Sawback Machetes

GWashington1732

GWashington1732

Joined
Jun 20, 2009
Messages
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I don't understand the logic behind sawback machetes. It seems like a very bad idea to me. Now, maybe it's just me, but if you're swinging it, and it bounced off of something with a bit of spring to it, do you not run a very high risk of catching the saw teeth with a part of your body? Plus, it doesn't look like it would be that easy to saw with either, yet I see more and more machetes using it. I don't get it, is it really convienient and useful to have them, or is it just one of those gimmicks that everyone uses to make their tools look cool?
 
I don't like sawbacks because I like the ability to use the blade as a draw knife. A sawback spine also interferes with batoning.
 
I absolutely loath sawbacks on machetes. Chews up the sheath, weakens the blade, gets snagged on stuff, finds ways to scuff you, and doesn't saw any faster than you can chop through stuff.
 
Sawbacks are generally useless, except maybe for that SOG knife that has actual saw teeth ground into the spine.
 
I ground sawteeth into a Barteaux square-nose one time for search and rescue and survival use. I left about 3 inches of nose untoothed for the draw-knife function. Unfortunately it was stolen some years later.

Generally speaking, though, saws and machetes want different blade thicknesses to perform well. A saw wants to be thin for a narrow kerf, and plenty of set if you're cutting green wood or brush. A machete wants to be thick enough to chop through stuff at less than optimum angles (lots of impact and twisting forces). Not just anybody can make a tool that satisfies both requirements.

Parker
 
I would never buy a machete with a teeth on the spine. For the reasons already mentioned, and the thought of the blade possibly bouncing back on you and biting with the saw end.
 
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