Skinning Knife

A skinning knife, comprising:

• a handle having a forward portion;
• a retractable skinning blade disposed at the forward portion of the handle, the skinning blade having a tip and a downwardly-directed cutting edge;
• a spreading member fixedly attached to the forward portion of the handle for spreading apart two portions of a first material, the spreading member having a forwardly convex surface for engaging and spreading the two portions of material;
• and an actuation mechanism for selectively advancing the skinning blade to a forward position that exposes the tip of the skinning blade in front of the spreading member, and retracting the skinning blade behind the spreading member to a rearward position that hides the tip of the skinning blade.

A skinning knife, comprising:

• a handle, having a forward portion, a grip portion disposed behind said forward portion, an upper portion and a lower portion;
• a slitting blade disposed at said forward portion and having an upwardly- and forwardly-directed cutting edge so as to cut material encountered as the knife is thrust forwardly;
• a first spreading member disposed at the forward most position of said forward portion so as to spread apart two portions of a first material that have been separated by said slitting blade as the knife is thrust forwardly, said spreading member having a three-dimensional forwardly convex surface for engaging and spreading said two portions of material;
• a retractable punch blade disposed at least partially in said forward portion beneath said slitting blade for opening a hole in said first material when said knife is thrust forwardly, said punch blade having a forward end and a rearward end, said forward end having a cutting edge, said first material spreading member having a slot therein for receiving said punch blade, and said handle having a punch blade actuation mechanism comprising a spring-loaded thumb tab and a channel having forward and rearward latched positions, said actuation mechanism selectively moving said punch blade forwardly through said slot in said first spreading member and in front thereof and moving said punch blade rearwardly through said slot so as not to protrude forwardly beyond said forwardly convex surface of said first spreading member;
• and
• a skinning blade disposed below said lower portion of said handle for removing said first material from a second material to which it is attached, wherein said skinning blade has an arcuate, convex, downwardly directed cutting edge.

A skinning knife, comprising:

• a handle;
• a convex blade having a downwardly-directed cutting edge, a blade length, and a tip;
• and
• a fixedly attached spreading member disposed at the tip of the blade so as to spread apart two portions of material, the spreading member having a forwardly convex surface for engaging and spreading said two portions of material.