware of my own safety and making sure my fingers are never anywhere near the edge of the knife.

[@oscar9816]

All respect to you, it's impressive that you make work what you need to. Unfortunately, unless someone is hyper aware of an injury or disability, or deathly afraid of cutting themselves, accidents can and will happen (even then it's almost certain that eventually it still will). It's not about the safest technique period. It's about the safest technique for an individual. Using the claw for yourself seems Unsafe, considering the discomfort and potential repetitive strain, so you make do, and that alone is great! Regarding the fingers near the edge, you can see the other KZbinr's (Ragusea's) fingers mere millimeters (or ~1/16") from the edge, if not closer. That appears to be excessively unsafe, and as another has said, it seems as if he's excusing his poor technique for no other reason than not wanting to develop the skill, which Launchpad is convinced is safer. As you have said, it's both mentality and technique. I think most will not have the right mentality, so developing the technique would be far safer for most, regardless of how slow or fast you go. Launchpad mentioned it at 12:30 of this video! Hah, I wrote all this before finishing it, but he also mentions (perhaps excessively) that he can use the 'claw grip' to chop mushrooms blindfolded, and more importantly, safely. That seems to be the opposite of your case; he is claiming that with a good handle on the technique he can do things easily (with something super duper soft) whilst ignoring the mental focus that you require. Both your and his overall technique (counting your mentality) are admirable. (Please note that it appears he hasn't repeated this experiment of his, hence he cannot be advocating for those with great technique to lose focus, nor that it is perfectly safe to do so) I will say that for the first video, Launchpad missed the conclusion from Ragusea's 'little analysis' of reported injuries, that being that the vast majority of injuries are caused by cutting round shapes on the cutting board, so make the ingredient flat against the board before slicing/chopping etcetera. Knowing that it was left out, it made Launchpad's video feel too negative and less respectful, when Ragusea has made several great videos and I feel is deserving of better treatment.

[@Zvox]

@@oscar9816 I agree with everything you have said here. The only reason I brought the topic up really, is because the attitude of "do it the *right* way and only the *right* way" can sometimes be a harmful attitude toward people with disabilities that CAN'T do it the "right" way, regardless of what "it" is. In my case, doing it the "right" way (as in, the *safest* way) is not the same as the "right" way that someone with better control/comfort with their body does it.

[@oscar9816]

@@Zvox That context really clarifies your point. I just always like to qualify and balance as much as is reasonable. Thanks for that!

[@fahadahaf]

LaunchpadCook's (and other commenters') claim that the claw technique is safer literally has no evidence to back it up (any commenter or even the creator of this video can prove me wrong by citing a scientific source). The creator of this video is arguing from confirmation bias and anecdotes. So I'd say keep doing whatever feels safe to you unless there's evidence to say otherwise.

[@frog8220]

I really like Adam Ragusa but this is the one thing I've always wanted someone with professional knowledge and experience to weigh in because I disagreed and was confused. Nice to see your advice on this!

[@JaspervN]

Great video, you convinced me to really start working on my knife skills. It's exactly as you said, it feels weird because I'm not used to it, but it's irresponsible to not use the safest technique.

[@JustinLessig]

lopped the tip of my thumb off not using the claw technique when I first started in a kitchen, have not had a single cut on my finger from cutting since then ~4 years later.

[@mexican.cereal7927]

I started cooking at 12, and at 14 I saw a video of Gordon Ramsay showing the claw technique and as soon as I implemented it the amount of times I’d cut myself went down drastically

[@IneptOrange]

Adam Ragusea be like SOURCE??

[@mr.posseidon6950]

I’ve always loved cooking, but because I have a condition, my fine motor skills are really bad. For a long time, I was cooking without a good grip and without the proper technique, I used the fact that I have bad dexterity to justify not learning how to cook safely. That changed after only one mistake, I cut my finger real bad, I still don’t feel my finger tip today. It took me some time to learn the proper way, but it’s really worth it, either for safety or speed.

[@edwardsop-eds1184]

I feel this is sort of a weak debunking that doesn't really consider how home cooking and professional cooking are very different. The claw method is a necessity to learn for a professional where speed is super important. but I take issue with it being presented as inherently safer. The Claw techniquic doesn't make you less likely to slip with the knife it means if you do you're less likely to get a severe cut. the way to reduce slipping is by having a strong grasp on the food and the Knife something the walk don't run technique prioritizes(that being said the comment at 3:20 is completely fair, that is a terrible way to hold a knife). But for someone inexperienced or poorly instructed they're going to have a weaker grip on the food using the claw technique. This isn't a problem for the professionals because they're use to the claw grip and will still be able to have a firm grip. The Claw grip reduces the chance of severe cuts by moving your fingers away from the blade but you can also reduce the chances of severe injury by putting less speed and force into each knife movement something else that the Walk Don't run technique prioritizes. I'm not bashing the Claw techniquic but in a setting where speed isn't a factor I really do think Adam's advice to go slow and have a solid grasp on your food as well as the section from his video which is cut from this response video where he goes over best practices for cutting various different shaped food is going to be of more use to the inexperience home cook then the claw technique

[@SavageBroadcast]

But like Adam, you're misunderstanding the premise of the claw - it's not for speed, it's for safety. If you're going slow anyway, why not take the time to practice the right way?

