The Double Hook Grip
- August 21, 2021
Double Hook is a chopstick grip halfway between Idling Thumb (for extension) and Chicken Claws (for compression).
The Hook n Clamp Grip
- August 10, 2021
The Hook n Clamp chopstick grip uses the index finger to pry chopsticks open, and the middle finger to clamp chopsticks shut.
The Double Tripod Grip
- May 27, 2021
Double Tripod is a variant of Standard Grip where the bottom chopstick too is supported by a tripod of three fingers.
The Lateral Chick Grip
- May 24, 2021
Lateral Chick is the bridge connecting all Lateral grips to Chicken Claws, and thus the rest of the family tree of chopstick grips.
The Lateral Thumb Wrestler Grip
- May 22, 2021
Lateral Thumb Wrestler is an underswing variant of Lateral chopstick grips, where the thumb operates the top chopstick as if thumb-wrestling.
The Lateral Money Grip
- May 19, 2021
Lateral Money is a sideway-swing variant of Lateral chopstick grips, with a money-gesture-like index and thumb movement.
The Lateral Gangnam Style Grip
- May 16, 2021
Lateral Gangnam Style is a variant take on Lateral Turncoat, where thumb and index finger dance a la horse-ride move, from Gangnam Style.
The Lateral Squid Grip
- May 15, 2021
Lateral Squid is a Lateral Classic variant where five fingers pulse like a squid, when extending chopstick apart.
The Lateral Turncoat Grip
- May 9, 2021
Lateral Turncoat is a special variant of Lateral Classic, where the thumb tip engages in chopsticking, unlike the rest of the Lateral family.
Lateral Classic grips
- May 9, 2021
Lateral Classic are chopstick grips with a "classic" swing in the Lateral family, featuring Lateral Chick, Lateral Squid, and Lateral Gangnam Style.
Lateral chopstick grips
- May 8, 2021
Lateral grips form the largest family in all chopstick grips. All variants share a common compression posture named after its namesake penhold.
The Italian Grip
- January 24, 2021
Italian Grip is a cross between Cupped Vulcan and Scissorhand, named after the Italian hand gesture for "what is it that you want ?!"
The Cupped Vulcan Grip
- January 17, 2021
Cupped Vulcan is an under-swing chopstick grip that resembles a cupped hand. It expands Vulcan and Scissorhand into an intricate machinery.
The Equal Opportunity Grip
- January 13, 2021
Equal Opportunity grip allocates two fingers for each chopstick, with the thumb spending equal attention on both chopstick.
The Middle Path Grip
- January 7, 2021
Middle Path grip is related to Beetle Mandibles, except that chopsticks are placed around the middle finger, instead of the index finger
Ten thousand ways to use chopsticks
- December 27, 2020
How many different ways do people use chopsticks to pick up food? Here's your pictorial map to ten thousand grips.
The Turncoat Grip
- April 11, 2020
Turncoat Grip is the diametric opposite of Forsaken Pinky. It appears to hold chopsticks just like the Flexible Middle variant of Finger Pistol grip.
The Finger Pistol Grip
- March 25, 2020
Finger Pistol is an alternative chopstick grip named after the hand gesture "finger pistol". It has two common variants: Shadow Rabbit and Flexed Middle.
The Count-to-kehkuh Grip
- March 18, 2020
Count-to-kehkuh is a cross between the Count-to-4 grip (a curled thumb) and the Vulcan Grip (bottom chopstick supported by pulp of the ring finger).
The Count-to-4 Grip
- March 14, 2020
The Count-to-4 grip is a variation of Standard Grip, where the tip segment of the thumb bends inward, instead of extending flat to secure both chopsticks.
The Righthand Rule Grip
- February 22, 2020
The Righthand Rule grip is named after the right-hand rule used in mathematics and physics, for its semblance to the the axes of the rule.
The Forsaken Pinky Grip
- February 22, 2020
The Forsaken Pinky grip is named after the lone pinky finger, which is left to its own devices by the rest of fingers, to man the bottom chopstick alone.
The Beetle Mandibles Grip
- February 15, 2020
Beetle Mandibles is an alternative chopstick grip where chopstick movements resemble a Giant Stag Beetle maneuvering its long mandibles.
The Scissorhand Grip
- February 6, 2020
Scissorhand Grip inherits from its parent Chicken Claws the blatant disregard of the thumb, and further deviates by crossing top chopstick below the other.
The Muppet Grip
- February 1, 2020
The Muppet Grip is a variant of Dangling Stick, and thus inherits the same issues including lack of leverage, plus rear-end collisions.
The Dangling Stick Grip
- February 1, 2020
Dangling Stick inherits from its parent Chicken Claws the blatant disregard of the thumb, and further deviates by leaving the bottom chopstick dangling.
The Dino Claws Grip
- February 1, 2020
Dino Claws derives from Chicken Claws, further deviating from Standard Grip by relieving index finger of its duty, leaving only 2 fingers operating chopsticks.
Weak Standard Grip
- January 5, 2020
A Weak Standard Grip looks exactly like Standard Grip under light load, but becomes inefficient under heavier load, due to neglected key principles.
The Chicken Claws Grip
- January 1, 2020
The Chicken Claws Grip is an exaggerated variant of the Idling Thumb grip, with wider chopstick reach and power, plus a menacing look.
The Vulcan Grip
- January 1, 2020
The Vulcan Grip is a closely-related variant of the standard chopstick grip - pulp of index/middle fingers are used instead of distal knuckles.
