Secret Hanshake of the FreemasonThe grip of the handshake of the apprentice has meaning as well. He must press his thumb against the joint of the first knuckle of the mason he is greeting, and this is reciprocated by that Mason as well. This grip is called Boaz. It partakes in one of the initiation or rituals that the Masons are said to conduct.
There are many other variations and meanings to other handshakes as was mentioned in accordance to the varying degrees within the Fraternity. As with many things that the Masons do, it would seem that it is of a symbolic nature depicting the responsibilities of the Mason instigating the handshake at the time. It would seem that these gestures could be recognized by a fellow Mason. There has been speculation that some of the current world leaders have used these handshakes on occasion in public where it has been picked up by the media. Being as some of the symbolizing that is used could be innocently used in common society gestures it would be difficult to reach this particular conclusion.