The one I have is not especially sharp. I don’t know how it compares to a brand new one.
Meh. If you start now you’ll probably have it ready by Halloween.
Looks like the handle is too long to do that effectively, except maybe on a very large pumpkin.
I think a large serving spoon works best for this. Especially if you can find one with a serrated edge, like an oversized grapefruit spoon.
I was led to believe that yours was never used.