How to Use an Ulu Knife
An ulu is a crescent-shaped, all-purpose knife with the handle set above the middle of the blade. You use it with a rocking motion on a cutting board or in a bowl, which makes it well suited to mincing herbs, chopping vegetables and slicing pizza or flatbread. Here is where the ulu comes from, how to use it for everyday kitchen jobs, and how to look after a Damascus ulu.
What an ulu is and where it comes from
The ulu is a traditional knife of Arctic peoples. The Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska describes it as "an item of technology shared by coastal peoples from Alaska to Greenland", with "a broad, convex blade with a beveled cutting edge", and notes it is commonly known as the woman's knife. Wikipedia describes it as an all-purpose knife traditionally used by Inuit, Iñupiat, Yupik and Aleut women; "ulu" is an Inuktitut word.
It is an old design. According to the Alutiiq Museum, slate ulus first appear in Kodiak's archaeological record about 3,500 years ago, and they were important for gutting, beheading and filleting salmon, as well as for household cooking and sewing. Traditional blades were ground from slate and fitted with handles of wood, bone, antler or ivory; steel blades took over after contact with whalers in the 19th century.
What makes the ulu different is where the force goes. Because the handle sits above the blade, your push is centred over the middle of the edge rather than behind it, and the rocking motion pins food to the board as you cut.
The rocking cut
Almost everything you do with an ulu starts with the same basic movement.
- Grip: hold the handle in your palm with your fingers wrapped around it. The Ulu Factory, an Alaskan ulu maker, recommends holding it with the bevelled side of the blade facing away from you.
- Set the blade: rest the curved edge on the food, on a cutting board or a curved chopping bowl.
- Rock: press down and roll the blade from one end of the curve to the other, then back again. Let the curve do the work rather than sawing.
- Move along: lift slightly and shift the blade to the next spot, keeping your other hand flat and well away from the edge.
A chopping bowl that matches the curve of the blade lets you use the whole edge at once, which is why ulus are often sold with one. A flat board works fine for most tasks.
Mincing herbs
This is where an ulu really earns its place in a kitchen drawer.
- Wash and dry the herbs well; wet leaves stick to the blade.
- Strip leaves from woody stems (rosemary, thyme) and gather them into a tight pile.
- Rock the blade back and forth across the pile, working from one side to the other.
- Every few passes, use the flat of the blade or a scraper to push the herbs back into a pile, turn the pile a quarter turn and keep rocking until they are as fine as you want.
The same method works for garlic, nuts, olives and chocolate. For onions, cut the onion in half first so it sits flat on the board before you start rocking.
Pizza and flatbread
A curved blade is also a practical pizza cutter, and the ulus in our range list slicing pizza among their primary uses.
- Slide the pizza off the pan onto a board first. The Ulu Factory advises always cutting on a cutting board or bowl.
- Place one end of the blade at the edge of the crust and rock firmly across to the other side. On a larger pizza, rock through in two or three overlapping movements rather than dragging the blade.
- Press straight down through the crust at the end of each cut so the slice separates cleanly.
- Flatbreads, quesadillas and tray bakes cut the same way.
Safety and storage
- Always cut on a board or bowl. Never cut toward your hand or on your palm.
- Keep your guiding hand flat and back. Because the whole edge is exposed below the handle, keep fingers clear of both ends of the curve.
- Do not put it in the dishwasher. The Ulu Factory advises rinsing in warm soapy water, drying and putting the ulu somewhere safe.
- Put it away sheathed and out of reach of children. Our Damascus ulu listings include a leather sheath. Make sure the blade is completely dry before it goes in the sheath.
Care for a Damascus ulu
Our Damascus ulu listings give three simple care tips: wipe clean after use, lightly oil the blade to prevent rust, and avoid prolonged sheath storage. In practice:
- Wipe and dry the blade as soon as you finish, especially after acidic foods such as tomato, citrus or onion.
- Apply a thin film of oil to the blade before storing it. For a knife that touches food, a food-safe oil is the sensible choice.
- For long-term storage, keep the ulu out of its leather sheath, which can hold moisture against the steel.
- Occasionally oil wood handles to keep them from drying out, as The Ulu Factory recommends for wooden handles and bowls.
- When the edge dulls, check whether it is bevelled on one side or both before sharpening. Traditional Alaskan ulus of the kind The Ulu Factory makes only need sharpening on the bevelled side.
For more detail, see our guide on how to care for a Damascus steel knife.
Our Damascus ulus
Two examples from our Ulu Knives collection, with details taken from their listings:
| Ulu | Overall length | Blade length | Handle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Ulu Knife, Damascus Pizza Cutter | 6 inches | 5 inches | Camel bone and bull horn |
| Handmade Pizza Cutter Ulu Knife | 6 inches | 5 inches | Rose wood |
Both are handmade, weigh 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) according to their listings, and include a leather sheath. Blade patterns and handle colour vary slightly from piece to piece because of the natural materials.
Where to go next
If you are putting together a Damascus kitchen set, our Damascus kitchen knife guide explains how an ulu fits alongside chef knives and cleavers. You can also browse the full Ulu Knives collection.