[@edwardsop-eds1184]

@@SavageBroadcast I frankly do not know how you could read me comment and think I don't understand that the idea behind the claw is safety

[@matthewbadger8685]

absolutely wrong, practicing an unsafe technique because slow speed makes it slightly safer than it would've been, is insanity. Just use a safer technique AND go slower.

[@edwardsop-eds1184]

@matthewbadger8685 I don't know why you would respond to a year old comment if you're not going to take the time to read what it says 🙄

[@matthewbadger8685]

@@edwardsop-eds1184 i read it fully and completely

[@olaff4223]

I also really enjoy Adam, but these two videos made all my skin crawl.

[@ThatCapnGeech]

I appreciate you holding up your left hand in claw shape and then correcting to your right hahaha. Loving your content. Side note: Adam completely SIDESTEPS Marco Pierre-White’s demo of his julienne. MPW was julienning that vegetable WHILE TALKING TO THE INTERVIEWER. He wasn’t looking at the produce he was processing. You simply CANNOT do that in any other method than claw. Claw is so safe that when you’re proficient, you don’t need to look at what you’re cutting. Jacques Pepin is famous for doing this too. Safety first, speed comes later.

[@ThatCapnGeech]

Other side note: the REAL analogy Adam should have used, “I don’t need to wear a seatbelt if I only drive 35mph” because that’s the logic he was using.

[@mat9739]

@@ThatCapnGeech More like ''I don’t need to wear a seatbelt if I only drive 2 or 3mph''

[@ChefMainee]

Can anyone recommend any videos for beginners or anyone wanting to improve their knife skills? I genuinely have no clue what’s reputable anymore

[@LaunchpadCooks]

Joshua Weissman, hands down, has the best knife technique video out there. And, surprise surprise, he also used to be an actual cook.

[@willlewis5736]

@@LaunchpadCooks He does a great job, thank god he doesn't refer to himself as "papa" in this video. I'd watch his shit all the time if he wasn't so full of himself.

[@itsgeegra]

@@willlewis5736aw he’s fucking insufferable isn’t he? It’s such a shame cuz he’s phenomenally talented and skilled but sincerely I’d rather eat gravel than hear “cwispy” one more time

[@TCMx3]

The reason there are no studies on claw grip safety is the same reason there aren't studies about whether it's safer to walk away from a bear or throw a rock at it. You can determine mechanically what kind of injuries are even possible with various grips.

[@LUKA_911]

"There's no evidence to support what you say and there's no evidence to support what I say either but I'm right" True LMAO

[@stllr_]

the issue that i’ve always had with the claw grip is that it seems impossible to actually stabilize the food in a meaningful way without needing to reposition the claw between chops. the concept of a rolling chop with that technique seems so impossible. what’s the trick? are you applying pressure to the pads of your fingers or the tip of the nail? or even the last knuckle? i’d love to see a primer on the claw grip to combat this notion some p.s.: i am absolutely an adam ragusea fan and i couldn’t put my finger on why the video made me feel so uneasy. thanks for bringing this to light

[@anti1337speak]

I have this problem too. What helps me is making sure that the food you're cutting has a flat surface to place on the cutting board so it doesn't have a tendency to roll around or slip easily, eg. for carrots, cutting them in half lengthwise first, then making planks before making matchsticks/mincing. Portioning the food to the amount you are comfortable holding while cutting also helps. I also just find rock chopping incredibly awkward, so I just push cut everything nowadays.

[@ryanl5729]

Thanks for making this. I'm a fan of Adam, but his knife video really misses the mark in my opinion. Saying technique doesn't matter because going slower is safer is a false assumption. Is driving 50mph while steering with your feet safer than driving 80mph when steering with your hands? Of course not. I think it shows how prevalent the "I've never been harmed by this so it must be safe" mindset is, especially now that a lot of self-trained content creators can reach and influence a lot of people. Not to say that self trained people cant have new, transformative ideas, but if professionals use a technique or standard, its probably for a good reason.

