Ulus--Traditional Knives of the North

[Schwert]

My wife and I just returned from a trip to Alaska. I spent my walking around time looking for a locally made Ulu....in the midst of the piles of imported tourist Ulus I was able to find two locally made products...made to be used.

We flew to Juneau Alaska and then took a small boat (54 passengers) back South to Seattle over the next 11 days. We stopped in several SE Alaska towns and wandered around....sometimes in the midst of thousands from the large tour boats, but mostly a bit off the beaten path to local sights, speciality shops, museums and galleries.



This image is a bit soft, taken in our cabin with low light and in a mild swell.

In the midst of most of the tourist stuff offered there are a few places that pride themselves on selling Alaska made products. These Ulus are Alaska Made but obviously still made for the tourist market. The large Bristol Bay pattern was made by Maynard Linder in Homer AK and the small Sewing Ulu was made by Mike Moore in Soldotna AK. The large has a Caribou antler handle and the small a Moose Antler handle. The large is a real nice knife with a very thin, old, flexible handsaw blade with a convex edge. The small is less flexible and softer handsaw steel, it has a conventional ground edge.

That is a Yupik sealskin finger thimble, which is perfect for use with the sewing Ulu.

I have been using the Bristol Bay in the kitchen for the past week and it really is a handy design for food prep. Not just rocking chopping but for slicing meats, fish, vegetables and even bread. Now I am interested in learning more about the design of the various traditional Ulu shapes.

Great trip and a nice couple of useful tools too.

 

[Hoodoo]

Very nice Schwert! Beautiful!

 

[Andy]

I'd guess they are very good to use with big thick gloves on.

What do they use when they need a point?

 

[Schwert]

Ulus come in several different shapes, some with points and some without. I have yet to discover completely why the shapes vary so widely but have some commonality across the Arctic peoples.

Before metals were available, slate and shell Ulus were used so I expect that some of the traditional shapes were based upon the available original materials and these were transfered to metals when they became available.

Ulus are Women's knives, food prep, hide prep, and sewing with some of the designs probably modified for the foods and materials worked. High fish diets, vs high seal diets seem to have resulted in the fairly large differences between something like the Fish River and Nunivak patterns.

Here are some other designs....I am thinking I need a Fish River pattern next.

I just ordered an 1891 report on the Smithsonian collections of Ulus which includes 21 plates....I am hoping this work has some detail on the various patterns. Traditional peoples tools always interest me.

 

[Schwert]

I figured I needed another example of an Ulu with a different configuration.

It arrived today, just one day after the Dale Chudzinski B&T/Utility rolled in. I had them both sitting on my desk today and the more I looked at them the more I realized what a perfect pair they make. Both are in very thin steel, both with convex edges, both comfortable and sure in the hand, both drawing on tradition and time tested patterns, and both perfectly suited for many kitchen tasks.



My wife is going to kill me when she sees this new Ulu, but I can use the old "I have had this one for a long time" line for Dale's knife....that sometimes works.

Dale Chudzinski is the maker of my Nessmuk pattern and a few other smaller knives. He works in a traditional manner in a charcoal fired forge. This one was done in 15N20 with Osage Orange handle.

This is another of Maynard Linder's Ulus an 8", slightly asymetrical Fish River pattern that I ordered from a store in Ketchikan Alaska. Saw steel blade and caribou handle.

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

I was in Anchorage in 1973 and surendipity walked past a new company www.theulufactory.com literally just opening. I bought one of the very first ulus. These people are responsible for popularising a nearly forgotten design and giving additional income to all the custom makers. There are lots of cheap imported counterfeits of the Factorys fine using ulus. www.ulumaker.com makes various traditional patterns with a brief explanation of their use.

 

[Marts]

If anyone's looking there are a bunch of Maynard Linder's Ulus and knives for sale HERE

I particularly like the Ancient Nunivak Ulu handle design

 

[bothyman]

If anyone's looking there are a bunch of Maynard Linder's Ulus and knives for sale HERE
I particularly like the Ancient Nunivak Ulu handle design

I like those very nice.
Thats the style I like sort of used looking.
Where do I get one???.

 

[Goose]

Dont let the doctors see them!
They may become the kitchen knives of the future!

 

[Schwert]

Marts, that is the place I ordered the Fish River.

I bought my Bristol Bay in Haines Alaska. I was so pleased with it I wanted another pattern and Maynard seems not to have a web site only phone and mail.

Blue Heron was the only place I could find listing his Ulu's for sale...good service and fast email response, but I think a fairly limited stock on hand.

I am going to write Maynard Linder a letter as I think I am going to want a Canadian pattern and one of his sewing Ulus.

Chris's link to the UluMaker is to Mike Moore's site...the maker of my sewing ulu. I found his work more commonly available in Alaska and his steel softer but again some nice work.