Where the Russian chokes on the peanut and Gracie saves him, he grabs the knife and holds it to her neck. But, if you look closely, the knife blade is held away from her neck instead of toward her neck.
Maybe they didn't want to chance Sandra getting cut, and how would the guy know whether or not he has the knife pointing the right way, he just grabbed it and held it on her!
Well if the blade was turned away, all he really had to do was turn the knife upwards and it would cut her, it would be a little higher than her throat but it would still work.