The Idling Thumb Grip
- December 30, 2019
The Idling Thumb Grip is a closely-related variant of the standard chopstick grip - the thumb loiters around doing nothing useful to help the top chopstick.
The Standard Grip
- December 30, 2019
Of all alternative ways to grip a pair of chopsticks, only the standard grip works well. Here we reveal the truth about it that the world has not known before.
Why won't tips of chopsticks pinch together with Standard Grip?
- May 14, 2022
This is a first article in a new series called "Why Can't I Chopstick". Beginner chopstick practitioners often run into a common problem: they are unable to bring chopstick tips to meet - they swing past each other.
Classification of Chopstick Grips
- August 8, 2021
We classify chopstick grips by finger placement and finger movement, for each combination of top/bottom chopsticks and open/closed postures.
The Art and Science of Chopsticking
- January 23, 2021
A retrospective on two years of research that attempts to explain the art of wielding two sticks with power, dexterity and finesse.
Caswellian thumb and chopsticks
- January 9, 2021
To use chopsticks with the Standard Grip, a flattened, unnatural thumb pose known as Caswellian thumb is needed.
Using vs not using the Thumb
- January 6, 2021
Of myriad ways people hold chopsticks, roughly half of grips engage the tip of the thumb, while the rest do not.
Planetary gears: physics of chopsticks
- December 25, 2020
Did you know that chopsticks have more in common with planetary gears than Archimedean levers? Discover the real physics of chopsticks.
Hold Chopsticks like a Pen
- March 21, 2020
Countless chopstick wrappers advice learners to "hold chopsticks like a pen". Here we explore the correlation between pen grips and chopstick grips.
Out with the Crossed Type, in with the Under Swing
- March 1, 2020
We dispel the false dichotomy of "crossed" vs "parallel" - an outdated way to classify chopstick grips. We propose Under Swing and Sideway Swing instead.
History of Chopstick Research
- January 13, 2020
What did people know about the physics of chopsticks, before planetary gear train was revealed as the key driver, instead of the third-class lever?
Family Tree of Alternative Grips
- January 8, 2020
Here you'll find the most comprehensive family tree of different ways to hold chopsticks, classified by their relatedness to the Standard Grip.
Learn to Use Chopsticks
- December 31, 2019
People used chopsticks for thousands of years. But no one had taught the twirling of chopsticks by principles of the planetary gear train, until now.
The Standard Grip
- December 30, 2019
Of all alternative ways to grip a pair of chopsticks, only the standard grip works well. Here we reveal the truth about it that the world has not known before.
Model B: Chopstick Buddies
- March 27, 2021
Chopstick Buddies are attachments to a chopstick. They fix a severe thumb pose issue, allowing beginners and lifelong users to learn the Standard Grip for the first time.
Best Learning Chopsticks
- December 20, 2020
We surveyed the best learning chopsticks you can buy online, or print for free on your 3D-printer. We classified them into 6 types.
Model E: Ergonomic Marcosticks
- November 28, 2020
Low-profile ergonomic nuggets on plain chopsticks provide subtle tactile feedback to guide intermediate learners.
Model H: Finger Helpers
- November 28, 2020
Finger helper bars mounted on Training Marcosticks model T to allow a bent thumb to secure the bottom chopstick.
Model A: Advanced Marcosticks
- November 28, 2020
Advance users need no training aids. Just use what Marco presented to Kublai Khan. Aye, they are plain chopsticks.
Model T: Training Marcosticks
- November 28, 2020
Beginner training marcosticks with articulated top chopstick that rotates and extends, following the Standard Grip motion.
Training Marcosticks That Work
- November 25, 2020
People have been making learner chopsticks for 2,000 years. But none taught the Standard Grip, until now. See training marcosticks that work.
Chopstick team of your favorite TWICE idol?
Chopstick Buddies
Chopsticks are not third-class levers
One is not like the others
Standard Grip
Training marcosticks that work
Six types of learning chopsticks
Post-print processing
State of patent applications as of Jan 2022
- January 30, 2022
As of Jan 2022, we have filed 3 US utility applications, and 2 US design applications on various training chopsticks. The two design patents have been granted. The first utility application has been granted and issued. The second utility application has been allowed, and will be issued in Feb 2022. The third utility application has not yet been examined.
(clickable catalogs) 19 Common Chopstick Grips
- June 18, 2021
19 common chopstick grips are illustrated in this clickable catalog. Go ahead. Click on any grip thumbnail to read about it in details.
marcosticks.org in Chinese
- February 20, 2021
The Chinese version of marcosticks.org has launched: 馬可筷.org. Over time all English materials will become available in Chinese as well.
(posters) Ten thousand ways to use chopsticks
- January 6, 2021
See the first twelve of ten thousand ways to use chopsticks illustrated in this pretty picture.
Contributing to Wikimedia Commons
- December 29, 2020
Marcosticks.org contributes to Wikimedia Commons select images, videos and 3D models which can be better and more widely shared via Commons.
Printing COVID-19 Face Shields
- April 10, 2020
Printing Face Shields to aid COVID-19 frontline heroes. We printed 3dverkstran's head bands for Maker Response Hub mission #16.
We started printing
- January 20, 2020
As hinted in our Mark-and-Go license agreement, we intend to make patent-pending ergonomic and training…
Marcosticks website has been launched
- August 16, 2019
The post marks the official launch of marcosticks.org, an organization dedicated to bringing our vision of #utensilequality to fruition.