Flaying Knife
A flaying knife, also called a skinning knife, hide knife, or leather knife, is a specially designed variant on the personal knife, the primary feature of which is a short, wide blade with a deep cutting area that can be decorated, although not very ornately.
The flaying knife serves two purposes: The skinning and processing of game during Hunting Season, as the initial step in the processing of leather; and the ritual execution of those people who have committed egregious crimes against children (called pašei with appropriate foaming at the mouth). Thankfully the latter use does not crop up as much as it once may have, and the last such execution to date was in 2273.
Item type
Tool
Subtype / Model
Manufacturer
Related Technologies
Owning Organization
Dimensions
7 - 18 cm
Raw materials & Components
The ideal material for the blade is steel for its durability and light weight. The handle allows for a little more variation, although bone is the favorite material here, with wood being a fairly distant second.
I really like that the knife is used in a specific execution. That's a really interesting cultural detail.
It's something I've been hanging onto for a while but I wondered if it was "too dark"...