Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Ulu knife

I like them for skinning and fleshing a hide. I use a marbles knife to cut the moose hide from the base of the antlers down to the tail. Then it's all ulu after that for skinning.

I make them. My patterns are cut freehand from folded paper.

Now we a learning something.
I think I will make one next year, but probably use 154CM which is politically incorrect I am sure.
Klik- what is your sharpening system for the ulu??
Thanks for the cool input.
Tim

I bought one off ebay that was made from a saw blade and a piece of caribou antler for the handle. I had intentions of using it to skin a deer but when the time came, I forgot about it. Getting old ain't easy. If a person were to try to make one from an old saw blade, what would be the best way to cut it out without messing up the temper? miles

plasma cutter- then grind .040 or .050 off the edge. guys tell me you wont burn Carbon past .020.

I would be interested if you ever want to sell one.

I've sometimes wondered about the steels in the blades and what one might do to improve on them. After making, and showing kids how to make a lot of ulus over the years, the only thing I know is that not all saw blades are even remotely similar except in appearance. Nearly all blades that get used are standard hand saw blades. We've cold-cut most of them, and a Beverly shear is ideal, though hand tools work as well. Some of the steels used really aren't worth using for saws in the first place and they don't keep an edge long when turned into knife blades either. But once in awhile, you come across a saw-blade ulu which takes and keeps a very nice edge. I've always suspected that those blades originated with the higher quality, more expensive saws, but I don't know for sure. Generally it is old, dull, often rusty saws which get cut up for blades so identifying marks are long gone. I suspect a lot of present-day hand-saws may be hardened through induction, or some other process, in the edge along the teeth, leaving the rest of the blade softer.

I've also made a few blades from circular saw steel and even the old one- or two-man hand saw blades. Both of them are too stiff (and heavy), but the steel seems okay and even very good in the case of the old hand saws. Perhaps they had a better steel in them and/or the steel in them may have hardened somewhat over time, I don't have a clue. They make good ulus for heading salmon, cutting semi-frozen meat, etc. I don't care for them for general work as they have no flex.

A stone of some kind is ever present when saw-blade ulus are being used for much work. Any stone will work as the steel is soft compared to good knife steels, so often something like a two-sided Norton, or even a selected river rock is kept handy. The initial grind is just a long, flat bevel generally. I use a belt sander (slowly), but I've seen some folks use files as well.

As knives go, ulus/uluaqs are pretty crude in the technical sense. They serve their purpose however, and a favored shape or quality-steeled blade is a carefully guarded tool.

Really enjoying this thread. Thanks guys.

What's the difference between an Ulu and Uluaq?

I have an old large circular saw blade that I thought someday I would know what to do with. I guess water jet cut ulus may be the answer.
Tim

Indeed a great thread... who know what one could learn while enjoying knife porn.

Several years ago, came across a (now what I know as a) ulu. Had no idea what it was or for... assumed it was some sort of chisel since it was sharpened only on the one side. Found it in an old work shop, unfortunately long gone now.

after afew trip to Alaska my granddad made acouple to use, after he passed away my wife got them. she doesn't clean many fish but she says she wouldn't be with out one in the kitchen or when putting game up

I have made a couple Ulu's and have a few more laid out on an old, two man crosscut saw. People seem to like them for work in the kitchen. I used stag for a handle and a small piece of stag that was slotted was used as a stand. Cutting a blind slot in the stag handle for the blade was a bit of a trick, but it looks good when the blade looks like it grew out of the stag. I like them!

Ulu is easier for the non-Eskimo tongue (and it is perhaps the correct northern dialect [Inupiaq] reference for them. Uluaq is Yup'ik.)

Out on the trail with Inuit, usually in April for month long trips finding polar bear dens, with them as guides, at the same time they could shoot their allotment of bears and caribou, seal and small game for food during those month long trips on the ice in April usually.
The settlement was Grise Fiord on South West Ellesmere Island.
Ulus then were used mainly by the women. They were handy with it, scraping hides, cutting meat, skinning seals and caribou.They grew up with those knives. Some knives were pretty with lovely muskox or walrus ivory handles, riveted with little copper studs to the steel blade.Had I been smart in those days, I would have bought a bunch of them. The hunters were more interested in our blades.
Their favourites were our butcher type of knives like boning blades, skinning and large meat cutting knives. I spend quite time a bit with 2 old timers on the trail. They spoke no English and had always a young guy around for interpreting and do gopher jobs for the old guys like cutting snow blocks for igloos for them. They loved large folding knives, guess for the cool look of them. Old akpaleeapik would after dinner in the igloo unfold the Browning I had brought him and admire the rose wooden handle and polished blade, cut a piece of char or seal meat, wipe it clean and lovingly put it back into his ditty bag with a smile. The knive was not terribly usefull to him, but it was I guess pride of ownership just to own something pretty like that. I too can relate to that.

Rick,

I have a KOA Ulu and love it, and I have cleaned dozens of east Texas and NW Oklahoma whitetails with mine. I would be in for one if you decide to make one commercially available.

The only problem I have had with mine was resharpening it, but my worksharp does a pretty good job.