Kazeryu said:
y'know, I've seen ulu's around, but I've never managed to clue in to how exactly one makes use of them in the kitchen.
other than chopping with a rolling wrist motion, I'm not sure what I would do with one. Anyone care to elighten me?
You can "drag it" through whatever your cutting just like with any other knife, or use shorter chopping motions with ease. The handle directly above the blade allows you to put alot of pressure on whatever material you're cutting. It's a particularly easy and safe to use knife for people with grip problems. That's the reason my mother uses one infact.
Also for short chopping motions it works really well. for example when taking the hide off a moose, elk, or whatever. the points aren't usually that sharp, so there's reduced risk of puncturing the hide. Also alot of them are chisel ground which helps in controlling the blade for this particular task. It's very easy to just pull the skin and give it a small nips in some places and long sweeping arcs in others. IMHO, it makes the flay poll on the Hunters axes made by GB look positively primitive in this task. (Awesome axes all around though) If you take a look at the Ulus offered by Knives of Alaska I have a strong feeling they were made with this particular task in mind.
http://www.knivesofalaska.com/catal...from=Skinner-Cleavers and Ulus&cat=Magnum Ulu
They're great for filleting fish for the same reasons, the blade is easily controlled since your hand is right on top of it, and you can more easily maneuver between finesse and force, sweeping cuts and short chops.
Considering the amount of force you can put on them, with one hand it tends to leave the other hand free for other things ie...pulling hides, hanging onto slimy fish, escaping vegetables, etc.
I'm afraid I haven't explained it well, as hard as I may have tried. About the best I can say is that as soon as you seriously use one, or see one used, it's VERY much one of those "aha!" moments.
Just edited to add an interesting sidetrack...As many of y'all know, the literal translation of "Ulu" is "woman's knife" However, that's not altogether an insinuation that it's a knife made for lightweight girly tasks. The culture in a lot of the native villages often tends to be VERY matriarchal. There is little doubt who wears the pants in a lot of those places, and it aint the folks that are externally plumbed. I've seen grown men beaten to thier knees by five foot tall 90 pound women in those places because they were so...emotionally incapable of defending themselves. The women I've seen do seem to do most food prep, etc. though. Going into some of those villages is like going to a different planet.
Incidentally, the only person I've ever had threaten me with a knife was a 350-400 woman at the Native Hospital where I used to work security. Tried to get me with a gas station Spyderco rip off when I pried her away from beating her husband to a pulp.
Sorry if there's too much thread veer here.....
In any case those are some darn capable nice looking knives Dans made. I'd have been begging him for one to give my mother if I'd seen 'em back in December.
) and limited out. Turns out my mother used a cheap $15 Grocery store special Ulu and filleted about three salmon to his every one!
(sorry...no hints...
