cheap ulu
- Thread starter greenshooots
- Start date
The simple edge of an Ulu must be an invention from the flint Paleo/Neolithic Age.
There was no such thing as a Bronze Age among the Inuit and Aleut. From stone to iron.
Of course, that stone certainly could have included obsidian volcanic glasses.
Probably first iron from rubbish flowing east on the Japan Current as their crap does even today.
Main things are to buy them and explore their usage.
Not just for 2 minutes. Every day for months to get a feel for it.
As Tom describes, cut everything with it. The Inuit did.
I did that with cleavers, gradually buying smaller ones which I find to be far more practical.
I have taken to blunt sharpening the ends of the cleaver blades to use as scrapers and scoops.
That doesn't compromise my good cutting edges.
There was no such thing as a Bronze Age among the Inuit and Aleut. From stone to iron.
Of course, that stone certainly could have included obsidian volcanic glasses.
Probably first iron from rubbish flowing east on the Japan Current as their crap does even today.
Main things are to buy them and explore their usage.
Not just for 2 minutes. Every day for months to get a feel for it.
As Tom describes, cut everything with it. The Inuit did.
I did that with cleavers, gradually buying smaller ones which I find to be far more practical.
I have taken to blunt sharpening the ends of the cleaver blades to use as scrapers and scoops.
That doesn't compromise my good cutting edges.
I think humans have been experimenting with edge shapes since Adam had to leave Paradise.
The semi circular edge on an Mezzalunga/Ulu needs a rotation of the wrist and push/pull to work well. It does.
When I started cooking I used short knives, and had to do a lot of 'pulling through".
Gradually I went over to long, slim blades.
Now with my Japanese blades I only to one pull per cut.
I wish they came with the current over the seas. But a Japanese company and their Us partner did a good job too!
The semi circular edge on an Mezzalunga/Ulu needs a rotation of the wrist and push/pull to work well. It does.
When I started cooking I used short knives, and had to do a lot of 'pulling through".
Gradually I went over to long, slim blades.
Now with my Japanese blades I only to one pull per cut.
I wish they came with the current over the seas. But a Japanese company and their Us partner did a good job too!
Cleavers can function as long blades. Functionally, an Ulu isn't meant to do that kind of a task.
That's why the very best fish-filleting knives we made were from hacksaw blades, shaped on stones.
Travelling for hours in a freighter canoe, you need something to do. Sharpening was always left as a canoe task.
Just a couple of years ago, I was gifted a dozen "first strike" flint blades, finger length and shorter.
There is no steel which sharpens to a molecular edge like flint. They are amazing meat cutters.
That's why the very best fish-filleting knives we made were from hacksaw blades, shaped on stones.
Travelling for hours in a freighter canoe, you need something to do. Sharpening was always left as a canoe task.
Just a couple of years ago, I was gifted a dozen "first strike" flint blades, finger length and shorter.
There is no steel which sharpens to a molecular edge like flint. They are amazing meat cutters.
Thanks for the heads up. Picked one up today to use for.... chopping herbs to start with and might have a play with it later. Hopefully I'll not be building an igloo with it this winter.
Inuit have more than 20 different words for snow to describe the qualities.
Us honky white people don't use more than maybe 6 or 8, some just to do with slab avalanche conditions.
I do see one snowdrift every winter, maybe 6' high at the crest, that I can walk on and hardly leave a boot mark.
If I borrowed from 2 other drifts just as hard, I could build maybe 8' in diameter at the base.
Igloo is a house. Igloolik is a snow house and the kudlik or quilliq is your soapstone lamp/stove/cooker/heater.
You do your food prep with the Ulu. There is no wood at all.
Next, lacking any suitable whale ribs in your front garden, you make a snow knife from a crappy old handsaw blade.
About a 16" blade in a bone handle, maybe 2 squar-ish teeth per inch.
Search UBC/MOA online collection and look at the carved/decorated rib snow knives.
Us honky white people don't use more than maybe 6 or 8, some just to do with slab avalanche conditions.
I do see one snowdrift every winter, maybe 6' high at the crest, that I can walk on and hardly leave a boot mark.
