CH 16 - From Soldier to Blade Maker: How Veteran Doug Katz Forged NULU Knives from UNSCRIPTED BRILLIANCE The PodMatch Edition by Adrienne Barker, MAS

I was recently honored to be highlighted in Adrienne Barker, MAS's recent book, where she profiles entrepreneurs building businesses that solve real problems in unexpected ways.

The chapter tells the story behind the NULU—a kitchen knife born from a moment of frustration in my workshop.

"Disability and ability is a continuum. It's not an identity. It's not a different tribe... We all will get there. The reality is people look at disabilities and identity as opposed to a state of being or an overlay onto a particular set of tasks." When Doug Katz couldn't swing a hammer in his forge workshop one day, he had no idea he was about to revolutionize kitchen knife design. A disabled veteran with upper body limitations, Doug found himself staring at circular scraps of steel, unable to pursue his passion for knife-making in the traditional way. What emerged from that moment of frustration would become the NULU—a groundbreaking kitchen tool that challenges everything we think we know about cutting implements and accessibility.

Doug's journey from West Point graduate to Army field artillery officer to corporate professional had been conventional enough. But it was his wife's gift of a knife-smithing class that set him on an unexpected path toward innovation. Little did either of them know that this hobby would evolve into a mission to transform how we think about disability, design, and the tools we use every day.

From Military Service to Blade Innovation

Doug's military background at West Point and five years as a field artillery officer in Colorado provided him with discipline and problem-solving skills that would prove invaluable in his entrepreneurial journey. After transitioning to civilian life in Chicago—a compromise location between his Michigan roots and his Iowa-born wife's family—Doug followed the traditional corporate path through telecom and mortgage industries. He performed adequately, as he puts it, but never found his true calling.

The turning point came through an unexpected gift. During the height of the television show "Forged in Fire's" popularity, Doug's wife enrolled him in a knife-smithing class taught by Steve Marney, a master craftsman who would become Doug's mentor. The appeal wasn't just the visceral connection to working with steel—it was the concept of functional art. "I like working in physical medium," Doug explains. "What really drew me to blade making was that it's functional art.

It's something where you can pour some of yourself into it, but at the end of the day, someone can use it." This philosophy would later inform the entire NULU design approach.

Doug found himself drawn to unconventional knife designs, always asking "what if" questions about blade and handle combinations. His engineering mindset led him to focus on function over tradition, seeking ways to make cutting tools work better for their intended purpose. This analytical approach, combined with his hands-on craftsmanship skills, created the perfect foundation for innovation.

The Moment of Innovation

The breakthrough came during a period of physical limitation. As a disabled veteran dealing with lower body, cranial, and upper body issues—some recognized by the VA, others not—Doug experienced firsthand the frustration of being unable to do the things he loved. On that pivotal day in his workshop, unable to swing a hammer due to shoulder problems, he sat surrounded by circular scraps of steel typically used for prototyping.

"I was out in my shop one day before I got my shoulder rebuilt a couple of years ago and I couldn't swing a hammer. I also love to cook. I couldn't do any of the stuff that I like to do," Doug recalls. "I was just kind of sitting out there, and the circular shape of some of the scrap steel I had sitting around... I created the NULU."

The name itself tells the story: "NULU" means "the new ulu," referencing the traditional Inuit knife used primarily by women for everything from cutting hair to dressing animals. The original ulu was the ultimate utilitarian tool, and Doug saw an opportunity to reimagine this ancient design for modern kitchens.

Unlike traditional knife development, Doug and his team worked backwards. They knew the tool worked—they had proof of concept. But they needed to understand why it worked better than conventional knives. This led them deep into the geometry of design and the quantification of disability, creating a unique approach to product development that prioritized function over form.

Understanding the Ability Curve

Doug and his team developed what they call the "Ability Curve"—a revolutionary model for understanding human capability throughout life. This concept challenges the traditional view of disability as a fixed identity, instead presenting it as a natural state that everyone experiences at different points in their lives.

"From the time you're born to the time that you die, you're on a curve that tracks your ability to perform on a myriad of tasks," Doug explains. "You can graph it on a scale of one to ten. We start low as children, gain strength and coordination, peak somewhere in the middle, and then decline. It's like the old saying—we crawl, we walk, we crawl again."

This perspective transforms how we think about product design. Instead of creating tools for the "average" user and then making accommodations for those with disabilities, the Ability Curve suggests designing for the full spectrum of human capability from the start. It's a philosophy that recognizes everyone will eventually need more accessible tools.

