A dehider includes an elongated handle having side-by-side circular disks, one of which is stationary and the other is rotary. A pinion gear is power-driven to rotate the rotary disk.

A skinning knife includes a handle, a blade carrier coupled to the handle, the blade carrier including a mount having a mounting surface, a boss extending outward from the mounting surface, and a spring including a front portion, a middle portion, and a rear portion, the front portion secured to the mount, the middle portion bent outward from the front portion and the rear portion, and the rear portion including a free end of the spring movable relative to the mount, and a blade including a sharpened edge, a body, a slot formed through the body, and the slot includes a narrow portion and a wide portion, The blade is releasably secured to the blade carrier by interaction between the boss and the spring of the blade carrier and the slot of the blade.

A field dressing tool is a hatchet shaped tool having a U-shaped cutting tool opposite the hatchet blade. The interior of the U-shaped cutting tool has sharp edge to facilitate cutting of bone. The sharpened edge may extend to form a hook. The handle may include a stem that extends from the head and a gripping portion encircling a portion of the stem that facilitates grabbing and manipulating the handle.

A shaping or cutting machine, especially a skinner, at which an operator hand-feeds material to be cut or shaped toward a blade. Hand proximity detection devices are provided for operator safety; machine-vision across a surveilled volume before the blade, and conduction sensing devices. The blade is mounted on a rapidly retractable frame. Power from release of a spring physically moves the blade to a safe position if a hand is sensed. A gripping roller is driven by a rapidly stoppable motor.