We all know that a knife is a knife. However, when it comes to talking about historical and extraordinary knives with rich cultural heritage, only one tool comes to mind—the Alaska Ulu knife.
The Ulu knives originated thousands of years ago from the Alaskan cultures, especially the Inuit. At the time, they were used for skinning games, cutting food ingredients, and preparing hides. Today, however, these knives have increasingly become popular across the world, all thanks to their ergonomic design and versatility.
If you’re new to the Alaska Ulu knife, this post is all you need to get familiar with exactly how it works. As you read on, you’ll understand its anatomy and how to use it in the kitchen and even outdoors.
Features of a Ulu Knife
Before going into details regarding how the Alaskan Ulu knife works, let’s start by understanding its features.
The best Ulu knives, which you can find at Faneema Cutlery, come with the following features:
- Curve blade—this knife comes with a curved, thin crescent-shaped blade that offers rocking motions. The rocking motion makes the Ulu knife efficient for slicing, chopping and skinning animals.
- Handle—This knife comes with an ergonomic design, in which its handle is positioned above the curved, crescent-shaped blade. In another design, the handle is typically placed in the centre of the blade. Either way, the handle is designed to provide the user with a firm grip—this ensures easy control during cutting.
- Pivot point—Ulu’s ergonomic design allows for a pivot point. This point will allow you to apply even pressure with less effort. This helps to prevent cramped hands even after a prolonged cutting session.
Tips on how to use Alaskan Ulu Knife for food ingredients
The Alaska Ulu knife is a versatile tool that you can use for different functions, including the following:
- Cutting through tough meats or frozen fish—with good force, all you need is to press straight down on the centre of the handle. Next, turn the blade sideways to achieve an even slice.
- Chopping vegetables—with both hands, apply downward pressure by placing the knife on the cutting surface. Next, achieve rock motion with the blade, ensuring the tip stays in contact with the board. The motion will help you chop the vegetables evenly.
Tips for using Ulu knives outdoors or for crafting.
You can also take advantage of the Alaska Ulu knife for outdoor purposes. For instance, you can use a knife to skin and prepare animals. Besides, the Ulu knife can also be used for crafting purposes—to prepare leatherwork and hides.
- For crafting purposes, you can use the knife to cut through thick clothing materials with less effort. Alternatively, the Ulu knife can be used during cloth making to shave down hides.
- You can take advantage of Ulu’s precision-to-skin games. To do this, you need to start by using the point to make an initial cut on the animal. After that, all you need is to separate the skin from the flesh with the curved section of the blade. With minimal effort, the Ulu knife will provide a rocking motion—this will help you to achieve efficient removal of the skin.