The Art of Using a Knife with a Fork

Designed for teaching American children proper flatware usage and placement, this circa 1930’s-1940’s, three piece set of “Kindergarten” flatware has “hidden messaging” in the design on the handles. Upon close inspection, the fork handle reads, “For the Left Hand,” while the handle of the knife reads, “For the Right Hand,” and the spoon handle reads, “For the Saucer.” The handles can only be read at the table if the utensils are in their proper positions for “pausing,” “resting” or even “finished” (when the knife and fork are placed together at 11:00 and 5:00.)

American versus Continental Dining

Close-up of the knife handle

When dining with knives and forks, one should be aware of the two different and distinct styles of eating with these utensils. In the United States, most Americans eat using the American “flip-flop” or “zig-zag” method. The U.S. is the only country in the world that uses this method predominantly. Most of the rest of the world uses the European or “Continental” style.

Because you are obviously at your best when you feel comfortable in all social situations, use whichever method you are most comfortable with, regardless of how others are eating around you. The self confidence you feel knowing that you are using the proper utensils and table manners, as well as other proper forms of etiquette, will free you from worry over how you look to others and will enable you to concentrate on what you need to say and how to communicate your thoughts. 

You will find yourself more relaxed in many different social situations with this new confidence and you will also find that you are enjoying your social life more fully, even when your social life is an extension of yours, or your spouse's, business or professional life. Think of this new found knowledge as a valuable tool and use it to its fullest to enhance the quality of every aspect of your life.

The American Flip-Flop or Zig-Zag

For our example we will be using steak. Imagine the steak on your plate. Pick up the steak knife to your right of the plate with your right hand and the fork to the left with your left hand. Carefully spear the steak with your fork tines facing downward into the steak. Use your knife to cut the piece of steak with a gentle sawing motion, using only slight pressure on the blade of the knife. In this manner, the blade does the work, not you. Then, when the piece of meat has been cut, the knife is placed across the top of the plate with the tip of the knife pointing toward twelve o'clock and the handle pointing at three o'clock. Switch the fork from your left hand to your right hand, gently spear the cut piece of meat, turn the fork so that the tines are facing upward and bring the food to your mouth. Return the fork either to the left side of the plate, or to the steak if you will be cutting another piece, with your left hand, and pick the knife up with your right hand again. This is the “flip-flop” or “zig-zag” action.

The European or “Continental” Style

Imagine the same steak on your plate. Pick up the steak knife with your right hand and your fork with your left, just as in the American example. Carefully spear the meat with the fork tines facing downward and cut the piece of steak with the knife with a gentle sawing motion. When the piece of meat is cut, place the knife at the top of the plate, resting in the same manner as the American style calls for and bring the piece of meat to your mouth with the fork still in the left hand and with the tines facing downward. This action is then repeated, if another piece of steak is desired, by keeping the fork in the left hand and retrieving the knife with the right hand from its resting spot at the top of the plate. The fork in the Continental or European style of dining is never switched back and forth from one hand to another.— From The RSVP Institute of Etiquette’s “Social Graces Handbook”, 1993

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia