Made a Ulu

[PitchyPine]

Made this Ulu today from a old buzz saw blade, forked antler handle.

 

[geologist]

Very nice work, how did you attach the blade to the antler.

 

[RC]

:haha: I jus knowed you was up to somethin up there! GOOD JOB!!! :thumbsup:

 

[PitchyPine]

Very nice work, how did you attach the blade to the antler.

Thanks Gents, generally I epoxy and rivet them on but this one is only epoxied. Will see how it holds up.

 

[rabjr]

Nice Pitchy. :thumbsup:

 

[RickD]

Hey I like that

 

[PitchyPine]

Thanks Swampy and Rick, index finger goes between the fork, quite comfortable.

 

[40cal]

Looks good. I have never seen one of those before. If I had not seen the picture I would not have known what a ulu is. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[mazo kid]

Looks good. I have never seen one of those before. If I had not seen the picture I would not have known what a ulu is. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Yeah, well they aren't all that common around here, but Lenn has come up with a good representation....as usual. You mostly see them in the Northwest and Alaskan Indian cultures.

 

[StevePrice2]

Looks as good as I've ever seen. And I have been spending a week chasing Coho in Southeast Alaska for the last nine consecutive years. They've got signs in the airport in Ketchikan showing a tourist trade ulu as NOT being kosher for carrying onto the plane. Plenty get confiscated on the spot.

I've seen the real originals as well with the blade made of ground and sharpened black slate hafted in antler or wood.

Good work, pitchy!

Steve

 

[Nifeman]

Very nice work, how did you attach the blade to the antler.

Thanks Gents, generally I epoxy and rivet them on but this one is only epoxied. Will see how it holds up.

Pitchy, watch those digits pard!! I personally wouldn't trust just epoxy unless your just using it for skinning.
That being said, it a really nice piece of work :thumbsup: . You going to make a sheath for it?...Bud

 

[BrownBear]

Looks like good quality work, Pitchy, and quite distinctive.

As a frequent user myself, I'd be interested to learn how it works. I've never ventured far from traditional lines, so I don't really have any idea how pushing the size and weight parameters would affect the details.

I'm offering this as background and not a critique of your work, but handles tend to be small in the practical models, smaller even than the commercial ones you see for sale and confiscated at airports. They're usually no longer than the width of the steel shank they're mounted on. That's because they're used in a big wide "rocking" motion and the handle is small so it won't interfere.

And most I've seen are made of much lighter steel, most commonly from handsaw blades because it's thinner and easier to file and shape by hand, and to sharpen. Lay out a dozen of them in a village during the salmon run, and the women will be picking up the lightest ones first because they'll be using them for the next 16 hours.

Saying all that, your great work inspires the heck out of me, and has set my mouth on experimenting with looks beyond traditional, and I thank you for that. I just might be missing out on something.

 

[PitchyPine]

This one will not see any hard use it`s just one that I wanted to look unique. May chop some vegetables with it.
Seeing it won`t fit in my bag and to odd shaped to wear no sense in making a sheath for it either. I just finished another one made from thinner steel, skill saw blade but I like the heft of the thicker steal.
They`er fun to make and ya can be real creative in the design.
Thanks for the compliments fellers here`s some more i made a while back.

 

[RC]

I LOVE IT! Them is NEAT Pitchy! :thumbsup: ya dun good! :hatsoff:

too bad ya ain't got any of that burl oak left..I think that'd look cool with the thin blade.. ps. them really is neat!! :wink:

 

[ameling]

Nice knives.

And an Ulu knife is surprisingly handy to use. Some prefer more of a stretched out crescent or curve on the blade, some prefer one end pointed more. Lots of possibilities.

And you can see how this Russian Fur Trade flint striker was influenced by the Ulu knives of the Northwest Coastal and Alaskan Indians. The original was printed in The Museum of the Fur Trade Fall 2001. With other flint striker examples in the Fall 1984 and Winter 1971 issues.

Yes, it could easily be made into an Ulu knife with or without some wood/horn/bone added to make the handle easier to use. And then heat-treated and tempered as a knife blade instead of as a flint striker.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[PitchyPine]

Seen a Ulu pocket knife on a web site that was cool. :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Nice job, Lenn: Similar shaped " knives" are use to cut vegetables, as you have referred to, but also by bakers to cut dough. I am sure there are other uses. You see these being used in oriental kitches for cutting up vegetables and meat, into bite size pieces, for quick cooking( to conserve expensive fuel) and eliminate the need for forks and knives for all the family members. The ULU is actually a very useful tool, both for skinning, and removing flesh, from hides, but also for cutting meat. The blades are usually made from 1/16" steel, however, so they are light weight, and easier to sharpen. The Wide arc actually provides more of a " strong back" for the edges than what would be found on a standard knife blade cut from the same thickness of steel.

The Skiving Knifes sold to leather workers to cut skives, or bevels, to join two pieces of leather also look a lot like the ULU.

Paul

 

[PitchyPine]

Thanks Paul, and Mike I can see your point and agree. In fact i was thinking about making a Ulu where the points wrapped around on top and used as the handle. :thumbsup:

 

[rafterob]

What's wrong, cabin fever gettin to ya? Have to go and make cool stuff in the basement? Is there beer involved? Ejoying the latest blizzard? Gosh I miss the Great White North!

 

[PitchyPine]

What's wrong, cabin fever gettin to ya? Have to go and make cool stuff in the basement? Is there beer involved? Ejoying the latest blizzard? Gosh I miss the Great White North!

:rotf: that`s about it, man it`s been a long winter :surrender:
40`s next week, yeeeeehawwwwww :thumbsup: