There are two ways to carve a turkey: One is graceful; the other is something no guest should have to watch. And there is one crucial tool to create the happier scenario: the right knife. It has a thin, nonserrated blade, a minimum of nine inches long, and a pointed tip so it can slice clean through leg and wing joints. (Shown here, Global's lightweight, ergonomic 10-inch Yanagi Sashimi Carving Knife, $80, Broadway Panhandler, 866-266-5927.)

Once armed, take aim at the dark meat first. (1 and 2) insert the blade between the breast and the drumstick, pushing it slightly away from the body to expose the joint; slice down. If the knife meets bone, jiggle it a bit to find the opening, then cut. Cut the drumstick from the thigh at the joint, once again avoiding the bone. Slice the meat from the thigh and arrange it on a serving platter.

(3) Make a diagonal cut above the wing so you'll have room to cut the breast meat.

(4) Slice at a slight angle until you reach the rib cage. And if it occurs to you to serve a boneless turkey breast next year — well, that's cheating.