Bigbuck, I think that a good pointed knife is fine. It cuts the heavy stuff as well as sneeks under the rosette of the antler so you get the true cape edge. Some guys use a screwdriver to pry the skin away from the antler base, but Im in too much of a hurry to switch from the knife. Fresh or cold the cape comes off about the same, in my opinion. I wish I had a video camera, Id love to tape the process to help guys out. It takes me about 15 minutes to cape one of Im daydreaming, and the fastest I ever did was about 5 minutes racing with a friend. I still havent found my one finger tip though. (just joking) Good luck!