[@rykehuss3435]

That potato cutting footage was just hair raising for me, as a basic home cook. I mean I use the claw grip, AND I take it reasonably slow. Especially with stuff thats harder to cut like potatoes vs something thats easy like split carrots. Adam's logic just completely fails here

[@gigicaresse503]

Good knife skills is one of those things I never knew was important to embody the pros. Good knife skills are safe knife skills

[@Beenisweenis]

I would say, do whatever makes you feel more comfortable. Yes Ive nicked myself a few times not doing the bear claw but I'm also careful and slow with cooking anyways so its not like od cut my finger off. I know its safer, Ive taken culinary arts, I know why they do it. I just simply dont want to, Id rather just hold the end stable and sacrifice whatever tiny piece of vegtable is too close to my fingers. Yeah practice makes perfect but I simply dont care enough to practice. I just want some passible food from the pan to my mouth. Edit: adding on that I have adhd. Its not an excuse not to learn things but it is a barrier that sometimes makes wanting to learn new things annoying. Especially when it comes to forming habits. I havent had a habit stick for longer that 2 months ever. So I doubt Id be able to actually sit down and learn to change my method without alot of work on my end that im simply not willing to put in for home cooking. Also the "You stirred your soup with a knife what is wrong with you." Lmao i feel called out i will literally use whatever tool i have to do the job if it can. Like I COULD got grab a spoon but the spatula i just used is right here.

[@PNWCOOK]

I 100% agree man, I was a cook for around 2 years. prior to being a cook, I didn't use the claw grip hardly ever. And without fail almost every time I cut myself it was because I didn't use proper technique. Adam makes a lot of great points but occasionally I have to do a double take with some of his points. He tries to make cooking more assessable for the average person at the cost of safety/valid techniques that have been established for a reason.

[@Hephera]

his problem is he doesnt even understand what "the claw" even is. look at 1:04. hes holding the carrots with his KNUCKLES and the backs of his fingernails instead of with the tips on his fingers likie youre supposed to. no wonder he doesnt like using "the claw" if thats how he thinks youre supposed to do it!

[@stagelights_]

do you have fucking extra joints in your fingers or something the way you describe it is literally impossible to do if you have a normal human hand

[@saamo1423]

@@stagelights_ No it isn't, you just don't understand what he's saying

[@ikbenale]

"If you're trying to do something and you know that the professionals do it a certain way, and it's a thing that is completely attainable to you [...] you wouldn't think maybe I should emulate that" I think this is where you're not noticing your bias: this is especially annoying to you because this is your profession, but what I just quoted is something you, and I, and everyone else, do all the time: I don't bother to learn the techniques that professional drivers use, even though they would indeed make me drive safer but I just don't drive that much or that long or that fast. At the speed I drive my safety measures are _adequate_. There's no denying that even at my low speeds I could be driving safer if I took some pro tips. But the thing is that even though getting those driving skills is attainable, what isn't is applying that to all the things that I do: biking, going to the gym, cooking, ironing, and so on. But crucially I don't do any of those things professionally, so I just strive for a *reasonable* safety level. The crux of course is, what is that level? In another video Adam says he can't remember the last time he cut himself. That level works for him and most likely for a lot of people as well.

[@jason-dv5ef]

never thought i would be between what is basically cooking channel beef

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

I don't understand how the claw grip is supposed to work with my hand... I seem to have way too long and bendy fingers and too sticky and stretchy skin for it to work.... If try to curl my fingers all the way in, then it's more than 3 cm (a little more than one inch) from the tip of the middle finger inner joint to where my fingernails touch the food; which means I cannot cut anything shorter than at least 6 inches long while still holding it with my left hand. If I try to curl only the outermost joint and try to keep the middle part of the finger roughly vertical then very little force by the knife touching the middle of my finger will cause my outermost joint to flex slightly "the wrong way" so then I'm in danger of cutting myself just above the fingernail because the tip then pokes out about a cm forward (while being obscured by the inner joint also poking about a cm forward; so unless I'm using a very tall cleaver/chinese knife, the tip of the knife can easily cut my finger even though I'm trying to keep it away with the inner joint. Also if I curl my hand up so much that this cannot happen, then every finger is of course at a different position both horizontally and vertically, so the side of the knife will only touch the middle finger joint; but unless I'm very careful I can easily get my pointing finger or ring finger underneath the edge of the blade while the side of the blade is touching the middle finger. Another issue I have is that my thumb is very long, so if I curl up my fingers enough for them to not flex the other way, then the tip of my thumb very close to where the edge is depending on exactly how vertical the innermost bone in the other fingers are; so unless I'm holding it back with my fingers (essentially the break-your-thumb-fist) it's much more in danger than if I use more straight finger primarily using my fingernails as guards. Whenever I've tried the claw shape; the only way I have had it remotely work was if I used my old terrible Chinese knife (which I rarely use anymore because it's not very good; not sure where it is actually) which is really tall, and keep constant contact with the middle and ring finger knuckles; but the main issue is it's really uncomfortable when the metal keeps sticking to the skin and pulling it up and down over and over; and if I try to keep the blade at a distance so that it doesn't touch the skin; I keep almost cutting the top of my knuckles because when I don't feel the blade I don't know exactly where it is in relation to my hand so I could easily flatten my hand more which causes my knuckle to poke more forward; and I can't see it clearly either because the tall blade obscures my hand if I try to see how thin or thick I'm slicing; or if I look on the other side of the blade to see where my hand is; I have no idea what size the slices are... And if I use a more sensibly sized blade that isn't tall enough to obscure my hand, it's short enough that the spine regularly comes underneath the knuckle which pulls my finger forward and into danger when I lift the blade and the spine scrapes my knuckle and then the side of the blade sticks to the skin an pulls on it.

