This paper proposes an IR (infrared) LED (Light Emitting Diode)-based tactile fingertip sensor that can independently measure the normal and tangential force between the hand and an object. The proposed IR LED-based tactile sensor has several advantages over other technologies, including a low price, small size, and good sensitivity. The design of the first prototype is described and some experiments are conducted to show output characteristics of the proposed sensor. Furthemore, the effectiveness of the proposed sensor is demonstrated through anti-slip control in a multifunction myoelectric hand, called the KNU Hand, which includes several novel mechanisms for improved grasping capabilities. The experimental results show that slippage was avoided by simple force control using feedback on the normal and tangential force from the proposed sensor. Thus, grasping force control was achieved without any slippage or damage to the object.