I just can’t operate the damned things. If I try to pick up a morsel it’s unlikely to make it to my mouth. More likely to fall back. Or the sticks will suddenly slip past each other, flipping the morsel to the table top – or the floor. Sigh.

I started with free giveaway chopsticks – the kind that must broken apart. I’ve read countless how-to articles on the web – no help. And watched YouTube videos – no help. I bought nicer chopsticks on Amazon – no help.

It just bugs me to see the ease with which that others use them – Occidentals as well as Orientals. Some hold them with with their tips converging. Others hold them parallel, and adjacent to each other, but still manage to effortlessly pick things up. How in hell is that possible?!?!

Here’s a YouTube video that’s popular (7.3M views), 7 minutes:

https://youtu.be/2Bns2m5Bg4M

One of my Amazon chopstick pairs is similar to the pair in this video.

I'm almost as good with them as I am with a fork. It was pretty easy for me to learn for some reason.

Picked up the skill while working in Tokyo years ago.

I feel your pain which is compounded by the fact that I can't see any reason to use them in the first place, not when I have a perfectly good fork handy.

My sister showed me how to use them as a teen after her year living in Japan. Been a pro ever since

Between just plain awkward ineptness and arthritis in later years I would starve to death if required to use them exclusively today. Hey, maybe a new diet plan.

I'm the only one in my family who can't operate those things

Nope, I can actually use them with either hand.

My wife took almost 2 years to get comfortable with a set though.

I'm fine using them as long as I get the left handed ones.

Nope. I can get almost as much rice on my chopsticks as I can with a fork.

I learned in 1994 when we ported in Hong Kong. Been able to do it ever since. I only struggle when eating in Korea as the chopsticks there are thinner and made of stainless steel. It's like that everywhere in Korea.

I have a nice bamboo set from my trip to Vietnam. I use them frequently. My son (11 years old) learned how to use them right away after watching me.

Tony.

When my (Korean) wife and I first got together almost 18 years ago, I couldn’t do much with chopsticks. I used them more like a prongless frog gig. Now, I can eat anything I want with them. In most cases they are easier to use then a fork. It’s like wooden fingers, instead of a four pronged spear.

The two things I can say about chopsticks, it takes a lot of practice and it’s a huge help to have a seasoned user available to watch and correct your mistakes. Watching that guy’s video, most of what he says is correct. Finger placement can be different for everyone. Here are a couple pictures of how I hold chopsticks. It’s different than the video, or how my wife holds them, but it works for me. The lower stick stays stationary, and the stick controlled by my index finger, is the only one that moves.

They are superior eating utensils for most foods. Better for your teeth.

When in a finger splint I learned LF CS use. Ambi-CS rocks; easiest way to learn is by eating Fritos with CS. Move on to crushed potato chips for your graduate degree.

I can use them well enough. Don't know as I'd call myself "adept" with them, but I can get myself fed

I do enjoy using them.

Beancooker: It never occurred to me to try using them with anything other than "Chinese" food. I'll have to give that some thought.

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:
They are superior eating utensils for most foods. Better for your teeth.

How are they better for your teeth?

We use them daily and for pasta, they can't be beat!

I also learnt whilst living as a student in Japan. One of our teachers made certain we became proficient.

The key is holding the bottom one rock steady against your ring finger, using the v of your thumb. The top one is held as one would a pencil.

Yes, practice is your friend and you can master it. Don't bother with the kiddie practice ones that are spring loaded at the top, just get some break apart ones and keep trying.

I've found that it's better to hold them more towards the rear and that helps with leverage and comfort; holding them too close to the front is probably why it's not working well to hold things.

Once you can pick up a grain of rice, without thinking, you are there.

Just zen out and go for it!

Nope, I'm quite hopefully apt with them, in fact. But then I use them nearly every day, so have lots of practice. They work better than forks with at least half of the various foods. Basically anything that's already in solid bite-sized pieces. (And yes, even on rice, provided it's properly cooked and slightly sticky.)

Forks are better for times when you need to hold big pieces of food in place while you cut it with a knife, for twirling long strands of pasta, for really fragile/fall-apart foods that need the extra bottom support on the way to your mouth, and for a few other situations.

"Chinese food tastes better when you eat it with chopsticks"
Mrs. P

I struggle some times.
They always seem to slip out and I have to physically readjust them.
I only use them when out at a restaurant but will always use them.
Practice makes perfect.

The first friend I made in 6th grade many years ago was Vietnamese and he taught me how to use them. For me it’s just a fun way to eat Asian food. It adds to the experience. Sure, the fork is better, but where is the fun in that!

'If you want to eat like a dog, you can live and sleep outside like a dog.' ---Pai Mei

2:25/4:14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvpZXmYRP4o

You can always watch a youtube video to learn how to use a chopstick.

But no need to sweat it if you can't. My wife always asks for a fork in Japanese restaurants.

I'm fluent with chopsticks myself. But I tell people, the Chinese are so smart, they built the great wall of China. But you'd think after so many days of so many of them shoveling dirt for the foundation, you'd think one of them would come home at night and sometime during dinner, one of them would have asked, "There's got to be a better way to move food from our plates to our mouth than with two pieces of sticks."

Beancookers explaination is how I hold them..

Otherwise...

Kiddie Chops...