If I borrowed from 2 other drifts just as hard, I could build maybe 8' in diameter at the base.
Igloo is a house. Igloolik is a snow house and the kudlik or quilliq is your soapstone lamp/stove/cooker/heater.
You do your food prep with the Ulu. There is no wood at all.
Next, lacking any suitable whale ribs in your front garden, you make a snow knife from a crappy old handsaw blade.
About a 16" blade in a bone handle, maybe 2 squar-ish teeth per inch.
Search UBC/MOA online collection and look at the carved/decorated rib snow knives.
I had many different words for the snow I had to shovel off my drive way every morning wintertime in Sweden.
And more juicy words for the road clearing guys that used to push a wall of compacted snow up on the pavement outside the drive!
And more juicy words for the road clearing guys that used to push a wall of compacted snow up on the pavement outside the drive!
Mezzaluna ? you mean a hachoir ?
Curved blade with two handles used to mince herbs. Mine has two parallel blades.
In archaeology the first 'ulu' style blades appear to be made from slate. Surprisingly good edge that can be made on good hard fine quality slate.
Good find, Greenshoots
Curved blade with two handles used to mince herbs. Mine has two parallel blades.
In archaeology the first 'ulu' style blades appear to be made from slate. Surprisingly good edge that can be made on good hard fine quality slate.
Good find, Greenshoots
Yes, they mean a hachoir - there's nothing new in the world
Le hachoir a été inventé dans le milieu du XIXe siècle par Karl Drais
Le hachoir a été inventé dans le milieu du XIXe siècle par Karl Drais
My herb scissors have 5 sets of blades. Many names for similar tools.
In plain Canuckese, the 'thing' is a pizza cutter.
In plain Canuckese, the 'thing' is a pizza cutter.
Stuarts sell a hachoir that's a long curve for cutting pizzas.
https://www.ajstuarts.com/shop/category/0187/hachoir-chopping-knives?s=1
I know that fishermen use the multi bladed scissors for cutting bait. Never thought to use them for herbs.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avalon-Multi-Cut-Bait-Scissors-Blade/dp/B072LWQZYK
https://www.ajstuarts.com/shop/category/0187/hachoir-chopping-knives?s=1
I know that fishermen use the multi bladed scissors for cutting bait. Never thought to use them for herbs.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avalon-Multi-Cut-Bait-Scissors-Blade/dp/B072LWQZYK
I'll stick with one of my little cleavers for the fine dice.
The herb scissors are really messy to work with.
I bought a good pizza wheel.= changed out the axle and did a good job of sharpening it.
I'll try to remember to take pictures as I cut up the 10" saw blades for Ulu.
I'd like to fool with two very different sizes.
When you look through the online colloection at UBC/MOA,
the variety should give anybody the confidence to build them.
Cut off top lid from a big food can was one!
The herb scissors are really messy to work with.
I bought a good pizza wheel.= changed out the axle and did a good job of sharpening it.
I'll try to remember to take pictures as I cut up the 10" saw blades for Ulu.
I'd like to fool with two very different sizes.
When you look through the online colloection at UBC/MOA,
the variety should give anybody the confidence to build them.
Cut off top lid from a big food can was one!
Yes, they mean a hachoir - there's nothing new in the world
Le hachoir a été inventé dans le milieu du XIXe siècle par Karl Drais
Er war ein Deutscher.... geboren in Karlsruhe...
So kein ‘hachoir’. Kräuter schneider!
crosslandkelly: Wonderful, wonderful example of a functional Umialik (2 legs). Very traditional handle as well.
The simple design is the Ulu, which is what I'll try first to make.
Reminds me to get onions from the cold room!
The simple design is the Ulu, which is what I'll try first to make.
Reminds me to get onions from the cold room!
I did a handle almost identical on my one -legged onr yo yours!
I used reindeer antler, but as the piece was a tad short in my liking I ’capped’ both ends with a local deep brown hardwood.
I used reindeer antler, but as the piece was a tad short in my liking I ’capped’ both ends with a local deep brown hardwood.
Similar threads
