Indigenous cultures throughout the Arctic have used the Inuit-born ulu knife for millennia, and these remarkably versatile tools are as useful today as they were back then. Ulu knives typically have a curved, crescent-shaped blade made from slate, though iron and copper harvested from meteorites and deposits were used as well.

The blade is attached to a T-shaped handle made from wood, bone, or ivory, and traditionally, ulu knives were used by women and passed down from mother to daughter. They are designed to be precise and easy on the hands by putting pressure on the wrist rather than the elbow, since Inuit women spend hours butchering fish.

The ulu knife's practical, space-saving qualities can't be beat, and the sharp blade effortlessly cuts meat with minimal strain, makes quick work of chopping produce, slices brownies or pizza, and more. To get the best knives with respect to their origin, buy hand-made ones from an Inuit company like Urban Inuk or Arctic Spirit Gallery.