Has anyone found any use for an ULU?

7

72jroberts

Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Messages
277
From a collector's point of view, I don't have one. But I cant think of anything an Ulu could do better than a small knife with even an average belly to the blade.
Plus, all the ones I've seen are cheapo Alaskan souvenir crapsteel offerings. Im sure there are quality ones out there.......

Has anyone ever used a good one? What kind of tasks, if any, did you think they excel at?

I tried to post this on the Ulu subforum, but, OH, there isn't one, lol.

Thanks,
John
 
We bought a high quality one in Alaska. It excels at food prep, chopping veggies etc. The wife uses it regularly, and she has a nice high quality set of kitchen knives available.
 
I bought a very nice ulu from Eagle River Knife Co. when I visited Anchorage, AK.

The knife has an attractive charcoal grey, laminated handle and is very well made.
I recall that I only paid around $65 for it in 2004.

I have used it for dicing a variety of vegetables and it works well.
Takes a bit of getting used to, but I quite enjoy using it.

Greg
 
The ulu is an old Eskimo blade style. Its traditionally used by Eskimo women, for all sorts of tasks. Food prep, skinning ect. You will see it used on fish alot. There are also four different ulu styles. As far as a normal blade having the same cutting abilities, that's true. However the Ulu has the advantage that you can easily use the whole blade without your hands hitting the cutting surface, and you can easily rock it back and forth. Much like a kitchen knife where the handle gives your hand clearance above the edge.
 
Here is a very old example. The ulu's work best for continous cutting with a rocking motion over a cutting board. It lets you apply greater cutting pressure and it is easier to make use of a greater length of edge.

n2s
 

Attachments

  • bowl knife profile sm.jpg
    bowl knife profile sm.jpg
    55 KB · Views: 16
Has anyone found any use for an ULU?

Lots people for a long, long time. As has been pointed out...they are traditional Eskimo knives. In addition, mezzalunas and hachoirs are very similarly designed, widely used kitchen knives.

Not a crazy, off-the-wall design at all. In fact, you may be familiar with the ulu's cousin....

pizzacutter.jpg
 
I have been interested in the Uluchet since I read about it some years ago but have never held one, and I guess that I am so familiar with more traditional european/american designs I carry on happily having never tried an ulu.
 
A. G. Russell sells a cool Ulu-like knife from Kai and a bamboo cutting block with a curved dish for kitchen work. Haven't bought one yet, but am thinking of getting one for my sister-in-law who has the use of only one arm.

View attachment 298011
 
Harvested a bison on Kodiak with a local guide. He broke out an old ulu and started skinning with it after I'd made the initial ring cuts around the legs with my ESEE 4. It was made from an old saw and he said it was one of his favorite tools for skinning bison and bear, and also for fleshing the hides of the aforementioned. It was damned fast! I believe Dancing Man ulus are made from leftover sawmill blades. You should be able to do a Google search for them. I have a stainess ulu hafted with caribou antler my mom picked up for me while she was on an Alaskan cruise, but haven't had an opportunity to use it for anything other than chopping herbs and cutting pizza (both tasks at which it excels!).
 
I find it very handy. This is shirt-pocket sized, and used every hunting season. Saw blade, oak handle, and crudely crafted by me, it has served for over 10 years. I use a piece of automobile door trim as a blade protector.

I'm nudging Andy Roy to make a few, just to show him how quickly they would fly off his shelves. If I succeed, I got dibs on the first one. :) Great instrument with perfect function.

nessmukfortmiegshatchetandpocketulu_zps5f994217.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top