To sign "knife," form both hands into "1" handshapes with your index fingers extended and the rest of your fingers curled. Hold your non-dominant index finger pointing forward and slightly across your body. Then, slide the side of your dominant index finger down and off the non-dominant index finger, mimicking the motion of whittling wood.
Sign "knife" by sliding your dominant index finger off the non-dominant one, then follow up with the signs for "cut" and "vegetables" to complete the thought.
After signing "knife," you can emphasize the sharpness of the blade by signing "sharp" with a quick, crisp movement off your non-dominant hand.
Sign "please," then "knife," followed by the signs for "put" and "drawer" to clearly indicate where the utensil belongs in the kitchen.
Sign "knife" by sliding your dominant index finger off the non-dominant one, then follow up with the signs for "cut" and "vegetables" to complete the thought.
After signing "knife," you can emphasize the sharpness of the blade by signing "sharp" with a quick, crisp movement off your non-dominant hand.
Sign "please," then "knife," followed by the signs for "put" and "drawer" to clearly indicate where the utensil belongs in the kitchen.
Yes, your dominant hand should be the one moving and acting as the "knife." Your non-dominant hand stays still to act as the base or the piece of wood being carved.
Typically, you slide your dominant finger off the non-dominant finger two or three times in quick succession. A single, larger movement might look more like a verb meaning 'to cut' rather than the noun 'knife.'
While some signers might use an 'H' handshape (two fingers) for similar concepts or regional variations, the standard and most clearly understood sign for "knife" uses the "1" handshape with just the index fingers extended, as shown here.