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

That said, my normal grip probably could be considered a variant of the "claw" though I usually curl the last joint forward rather than in (i.e. bending the joint the wrong way) so that my fingernails is the guard rather than the outermost knuckle, because then at least my finger joint is much less floppy. I can of course then cut the very tip of my finger just in front of the nail where the skin pokes out less than a millimeter; and the side of my finger next to the fingernail, but most of the time I feel the edge on my fingernail and can stop before it does any real damage.

[@seancoyote]

I love his content too, but every so often, he diverts from the experts to come out with his own ideas. Some are hits, but this is a miss. The claw grip requires less movement(only your hand rather than each finger), thus the slow and readjustment of your fingers with each slice will cause you to make more mistakes whenever you are in the least bit distracted or didn't move properly. Less possible mistakes make for less mistakes, each movement makes for more possible mistakes. The claw grip is safer. I get his logic, however he is wrong. To pose this as an opinion with his audience is irresponsible.

[@michaelmadigan9856]

The video should have just ended when dude was waving his knife around when he was talking. He is a safety hazard.

[@ARMTOAST]

you mean like marco pierre white did in this same video? give the guy a break, lol. he’s not making great points but not because he’s moving his arms around a little outdoors with a knife in his hand

[@ARMTOAST]

@HLA_0302 it’s a really shitty video that does not make hardly any good points but not because of him waving a knife a little bit while talking. i personally know over a dozen chefs and culinary instructors who’ve done the same. hold him accountable for the ridiculous shit. not something innocuous

[@dismurrart6648]

As someone who is a fairly shitty home cook, here's a good reason to learn knife skills. The quicker you get through your onions, the less pain to your eyes

[@r.9602]

i think these video are to encourage people who have never stepped foot in the kitchen but yeah basic knife skills are essentially for safety

[@markcocione3490]

I cut things the way adam does, I dont remember the last time I cut myself the only time I remember cutting myself is when I was trying to learn the "right way" his whole point is to go slow it does not matter what technique you use if you go slow you wont cut yourself you cant argue with that

[@saamo1423]

Yes I can, very easily actually

[@markcocione3490]

@@saamo1423 explain? ❓

[@ValentinPlotnichenko]

I can not imagine gun safety instructor saying it is OK to point gun at someone as long as you know it is not loaded. or some other OK ideas. those safety rules are written in blood and knife technics are also

[@somefreshbread]

I can't imagine a knife and a gun having the same rules.

[@adamg.manning6088]

Adam Ragusea lifts with his back.

[@baloonman5]

OK, I'm going to start by saying that I don't find Adam's arguments convincing. I'm certainly not going to stop using the claw grip anytime soon. That said, I don't think your responses to his bad argument were particularly great either. A lot of your response is just an argument from authority, that because chefs do this thing it's the correct thing to do. I think you're right in your conclusion, but I also know that if I did agree with Adam's argument that the claw grip isn't worth learning, I wouldn't be convinced by your counter-arguments that chefs say that it's better and that therefore it is. His main point seems to be that if a knife user is going slowly and paying attention, the safety benefits of the claw grip aren't substantial enough to be worth learning, which I feel is a cogent argument even though it's a very stupid one. Your response of "It's not safe" doesn't get to the heart of what's wrong with that argument in my opinion, which is that more safety is more better, and that being forced to always go slow lest you cut your hands off is a major downside to his method. Like, both of you acknowledge that you don't have enough evidence to prove your claim, but that really should be the end of the story. Trying to prove that he's wrong just plays into his hand, and lets someone who agrees with him say that your just parroting advice that you got. Saying that he should be in pinch grip because it's better, or he needs to stabilize his cutting board for safety are all true, but they're also non-sequiturs that don't really push your point further. I really strongly feel that trying to prove that his method is unsafe is a losing battle and the wrong way of going about it. It's less safe than the claw, but even he acknowledges that if you want to go faster you should use the claw. It's difficult to argue that if you are always paying attention to what you are doing, and never get distracted, then you won't get cut. I think a better approach is to say that the claw keeps you safe even if you're going fast and even if you get distracted. You touched on that with your mushroom example, but making it the core part of your argument would be better. Right now it feels like one of his fans could just brush you off as someone who blindly follows tradition, which sucks.

[@NiSE_Rafter]

I'm no cook nor chef but I grew up helping my mom cut things in the kitchen starting from when I could a plastic knife, eventually moving on to proper ones. At this point I'd say I'm better than 90% of my peers (average mid 20's person not in food industry) when it comes to prep work and basic cooking techniques and it's not like I tryharded to learn it or got bullied into it. Learning knife skills is not hard! Even my home ec class in middle school taught claw grip and they didn't say you had to do it quickly. Nothing wrong with claw grip AND cutting slowly. Speed just developed over time as the muscle memory develops. I don't get the idea of purposely skimping out on part of your craft. 100% agreed on of I'm going to cook my own food then why would I not want to practice and improve to do it in better and more efficient ways? It makes cooking a faster and easier endeavor. Edit: I should say I'm a viewer and fan of his channel. I like a lot of his content but yeah some videos like this one are definitely a miss.

