I know I like to chop thing various ways with a knife instead of a Cuisinart or grater or mandoline because the knife is a heck of a lot easier to clean . . . I do use my Cuisinart for big batches of things, but now with just hubs and I and little potlucking or entertaining, I just give my knives a daily workout. Someday arthritis may make me have to adjust again, but I'm not there yet.

My mom starting just about every meal with a paring knife in hand. Me, not so much. I almost always use a dual peeler. I guess I don’t trust myself. I went through a gadget phase where I had a mandoline, lots of mini choppers or mini processors, one of those onion choppers where you slam the lid down, and probably a bunch of other things. Now I’m happy with my simple Wusthof knives. Now that my knife skills are better, it’s just as fast. I don’t get my food processor out very much. Usually for large scale grating or shredding, but not too much else.

For small jobs, I cut in my hand as my grandmother did....moving the knife against my thumb.

Other than cutting citrus fruit segments or peeling a tomato, I am more likely to use a board than my hand.

I use everything. Used to use just a paring knife but after I met DH he showed me how to use a good sized chef's knife to full advantage (and safely). He sharpens all my knives as an expert. I do use a mandolin for fine slices of potatoes (for chips), lemons (for Shaker pie), onions for everything (fewer tears), and a bizillion carrots cut on the diagonal (for stir fry). Never could get the hang of chopping little bits of herbs so I use kitchen shears - so much faster. I do use my food processor to grate cheese, make pesto, and shred cabbage for slaw. And, when I had my farmers market business I learned how to cut bizillions of peeled peaches (for jam) in my hand with a paring knife so that there were lots of small cubes and all that was left was the pit. Doing citrus supreme in hand with a paring knife is safest and quickest. When it comes to meat/poultry the only way to go is a good sized chef's knife and a sturdy wooden cutting board. Do try different knives - I only have 5: paring, medium chef's, large chef's, serrated, and flexible fillet for fish and for de-boning. One tool I cannot be without though is a cheap pair of scissors for opening all those plastic shrouded foods ("easy reseal" so they say if you can get the top off) and the flat "safety" lids on dairy tubs and jars of anything.

I hate to chop; always have, but with arthritic hands it's even more difficult. I bought a cuisinart in the 1970's and never looked back. I don't fix too many dishes where I need a fancy chop. Or maybe I skip preparing them because I don't want to chop by hand. I literally do everything in the cuisinart. The main things I cut by hand are vegetables for an appetizer plate. I want fancy carrot cuts and certain cuts for other veggies that are a fail in the processor.

I also almost always use a paring knife instead of a chef's knife. I try to train myself to cut on a board because I've had a couple of slip-ups and cut my hand when cutting directly into it.

I've always used a paring knife to peel potatoes, never a peeler, and then cut them. Apples, peaches, etc all get cut with a paring knife.

But onions, peppers, and carrots get knife and board out as I tend to cut a number of them.

I also tend to do the paring knife/hand thing. Drives DH crazy, especially after they put me on blood thinners. But it is so fast, easy and minimal cleanup. And I am very careful!

I rarely ever use a paring knife except for very small jobs. I use a full-size chef's knife, Victorinox Fibrox, for most produce. Jim uses a smaller carving knife for meat.

I often cut things while holding them in my hands, but I don't always use a paring knife. I have yet to get a paring knife that keeps an edge as sharp as my larger knives do.

And funnily enough, I don't use a paring knife to pare anything either. I always use a peeler 😄

I remember watching a Japanese cook peeling a long, 4" wide, transparent ribbon from a daikon radish using a 14" sashimi blade. I concluded that the sharpness of the blade trumps all else.

My dad did everything with a big Chinese "cleaver" type knife.

For the longest time I owned just a few knives. Long chef, serrated, slicer.

DD equipped her whole kitchen crew with one style of knife that they used for everything. It was a slim squared-off blade with just a bit of rocker, kind of like a Japanese vegetable knife. They loved those knives and no-one got accidentally stabbed moving around a frenetic kitchen with a pointed blade. Some of the "kitchen cows" - their name for themselves - even got an outline of that knife tattooed on their forearms. Unclear what their parents thought about that sort of gang tat.

I don't cut much stuff in my hands, but could certainly see where it would work well for some veg and fruit.

Nancy, I have about the same number and types of knives that you say you do. I keep them on a magnetic rack right handy. I almost forgot that I do have a cleaver that I keep in a drawer.

I peel lots of carrots in the winter months and I use a peeler for those, but prefer a paring knife for potatoes.

John, interesting about those knives and the kitchen cows!

I also have Wusthoff knives and I am pleased with them.