Our instructions for cutting a pumpkin in half work well if you have a good chef's knife and a lot of patience. It also only really works with very small pumpkins. What if your pumpkin is a little larger, or your knife isn't so good?
If you are planning on using your pumpkin for pies and seeds (nothing decorative) you can also start by baking it whole for about 30 minutes at 300ºF. The inner steam will start cooking the flesh and softening the rind.
This is normally what I do since my skin turns brown and peels from contact with all summer and winter squash. Once it's cooked, I can handle it.
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