The model has personal resonance for Doug and his wife, who have served as caretakers for three different parents, with more on deck. "I saw, front row seat, courtside, the inevitable degradation and thought about it doesn't have to be that way necessarily. There are tools, and aging in place is a big thing now."

This experience shaped their approach to universal design—the concept that products should be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. The NULU embodies this philosophy, working better for people with limitations while also improving the experience for those without.

Revolutionary Design Features

The NULU's circular design represents a fundamental departure from traditional linear knife construction. Where a conventional knife offers one degree of cutting edge—a straight line—the NULU provides 162 degrees of usable cutting surface. This seemingly simple change creates multiple advantages that benefit users across the ability spectrum.

The geometry aligns naturally with human musculoskeletal structure. Traditional knives require users to grip tightly, creating tension in the hand and forcing the shoulder up to create leverage for force transfer. The NULU's circular design allows for a lighter grip while maintaining control, reducing strain throughout the arm and shoulder.

"With this, your body is the machine," Doug explains. "The force transfer versus the linear design is circular, which means that I can cut anywhere I want. I actually usually cut like this because I only have to grip it this lightly. The blade is completely aligned with my muscular skeletal structure."

The design offers multiple grip options, each optimized for different tasks. The fore grip provides maximum cutting edge usage for general preparation. The axe grip transforms the tool into a cleaver for tougher jobs. The precision grip enables detailed work like mincing garlic. Each grip position maintains the natural alignment between the tool and the user's body mechanics.

Safety features are built into the fundamental design. By eliminating the pointed tip—necessary only for hunting or self-defense—the NULU removes the primary source of kitchen accidents while maintaining all necessary functionality for food preparation. The circular blade makes it impossible to accidentally stab, focusing the tool purely on its cutting purpose.

Universal Appeal Across Communities

What started as a solution for upper body limitations quickly revealed broader applications across diverse communities. At Doug's first abilities expo, he discovered unexpected demand from wheelchair users who appreciated how the design enabled cutting toward themselves using core strength. The seated position, which creates challenges with traditional knives, becomes an advantage with the NULU's geometry.

The vision-impaired community showed particular interest because the circular design provides constant awareness of blade position. Unlike traditional knives where the cutting edge extends beyond the user's natural grip awareness, the NULU keeps the blade within a predictable arc of control.

Parents found the design appealing for teaching young cooks. While no knife is completely safe, the elimination of the pointed tip and the improved control offered by the circular geometry create a more manageable risk profile when children are ready to begin using steel cutting tools.

Professional chefs initially resisted the design, often citing their training with traditional knives. Doug's response challenges conventional wisdom: "A chef will hold a knife choking up on the blade and holding the spine to get better force transfer. I asked that chef, 'What's the handle for?' He said the handle's for balance. My answer to that is if you have to use the handle of a tool to balance it because you're holding it in the middle, it's not the right tool for the job."

The argument extends beyond technique to efficiency. Traditional knife skills represent adaptation to suboptimal design rather than optimal cutting method. The NULU's design eliminates the need for these workarounds by aligning the tool with natural body mechanics from the start.

The Business Evolution

The journey from prototype to product required more than just good design. Doug's partnership with an industrial designer—a friend who happened to be present when Doug first demonstrated his creation at a graduation party—provided the expertise needed to refine the concept for commercial production.

Their approach challenged conventional product development wisdom. Instead of starting with market research and competitive analysis, they began with a working solution and reverse-engineered the business case. This allowed them to focus on genuine innovation rather than incremental improvements to existing designs.

The validation process involved deep engagement with disabled communities, veterans' organizations, and accessibility advocates. Doug's participation in an accelerator program through a veterans' organization provided structure for translating personal experience into scalable business model.

The product line expanded thoughtfully around the core innovation. Complementary products include specially designed cutting boards with bowls to contain ingredients that might otherwise scatter due to the NULU's efficient force transfer, and docking stations that keep the knife safely stored while maintaining countertop accessibility.

The promotional products market represents a significant opportunity, with the dock designed specifically for laser engraving corporate logos. The combination of functional innovation and customization potential creates unique value for corporate gifts and incentive programs.

Manufacturing and Market Strategy

Current production focuses on quality over quantity, with each NULU crafted to professional standards and shipped with a custom-designed sheath that enables one-handed opening. The packaging reflects the universal design philosophy, accommodating users who may have limited dexterity while maintaining the premium positioning appropriate for the product's innovation level.

