What’s An Ulu?

“Ulu” isn’t a word you hear in everyday conversation unless you are an avid knife collector or, like me, you’re around lots of knives every single day. And, yes, it is a knife and one that’s been around since about 2,500 BC. But don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of it before. It’s been a little obscure until just a few years ago when it really gained some popularity as a utility cutting tool. So, what exactly is an ulu?

The ulu, like I said, has a very long history, which starts with the Inuit, Yupik and Aleut people in Alaska, Canada and Greenland. This was an all-purpose knife used for day-to-day tasks like skinning and cleaning animals, cutting food, trimming blocks of ice, as a weapon, and even cutting a child’s hair. Traditionally, the blade was made of slate or copper and the handle was of bone, horn or wood, if available. The blade size would be based on what task it was need for and, also, traditionally, ulu knives would be passed down from generation to generation.

The unique design of the ulu, with its curved blade, allows a rocking motion to be used when cutting, so that whatever is being cut is pinned down, making it easy to use one-handed. This makes it a great chopping and dicing knife from the kitchen to the camp-site. Use it just one time and you won’t want to use anything else, especially, when it comes to chopping onions or slicing meat like brisket. We have a few styles from traditional to modern. Just take your pick!

The Timber Wolf Shredder Ulu is a traditional model that will look great hanging in your kitchen with its curved, premium dark and light wood handle, secured with brass pins. Just because it’s attractive, though, doesn’t mean it won’t slice through anything you put on your cutting board like butter. This ulu feels comfortable in your hand and the razor-sharp 5” stainless steel blade gives you plenty of cutting real estate. It can be carried and stored in its premium, black nylon belt sheath.

Coming out of Hibben Knives, the Hibben Legacy Ulu was designed by knife masters Gil and Wes Hibben. It’s a sleek and modern reimagining of the traditional ulu knife with a 6 1/2” high-quality stainless steel blade and a black pakkawood handle, which is offset instead of centered like the traditional design. The keenly sharp blade is wide and beefy, allowing you to put it up against any slicing or cutting task whether it’s at home or on the hunt. This ulu also comes with a belt sheath that’s crafted of black leather stamped with the Hibben logo.

A smaller knife, the Ridge Runner Modified Ulu also has an off-set handle like the Hibben. Its size makes it a great addition to your hunting gear, especially, to add to your field dressing tools. What really makes this compact ulu stand-out is the features that give you absolute control when you’re using it like the finger jimping and finger ring. Also, the reddish-brown wooden handle scales have finger grooves for a slip-free, comfortable grip. The black, curved stainless steel blade is around 4”, bringing the overall length of the ulu to just 6 1/2”. When you’re wearing it on your belt in its nylon sheath, you’ll barely know that it’s there.

Now, here’s something a little different. The Kandao Ulu Knife is a uniquely designed fixed blade from Shinwa, which combines elements from both the traditional karambit and ulu knife, along with a modified knuckle guard, allowing it to be extremely versatile. It has a full-tang, 5 4/5” 3Cr13 stainless steel blade with a non-reflective finish and finger ring holes and an open-ring pommel. The handle scales are ergonomically grooved black G10, secured with heavy-duty screws, and it features thumb jimping. The ulu knife can be stored and carried in its premium, black leather belt sheath with snap strap closure.