Ontario Knife Company 1-18SBK Machete Sawback

The "sawback" is not useful. The teeth are shallow, so it doesn't saw effectively. I was cutting brush along the driveway and wanted to saw through a 2.5" branch, but gave up on sawing after the teeth clogged and it quit cutting. The sawback seems to be for aesthetics. The edge on the machete was moderately sharp near the base and tip, but was pitted and blunt in the middle. I think it was a grinding issue rather than a problem with the steel. I will have to spend time finishing the grind, then sharpening. I think Ontario makes a decent machete, but this one is has 2 bad flaws. Definitely don't pay more for the sawback unless it's for a halloween costume. The steel in it held up pretty well after a fair amount of chopping, so that's a plus.