[@ask230]

Adam has always had a bone to pick with chef culture & talks frequently about his feelings of inadequacy around that. But he has actually never (to my knowledge) worked in the professional chef world much less been bullied, demeaned or made to feel low by a fellow cook. Rather, this appears to be just one of numerous hangups and sensitivities he has. He seems to gravitate toward any opportunity to "debunk" some kind of chefy gospel, even if, as in this case, the debunking makes little to no sense when put to scrutiny. I should add that I like Adam a lot and think highly of his content. But it's quite irritating when he spirals into another misguided rant or sermon.

[@veg411]

This is such a great video, which makes it so frustrating it only has 9k views. As soon as I saw that video I knew he was talking nonsense, and it seriously harmed his credibility in every single video of his I watched after that.

[@cwooley89]

Now you gotta review the new Ragusea knife!

[@superdepressif6047]

I have two knife with this steel but I can't sharpen it, i'm still bad at it.

[@starfthegreat]

As much as I like Adam and his videos, there's an interesting paradox with him: he always refers to experts when it comes to scientific subjects, but when it comes to "less scientific" topics like knife skills, pasta cooking or risotto making he seems to scorn what experts say. I'm saying this as someone who's a big fan and who's learned alot from him

[@dalmationblack]

He's been pretty clear in his videos if you pay enough attention: there's a difference between scientific expertise (which comes from controlled studies) and professional expertise (which comes from experience). Sure lots of times professionals are right about things but often they aren't. A professional chef doesn't have to know why what they're doing works (see Adam's oft-cited anecdote about how Gordon Ramsay still thinks searing meat seals in juices); a scientist does.

[@fahadahaf]

Because often these things are backed up by nothing more than appeal to authority (99% of experts in Mayan human sacrifice say that it is indeed the best way to prevent the apocalypse) , tradition (we know the earth is flat because my father believes it is flat and his forefathers all thought its flat and so on), or both. If there is objective merit to doing something a certain way, there should be evidence to back it up.

[@JohnWoo]

I don't know why Adam is so against the claw method. It only takes like a few times to learn, and you get used to it after a few weeks.

[@evandickinson6393]

He has a new podcast where he talks with other content creators...why not reach out to him and talk with him about this. He seems like someone who is thirsty for knowledge and is willing to admit faults. You could change his mind on it...or AT LEAST get a better idea of why he has this wrong opinion and educate him on how to verbalize that to his audience. I agree with proper knife practice...but I also cut my bagels towards my open palm...I'm not trying to cut a BUNCH of bagels for service, just the 1 I want for breakfast and i've never sliced my palm open because the speed and pressure is only enough to cut through a bagel once. That's "bad" but it's not inexcusable or inadvisable...just not a great idea. I wouldn't make a video telling people to cut that way, nor would I think to switch to a better method

[@matthewbadger8685]

Adam Ragusea admitting faults lmao

[@somefreshbread]

@@matthewbadger8685 Literally all the time. Maybe you just don't like his professorial dictum, but he's constantly admitting things he got wrong. He's made several videos that were just corrections.

[@Istielthia]

God, just him waving that knife around wile he was talking was giving me anxiety.

[@ricksanchez4901]

It's as simple as this: The only reason the pros are fast is because their technique is safe. Safe technique = Can do stuff faster cause you wont hurt yourself.......

[@ricksanchez4901]

Commented this before I even watched the vid lol... Glad you agree

[@ricksanchez4901]

Since we like using anologies incorrectly.... He is basically saying that because I'm not a pro race car driver, I should never learn how to drive safely.... Its a stupid, baseless take to help him sell his knife....

[@moisesrodriguez9007]

I've never watched a video from Adam however as someone who has four years of culinary school training and has worked in the industry for 10+ years. I will agree that what he's saying is extremely naive and horrible advice for anyone trying to learn proper cutting technique. I also lost it every time he talked while holding the blade towards himself.

[@dalmationblack]

it's pretty clear his video is intended towards people who aren't trying to learn proper cutting technique? that's literally the entire point?

[@seymourbuttz6419]

Oh my god the way he was waving the knife with a loose grip with the blade facing him was stressing me out. I do that in my kitchen as a joke purposefully as a because it's obviously bad knife handling. This man is an actual danger. He should NOT be teaching anyone ANYTHING

[@kazaam1166]

Despite being, as far as i can tell, someone with an intellectual background he seems to have a real streak of being either distrustful or dismissive of skills used in restaurants by god forbid "culinary school types"

[@chadford3177]

Good commentary man! Calling out false equivalencies, and batting down the mental gymnastics. BTW that video was horrifying...

