Is there really a right and wrong way to hold your cutlery?

A teacher told us a story about an American spy who was in Germany during the war, pretending to be a German. In the USA they first cut their meat with the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left hand, then they change and put the meat in the mouth with the fork in the right hand (according to my teacher anyway). The spy got nervous when he was eating with some important people and started to eat that way, and that gave him away as an American. So sometimes it can be important.

I really don't understand why the knife should be in your right hand and fork in your left. I eat with them the other way. It certainly isn't bad manners and I find it much easier to use it the opposite way. It really is just stupid as there's no reason for a certain way of doing it.

Although outdated 'etiquette' dictates a right and a wrong way of holding cutlery, I really think it's all down to the individual and how they feel most comfortable. If anyone insists that somebody should hold their knife in their right hand, how does that pan out for left-handed people? Just carry on using your knife and fork in the way that you are most comfortable, and maybe tell these people who criticise you that if such is all they can find to worry about in the world, maybe their lives are too charmed?

Its true. Don't matter if your eating manner is wrong or right. But there are eating etiquette. These eating etiquette is important wherein you can use this when you are socializing with other people. When your at home, don't mind really if your eating way is wrong. Just eat. Unless if your graded, eat nicely and do the right way.

When you are eating with friends or family, I would say eat how you want, with your hands or with only your spoon/knife/fork. But when you are eating with 'wealthy' people like rich families or eating at a restaurant it it approiate to eat with the rules of eating. Knife in the right hand and Fork in the left hand.

It all depends where you are. If you are at home, then I would suggest it doesn't really matter but if you are eating out at an expensive restaurant,(say), then it does. The correct (or conventional), method if you will, is that the knife should be in your right hand and the fork in your left. I am left-handed and so would hold a spoon, (for soup or pudding), in my left hand but the majority of people would use their right hand for this.

In my country, we normally eat using a spoon and a fork. In some big restaurants where they serve steaks, they provide the knife. However, there will always be that spoon present. Nowadays, restaurants even provide chopsticks because of the big number of Japanese and Chinese visitors and guests. Does the cutlery really matter? Maybe it does for those who look at it that way while for some they can enjoy eating even with the bare hands.