Before I went all out on the TOPS..I took it to a friend that sharpens knives as a profesion..mostly for kitchens here in Austin, but he does pretty much anything with a sharp edge...I had him steepen the edge alot, almost double factory. It improved the chopping ability, but the little known or admited truth to this style of knife is, it is basically the wrong idea or shape to chop with...I look at this knife as 2 knives, and not a "CHOPPER" the shape of the front edge pushes the knife into your hand as you chop...thus redusing your "BITE" in the wood..almost a glancing blow if you will. I figured that knowing this, I had to make the front edge so damn sharp that it wouldn't matter. Now I can chop if I have to...but the draw knife and a sharp point is what you need to do camp chores well. So the knife isn't as bad as its detractors..they seem to focus on the fact that it doesnt chop as well as an axe. I ask what knife with a 6" blade does? I do believe if you can find a knife maker who wants to mess with one, and own a TOPS..you'd be in the best position. If you can't get a TOPS modded, get a Scorpion, as it is the better performer out of the box...just know its Steels limitations. I am no "Expert", I do mess with alot of stuff, and If I can break it, I usually well, that is why after one very short outing with the Predator, I decided, I better get what money I could out of it, and get a TOPS. Oh..and since I wrote a small book here, I'll keep going....The teeth on the back, or saw teeth if you will, are there to make notches, and they do this very well, it saves you time and effort to have them, and other than dinging up your baton (which is a stick you picked up of the ground) they hurt nothing to have them....I find the fear of being labelled RAMBO crazy. I have used my "notching teeth" for alot of FIGURE 4's, TRAPS, and FIRE-BOWS...they are handy. and nothing more...FYI..you can't cut a tree down with them. EDIT: l removed the rest..buzzed rambling, that made no sense ,even to me..Gene