Pricing strategy acknowledges the tool's position as a premium kitchen implement while remaining accessible to the communities that benefit most from its design. The company offers affiliate programs and works with disability advocates to ensure broad access to the innovation.

Distribution channels emphasize education over simple retail placement. Doug's personal involvement in abilities expos, veteran events, and accessibility conferences ensures that potential users understand not just what the NULU does, but why it works better than conventional alternatives.

The direct-to-consumer model allows for personal connection with customers and immediate feedback for continued refinement. This approach proves particularly valuable when serving communities whose needs have historically been overlooked by mainstream product development.

Broader Implications for Design

The NULU story represents more than successful product innovation—it demonstrates the potential for universal design to create better solutions for everyone. By starting with the needs of users with limitations, Doug's team created a tool that performs better across all use cases.

This approach challenges the traditional disability accommodation model, which typically involves adding features or modifications to existing designs. Instead, universal design principles suggest that considering the full spectrum of human ability from the beginning results in fundamentally better products.

The implications extend beyond kitchen tools to any product category where human physical interaction matters. The principles that make the NULU successful—alignment with natural body mechanics, multiple interaction modes, elimination of unnecessary hazards—could transform everything from garden tools to office equipment.

Doug's emphasis on the continuum nature of ability highlights an often-overlooked market reality. As populations age and medical advances allow people to survive injuries that would previously have been fatal, the number of people who benefit from accessible design continues to grow. Companies that recognize this trend early gain competitive advantages that extend far beyond compliance requirements.

The Future of Inclusive Innovation

Looking ahead, Doug sees the NULU as just the beginning of a broader movement toward inclusive design in physical products. While significant innovation has occurred in digital accessibility and assistive technologies, physical tools have received less attention despite their fundamental importance to daily life.

"There's very little on the physical product side, and I think that's a shortcoming that eventually will change," Doug observes. "As people live longer, lifespan and the quality of life are two different things. More people will be caretakers than ever before. They're gonna start saying, 'Well, why isn't there a product to help me do this?'"

The company continues developing complementary products and exploring applications for the core design principles in other categories. Future innovations may address additional kitchen tasks or expand into entirely different tool categories where similar geometric advantages could apply.

Doug's commitment to helping other entrepreneurs reflects his understanding that systemic change requires broader participation. His military background reinforced the value of community and mutual support, principles he now applies to business development and industry transformation.

October's designation as Disability Employment Month provides annual opportunity to highlight these issues and advance the conversation around inclusive design. Doug uses this platform to educate audiences about the reality that disability affects everyone eventually, making accessible design a universal concern rather than a niche consideration.

Lessons for Entrepreneurs and Innovators

The NULU story offers valuable insights for anyone seeking to create meaningful innovation. Doug's willingness to challenge fundamental assumptions about familiar tools led to breakthrough thinking that conventional market research might have missed.

His emphasis on function over form resulted in a product that works demonstrably better while also looking distinctive and appealing. This combination of performance advantage and visual differentiation creates strong market positioning that's difficult for competitors to replicate.

The backward development approach—starting with a working solution and then understanding why it works—allowed the team to focus on genuine innovation rather than incremental improvement. This methodology could apply to many product categories where conventional wisdom may be limiting true advancement.

Perhaps most importantly, Doug's personal experience with the problem he was solving provided authenticity and motivation that sustained the team through the inevitable challenges of bringing a new product to market. His ongoing engagement with the communities that benefit most from the innovation ensures continued relevance and improvement.

The story demonstrates that some of the most significant innovations come from reconsidering basic assumptions about how things should work. By approaching knife design with fresh eyes and personal necessity, Doug created something genuinely new in a category that had remained essentially unchanged for centuries.

The NULU represents more than a better kitchen tool—it embodies a philosophy that better design serves everyone better. As Doug puts it, "If it works this well for me with upper extremity issues, if you have no issues, it still works better." That's the promise of universal design: innovations that lift everyone up by starting with those who need the most help. This chapter adapts content from the podcast episode

"From Soldier to Blade Maker: How Veteran Doug Katz Forged NULU Knives" from Adrienne Barker Speaks: No Prep Needed. Original episode: https://rss.com/podcasts/adriennebarkerspeaks/2278983

Content has been substantially transformed and reorganized for book format using PodToBook AI. All rights to the original podcast remain with the creators.g PodToBook AI. All rights to the original podcast remain with the creators.