Yes. When you cut something, the palm of your hand should be towards the top of the handle so you can apply more pressure and cut easier, I stead of the palm of your hand on the bottom or sides of the knife handle.
Why don't you pick up a knife right now. Align the blade with your second knuckles and the back should fall into your palm right so that thumb can either curl around or sit on top.
You can hold a knife with your palm towards the top of the handle or with your second knuckle aligned with the blade. It depends on how comfortable you feel holding it. But holding the knife like she is in the first panel should not be an option.
A utility knife is not the same as a steak knife or butter knife, or a chefs knife. You never hold any of those in an underhand grip. You cannot apply the correct amount of pressure to cut what you are cutting when you are holding a knife in a manner where you are pulling the blade down. Holding it with a grip from the top or slightly to the side will give you more control, precision, and strength to cut whatever it is you need to cut.
Well if you're sitting down eating you don't hold the knife like you would as a tool. You'd hold it with your index finger on the spine and the other fingers curled around the handle with the base of the handle sitting more or less behind the ball of your thumb. But she's not sitting down eating where the angle is weird and elbows down and all that bullshit table etiquette. She's significantly higher than the cutting object which means that the best control is when the blade is aligned with the second knuckles.
Why don't you take some pictures of what you mean because I'm still not understanding what you mean by "underhand". The only interpretation I can see is if the knife was a "wharncliffe" style and the joint of her thumb was in line with the blade but you never acknowledged that so I'm assuming I'm wrong.
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underhand?
This is me holding my utility knife. The first image is to show how the handle sits if anyone cares.
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Are you interpreting the straight or the curve of the blade to be sharp?
http://thumbnails-visually.netdna-ssl.com/knife-buyers-guide-understanding-blade-shapes_521f822785c0d_w1500.png
Using the words of this link, I'm seeing the "standard" blade. Are you seeing the "sheepsfoot" or "wharncliffe"?
Why don't you take some pictures of what you mean because I'm still not understanding what you mean by "underhand". The only interpretation I can see is if the knife was a "wharncliffe" style and the joint of her thumb was in line with the blade but you never acknowledged that so I'm assuming I'm wrong.