[@acikacika]

Spot on

[@HH-le1vi]

Should rename this Adam Ragusea shows people how to cut fingers

[@joeconneely_]

When Adam goes to speak with a food scientist or something I understand the appeal of his videos. I really don’t know what people get out of videos of him cooking though. Doesn’t appear to have much knowledge, doesn’t create anything interesting. Just an overly confident man without anything to back that up. Baffling that he has viewers. He seems so…idk, needy? Obnoxiously arrogant for no reason? Weird man. “don’t let some chef bully you” Has a chef ever bullied him? Or even told him how to hold a knife? Probably not. I’d imagine a chef would be happy to teach someone knife skills. If they asked. but he comes across with all this reactionary stuff. I don’t get it at all. Man needs to chill

[@joeconneely_]

also…I used to be a chef. Proper knife skills ARE useful outside of a professional kitchen. To be able to safely cut things at the appropriate sizes for the dish you’re making in everyday life is very useful and with the confidence you gain you’ll enjoy cooking more and make better food. Why would a cooking channel want to make people have a worse time cooking.

[@NiSE_Rafter]

His appeal is simplifying recipes into ones people can easily make at home. The way he explains things takes the pressure off of how people get intimidated by some interesting recipes and never build up the courage to try them out of fear of failure.

[@seancoyote]

He presents foody things in a good way usually, this was one of the more rare misses.

[@dtsiegler]

im 42 and have been working in kitchens since i was 17. ive seen chefs bully. it can be brutal. every pro cook has witnessed tears in the kitchen. the closest any civilian will come is watching that english wanker yell at contestants on tv (also fuck chefs who bully... would never work for one- that shit needs to die already)

[@Spymask-AoC]

I had the exact same thoughts watching his video lol.

[@FaceIntoKeyboard]

In a way, it is about the "economy of scale". If a chef chops off the tip of his thumb and has to spend the evening waiting to get it reattached in the ER, he's going to prep way fewer onions. Okay, I admit I need to get away from the pointer finger on the spine technique, but damn, Adam just loves to justify his actions. How long has he taken to produce these videos? Longer than it would have taken him to just practice the friggin' claw grip.

[@nikosfilipino]

im really late to this vid but this is exactly my problem with Adam despite how much I love his channel. Adam has done something great: he has made cooking more "user friendly" by presenting himself as the average joe who works 9-5 and has no time/energy to cook. I can appreciate this however my problem is that he often presents cooking as a chore and that any inconvenient technique or ingredient should be discarded. He once made a comment in an ask adam video where he said dumplings worth making at home and best left for automated/commercial production, completely disrespecting those who make these things on a sometimes daily basis as an expression of love for their family. His mantra is dangerous to the next generation of cooks imo as he never mentions one of the most important reasons why we cook: to nourish the ones we love and pass down tradition. Without a doubt he does none of this maliciously and I do appreciate that his approach to cooking stems from legitimate problems/real life situations and puts food in its proper place underneath other more important matters but adam's could potentially do some harm to the next gen of cooks

[@ledzeppelinfan1001]

This entire comment is wrong lmao

[@nicolasbitcoin2549]

After 2 weeks of claw you get used to it and it’s second nature… why would you advocate against it. Anyone who watches cutting videos on KZbin likes cooking enough to learn how to claw 😂

[@marko1395]

Great video!

[@bigt164]

I really like Adam’s content as well. Always watch his videos but you are 100% correct. Very dangerous and irresponsible to teach poor knife skills to such a large audience. I don’t think I’ve ever cut myself when using correct techniques but I have definitely cut myself using poor technique, several times in the past. I would highly advise against it!

[@presidentjojo3418]

I agree with walk dont run, but u do really need good methods either way.

[@Patricia-b]

Sadly Adam is not a guy who handles criticism well. You should see all the whining he did on twitter after subscribers warned him about promoting vitamin supplements on his channel, since supplementation for healthy people is discouraged by most research... he is a guy who "prides" himself on consulting especialists and reading research papers. he just called everyone a dumbass and the company was like super totally great they had like doctors who he knows it's safe. He didn't even care that some people were actually qualified to make that criticism. I had to unfollow him after that, i appreciate the science-based videos, but when someone forgoes that for a buck, i don't feel fine with that.

[@JamesPotts]

He crossed the point of no return for me on this. False equivalence every which way. Makes me question everything he's said in the past

[@davidy22]

Why I season my cutting board, not my steak

[@olivia6632]

This + the time he accepted the sponsorship of Noom has made me question him every time I watch a new video from him, I still watch and enjoy his content but, I stopped considering him one of my favorite content creators time ago

[@Great_Olaf5]

I've definitely hurt my hand using the claw technique, though not by cutting myself. My muscles do not naturally go that way, and doing au for extended periods is painful. Especially when the amount of time I spend chopping ingredients in a day is about 20 minutes. At most. I cook nearly every day, and I am just not in the kitchen often enough to make building the muscle memory to make the claw technique not physically painful. Being careful and slow might make me take more time, but I've never cut myself with z knife since I was in boy scouts when I accidentally was using the wrong edge of a pocket knife to carve a bar of soap.

