ulu
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Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Ulus are an all around knife, used for skinning, and cutting up meat. That one looks like its made for display only as the handle would be uncomfortable but it does look cool. The ones I make are for useing and looks.
I use an ulu style knife for chopping herbs and vegetables. I also used one for scraping off all the gunk on the back of a deerskin before I tanned it. If it's kept razor sharp it cuts out leather and bark very neatly too.
Mine are no where near as *posh* as the two examples shown, they're just blades with simple wooden handles.
Cheers,
Toddy
Mine are no where near as *posh* as the two examples shown, they're just blades with simple wooden handles.
Cheers,
Toddy
My son gave my wife an Ulu a few years ago and it has become one of the most used knives in our kitchen and camping kit. The Ulu is associated mostly with the Inuit (Eskimo) women as a indespensible tool, but is gaining great acceptance by all who use it. The Ulu if you look at it's method of use is a modern application of the first palm held "flint/stone/obsidian" knives, it is traditional and easy to use especialy on the wrist, I am having a custom one made for my wife that is a slight different pattern than the one she has presently, just to make it easy for her to hold using a single stem in the Canadian Inuit style. Give it a try and you will be amazed.
would you say it can be used as a bush knife?ie the only blade need to be carried along with a hatchet,and how much are the ones you make?and also how are they carried ie do they have a sheath that can be worn on the belt?....thanks...firemaker said:Ulus are an all around knife, used for skinning, and cutting up meat. That one looks like its made for display only as the handle would be uncomfortable but it does look cool. The ones I make are for useing and looks.
W
WNZer
Guest
I made one of those form a lid off of a tin can, worked well even though it was a bit of tin. I took the lid from a tin of pineapple because it was bigger and seemed better metal, then split a thick peice of branch and and put the tin lid in the middle so it look the letter 'P', I hope that makes sense, 
then I got coat hanger wire and twisted it around the wood then twisted it off in a vice on both sides of the tin. I got the idea from when I read on a website that Eskimos used to do that to make them.
then I got coat hanger wire and twisted it around the wood then twisted it off in a vice on both sides of the tin. I got the idea from when I read on a website that Eskimos used to do that to make them.
W
WNZer
Guest
I have 3 ulu's right now. Pictures of mine can be found in this thread:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=6311&highlight=maynard
I would not probably carry these as a field knife but as a camp tool I would use it in preference to many of my other kitchen knives.
The large Fish River I have made by Maynard Linder is my hands down favorite kitchen knife. I use it for everything.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=6311&highlight=maynard
I would not probably carry these as a field knife but as a camp tool I would use it in preference to many of my other kitchen knives.
The large Fish River I have made by Maynard Linder is my hands down favorite kitchen knife. I use it for everything.
Several months ago Darrel Aune made an ulu for me from a paper pattern. This past weekend I put a moose antler handle on it. Now I cant wait to skin something with it.
That is a very nice pattern. I much prefer this Fish River profile over my Bristol Bay.
Mine has Caribou antler.
These are great tools. Darrel did a great job on that one and the moose looks just right too.
Mine has Caribou antler.
These are great tools. Darrel did a great job on that one and the moose looks just right too.
Its simply amazing how our thoughts run in similar directions. In addition to the kukri, the ulu has been a long time favorite of mine.
Well you got me on the kukri. I have not ventured down that path.
The ulu has always been on my list of knives to try and our trip to Alaska last Spring made it a possibility. I figured it may end up an interesting knife with great historical value but limited use potential. Since I have yet to butcher a seal or process hundreds of salmon at a time I figured I would use this knife in the kitchen for a few things and that it would probably end up laying the the drawer.
Well that just did not happen. The first pattern I bought, the Bristol Bay felt great in the shop and I appreciated the aged caribou and old steel, but it just did not completely work in my hands in the kitchen. I used it enough to get a good feel for the potential and decided that the Fish River pattern would really shine. I was not at all dissapointed in that. This pattern seems to be ideal for my kitchen...from slicing bread, cheese, meats to chopping garlic or preping vegetables this is my first choice tool. My chef knives have not seen much time since this one arrived.
Here it is again with a few more miles on it.
The little sewing ulu is also perfect for leatherwork. I started a moccasin repair project (quite a while ago...still undone however) and found it ideal for cutting out the leather and for the various sewing aspects.
My long delayed repairs.....
The sad things:
Native tools generally have a very good reason for their existance...an Ulu definately does.
Now about those kukri's
The ulu has always been on my list of knives to try and our trip to Alaska last Spring made it a possibility. I figured it may end up an interesting knife with great historical value but limited use potential. Since I have yet to butcher a seal or process hundreds of salmon at a time I figured I would use this knife in the kitchen for a few things and that it would probably end up laying the the drawer.
Well that just did not happen. The first pattern I bought, the Bristol Bay felt great in the shop and I appreciated the aged caribou and old steel, but it just did not completely work in my hands in the kitchen. I used it enough to get a good feel for the potential and decided that the Fish River pattern would really shine. I was not at all dissapointed in that. This pattern seems to be ideal for my kitchen...from slicing bread, cheese, meats to chopping garlic or preping vegetables this is my first choice tool. My chef knives have not seen much time since this one arrived.
Here it is again with a few more miles on it.
The little sewing ulu is also perfect for leatherwork. I started a moccasin repair project (quite a while ago...still undone however) and found it ideal for cutting out the leather and for the various sewing aspects.
My long delayed repairs.....
The sad things:
Native tools generally have a very good reason for their existance...an Ulu definately does.
Now about those kukri's
