You can find precut kabocha squash at Indian/Asian/Hispanic stores. And the cubed butternut at most grocery stores.

Check indian stores.

Substitute butternut -- easier to peel/cut and you'll never know the difference.

You can't use canned? Use squash.

Maybe use butternut squash instead - that is often sold peeled and cubed.

I've never seen presliced pumpkins - most recipes don't call for it in that form so I doubt stores have enough demand for it. Keep in mind that cooking pumpkins are usually the smaller sugar pie pumpkins so you may have less trouble cutting them.

Long term, investing in one good chefs knife is a good thing. It should last forever and I can't imaging cooking at all without at least one decent knife.

Im not much of cook and don't have a set of really good knives so slicing a pumpkin myself is next to impossble. Does anyone know of a store in DC that sells pre-sliced pumpkin? I need for a recipe I am daring to try on my own.