[@superdepressif6047]

Also I don't get it, if he says to do it slow anyway, then just do it the right way and slowly ? Then with experience you'll become faster I guess. It sounds like survivorship bias

[@dtsiegler]

lol on the right of my screen youtube is advertising the film Idiocracy. also people will learn after they cut off a couple digits or after a few stitches i guess...

[@rabiesbiter5681]

Do you point a gun at your fingertips at the range? No. So why would you put your fingertips under a fucking knife?

[@alakazam482]

I cant even tell if you're advocating for, or arguing against the claw technique, cause your fingertips arent under the knife. The whole point is to have your knuckles go past your fingertips for the soul purpose of getting them away from the knife

[@rabiesbiter5681]

@@alakazam482 I'm advocating for the claw technique. I'm saying that Ragusea's technique is as ridiculous as putting your own fingers in front of the barrel of a gun at the range. Sorry for the ambiguity. I just can't figure out why Adam so stubbornly refuses to learn basic knife safety. It's frustrating.

[@somefreshbread]

@@rabiesbiter5681 Knives aren't guns.

[@rabiesbiter5681]

@@somefreshbread No, but when used on human flesh, they can be similarly devastating. If you put your fingers underneath a knife while cooking, you might lose your fingers. Remember, four thousand men were killed in a single day in Verdun using big knives.

[@somefreshbread]

​@@rabiesbiter5681 A knife isn't going to shatter the bones in your hand. It's not a binary thing.

[@scottcunningham5425]

Where i work...it's safety, quality, quantity. Those first 2 will ensure the 3rd. I have gotten lazy before and cut the corner of my index finger off, right though the nail! That is a bitch and hurts for weeks!

[@putto123]

I was on board with the "walk, don't run" as cutting quickly when you're not proficiently skilled is an accident waiting to happen but then he went on to say you don't need knife skills and oh boy... Practice proper techniques even at home, even if you never go faster, cause they're proper techniques for a reason - they're safer.

[@fahadahaf]

>they're proper techniques for a reason - they're safer. where is the evidence?

[@somefreshbread]

Yeah and proper running techniques are safer too, but if I'm running a couple of miles a week it's far less important than if I'm marathon training. Or biking on a trail vs biking in a city. Or playing catch with my son vs playing in the major league. Or spending 30 minutes a night cooking vs 8 hours. As long as you're paying attention, have a sharp knife, and aren't getting distracted or try to go too fast, you're probably fine.

[@ouravantgarde]

glad dangerous videos like this one only have 10k views. a video that tells people they need to slow down and relax with a knife instead of trying to replicate a chef does far more for safety than anyone else. you missed the point

[@moi2275]

As someone with a significant amount of home cooking experience i just dont think it really matters. There are more important things that you raise in this video AND that he raised in his (that you cut out) like a stabilised cutting board and the actual stability/slipperiness etc. of the food you are cutting. If youre a normal adult with motor skills and keep your hand distant enough and go slow you will never cut yourself. Adams whole channel has a theme of establishing that home cooking and commercial cooking are two completely different worlds, and that chefs giving advice to home cooks is not the best idea because they operate in entirely different worlds (take his deep frying video as an example). I dont think any normal person would walk away from his video and be discouraged from learning the claw grip if they already had some desire to, hes just making it clear that if you cook infrequently or dont know how to claw grip, there sre more important and much easier ways to improve your safety in the kitchen.

[@jonathangoldsmith7832]

I now only cut myself when I’m super super drunk and trying to show off without thinking. In all seriousness, I wouldn’t be able to make some of the more precise cuts without clawing. EDIT: How is avocado so big on his chart?? Who’s cutting themselves on avocados???

[@superdepressif6047]

3:15 I have nightmares of this

[@bpri9880]

A while back you did a review on some Kyoku knives. I bought one of those Kyoku knives and holy damn it’s a great knife! Also this guy you are calling out keeps waving the damn knife around like an idiot. He clearly doesn’t know basic knife safety….

[@jamesholland8196]

Gotta be honest, you're not giving really good arguments as much as repeating "it's safer" and "alternatives are irresponsible". I mean, if you keep your hands out of the way, most means of holding what you're chopping are safe for your hands sorta by definition, even if the style doesn't conform to doing things a cook expects to do. For example, people use scissors without a claw grip, but this isn't generally considered a problem, because it isn't really if you make sure your fingers are out of the way and you aren't going fast (think about hair stylists for example). I understand that the claw grip works, and is safe if you know what you're doing, but I think it's also worth considering that the canon of chef knife skills is a product of a certain culture and isn't universal. Consider looking up knife skills in different countries, and you might be aghast at what you find because it doesn't conform to your cultural norms. But that doesn't always mean it's unsafe (though sometimes it is lol)

[@davidfuller581]

This has bugged me for ages. His knife technique is so, so bad - and it's going to get somebody (probably him) hurt one day.

[@LaunchpadCooks]

And that's all I really want people to take away from this. It's a matter of safety

[@leinvd_]

Go from the kitchen to construction, carpentry, etc and use the same logic he's using, see how it starts crumbling. It's all about efficiency and safety, you can't say to tell with those things just cause you're not a professional. It's important to know how to handle your tools

[@kojin_ryoba]

3:14 nail bitting knife form.

[@ggw1776]

Source: dude trust me bro

[@olaff4223]

There is no reason not to use proper safety techniques. I can cut food faster than most people because I've been in the kitchen for years. As I've taught up news cooks I've taught them proper safety measures because it's safe. I am never going to get on to a new cook about speed, and I will never ever ever speak to a home chef like I do someone in a professional kitchen. He talks about truck drivers. His analogy is wrong because he's talking about speed not safety. I'm not going to drive without a seat belt, just like I will never cut without using the claw.

[@DrFunkin]

Christ that sounded like a PragerU video. What dangerous nonsense.

[@DrFunkin]

I have no evidence but I am going to say in a loud condescending voice that the experts are wrong!

[@adrianflo6481]

The deadlift analogue is horrible. You dont re adjust every single repetition, you REPEAT the motion in the exact same way, something you cant do if you lift your feet. You take your time to set it up with you feet and shoulders perfectly so that when its time to lift youre safe and stable. You do the same with a knife. Adam is being wilfully ignorant of how to use a knife. When you use a clawed hand you always keep the blade pressed to your knuckles and the edge never leaves the gap, there is no possibility to cut yourself that way. You also make smaller rocking motions(unless using a nakiri). The knife is anchored and the left hand controls the tempo which all result in a safer technique. Its very similar to a dead lift, except that Adam doesnt seem to know how to dead lift properly either. on using knife skills its more kin to asking why Muay Thai was invented. its by far the most efficient way to defend yourself on two feet. Karate is a ritual and boxing omits the strongest part of your body. ask any drummer if its harder to play slow or fast. (answer is slow because technique and precision becomes much more important). Idk how many more analogues adam needs.

[@LowReedExpert1]

The amount of fallacies he uses really makes me worry about the videos he makes in his wheelhouse. I'm not saying he does, but being this flagrant with logical fallacies makes one wonder if any more are slipping through on stuff that he's an expert on y'know? I kinda want an old school response vid on this, outlining each bad argument lol

[@joeconneely_]

he’s not an expert on anything tbh. there’s other people out there who do proper deep dives into food science and technique and history and can explain why things work and why people do things and where ideas came from. he’s just some guy ranting weirdly. the only time he provides value in my opinion is when he goes to visit someone else and gets their feedback. but even then he presents information in such an aggressive ego driven way i’d rather just watch anybody else

[@Chooooseeeenone]

the chop is Raguseas main beef with knife skills, not the pinch, he's always going about how you don't need to blitz through a whole bag of onions. he also states that when he chops veggies, he always secures and verifies that his knife and off hand are not near each other. also, chopping round mushrooms while not paying attention is insanely stupid. Bros saying that you don't need to do it like the pros if you're not confident with your knife, and professional chefs shouldn't dictate what you do at home.

[@alakazam482]

You're missing a big point though. The claw is safe because it's the best way to stabilize your knife, and it's not hard to learn. If you butt the side of your knife against your knuckles, you cannot cut yourself unless you intentionally fuck up. Doing a proper claw eliminates a lot of the issues adam has with peppers and carrots

[@fahadahaf]

So your whole argument rests on supposed safety; yet your response to Ragusea saying he couldn't find any research on the topic is that you have anecdotes?

[@FMOLETTE]

For some things like using a knife, anecdotes from experience are really what matter 😂. You say that as if an overwhelming majority of people who have cooking experience won’t tell you the same

[@nature_boy_]

- It's dangerous to put your fingertips n the way of a knife blade - Umm, do you have a peer-reviewed study for that? The NPC meme is real lol

[@jackdorsey4850]

I wish he would stop waving that blade around

[@JDvb23]

Comes off like Adam only thinks professionals are fast, not safe. My first week in at my first kitchen job I nearly chopped my entire fingernail off (about a half inch of finger) because I didn’t know proper technique. I recently just quit and I never had to use even a baindaid after I learned proper technique.

[@nillomat]

It's just weird how the examples he chooses to show just absolutely make me cringe because you can easily see how flimsy his hold on the food is and how his finger tips are constantly in harms way. Like the way he holds the onions (shallots?) just doesn't look like they're secured very well since he's pressing down with the flat of his hand instead of the full fist as you would when doing the claw.

[@Jeff_in_3D]

Honest to god that video was my last straw with Adam and his bizarre takes. Encouraging a lack of safety makes no damn sense.