Ontario Knife Company 6120 1-18SBK Survival Machete with Sawback - Heavy Duty Outdoor Tool for Camping, Bushcraft & Wilderness Survival

I have a lot of expensive knives, bark river, all the good stuff. hand made stuff from Ireland, you name it. I like this knife as much as any other. Its as American as it gets. this is an effective knife well made. there are no fine finishes, just a real and effective, well made knife. For the money, don't give it another thought, Just buy it. Its the only machete I own and the only one I need.This was the first machete I ever purchased and the first machete I ever used. I purchased this machete for use in my yard. My main use for this machete is to cut small side branches off tree limbs and saplings. It’s a lot easier and faster than using pruning shears. The machete arrives dull but the primary bevel is already ground on the blade. When sharpening a machete for use as a tool, the cutting edge bevel should be 30 to 35 degrees. Thus, each side would be sharpened at 15 to 17.5 degrees. I set my bench grinder up to about 16 degrees and gave the machete a good basic sharpening on both sides. I then used a fine single cut mill file to refine the edge. This only took a few minutes and the machete was sharp and good to go. The machete will dull with use so keep a good single cut mill file handy. I really don’t use the saw back that much. Thinking back, I should have purchased the model without the sawback because it is significantly cheaper. Being my fist machete, I did not know how long of a machete to purchase. It looked like 18” was the standard length but you can buy them longer and shorter than 18”. My original instinct was to purchase a longer machete. After using my 18” machete for 20+ hours, I think 18” is the perfect blade length. I think a longer blade would only be a hindrance. It would take more space to swing safely, it would take more energy to swing, and it would make the machete more top heavy than it needs to be. I think the sawback is worth the extra money if you are using this machete for camping/hiking/bug-out. For use in the yard, the sawback is not needed (in my opinion) because you probably already own a saw that cuts limbs better.If I knew how useful a tool a machete was, I would have purchased one ages ago. Ontario makes a quality machete and you have to like the fact that it’s made in the USA.Construction: This machete is made from 1075 (some sources say 1095) steel with a tough plastic handle secured with rivets. The blade is through-hardened, which concerned me initially, but not after I used it. I have chopped through 8 inch pine and 6 inch hardwood with it. I have also batoned with this machete, including one instance in which it sprang back straight after a 15° bend. I have struck rocks and stumps (accidentally) after passing through brush. It dings, but does not chip the blade. A few strokes with a file brings it back to slicing sharp. It's the thickest machete I've used, so it's heavy, but it can still swing fast. Just beware of the follow-through.Ergonomics: The pinky hook on the end is more useful than it looks. On multiple occasions, it has kept me from throwing the machete on a swing through the target. The handle is square with rounded corners. This is not overly comfortable bare-handed (I use gloves), but is very effective at preventing twist when the target bounces or redirects the blade. The weight means it acts a lot like a hatchet, but with slightly better balance.The only reason this gets 4 stars is because of the saw teeth. They are short and have no set. I tried to drill out half the teeth, but even with a titanium nitride-coated bit, I couldn't drill it. Nor could I bend the teeth to give them a set. They're too hard! I plan to grind away every other tooth. Otherwise, I recommend getting the plain blade machete:http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-6145-Military-Machete-Black/dp/B0001WBIEY/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1358998944&sr=1-2&keywords=ontario+machete+18Even with stubby teeth, this is still a beast. I recommend this machete with the understanding that the teeth are ineffective.This is a heavy-duty machete, made IN THE USA by Ontario. I've purchased a couple of their knives before and was happy with them, so Ontario came to mind when I was in the market for a machete. Here are my thoughts:Pros: Very heavy-duty, and a great value. You may have seen review videos posted online, comparing them with other machetes. This will definitely not snap in have or dent like some other brands. The finish is also nice (black powder coated?) and hasn't been damaged in the few times I've used it. The handle fits my hand well, and it is well balanced. This is a no-nonsense machete made for getting work done (or killing zombies, whatever floats your boat).Cons: The fact that it is heavy duty is certainly a positive, but there is a tradeoff because it is fairly hefty. If you only need to clear light brush, there are probably lighter machetes that may be more appropriate for your task (Tramontina is a brand that comes to mind). In using this machete, my forearm and wrist wore out after a short time of use. One thing to note is that a sheath is not included with this machete, nor is a lanyard for the wrist.Overall, if you are looking for a well-priced machete that won't dent or crack with moderate use, this is the machete for you.Blade is thick enough to not bend or wobble when using.The handle is durable, but I had to reshape the front part of the grip. It was easily reshaped. I also had to drill the lanyard hole wider.About 4 inches below the tip of the blade, there is a 2 inch section of blade that I can't seem to get sharp.Bad steel? Or my technique is bad?I don't know, but I hate it. I use a file to sharpen.Over all, this is exactly what I wanted.It's not a thin piece of crap machete.This is a serious chopper machete. Like others the handle is not very comfortable but wearing gloves solves that. I bought a Tramontina Machete for slicing and the Ontario Knife Machete for chopping. It has a blade thickness nearly twice the Tramontina, twice the weight, little blade flex making it a real beast for hacking down thicker brush. For heavy slicing jobs bit too heavy.Good, basic and cheap can't beat it. The military use it for a reason.Be careful zombies, I'm ready for you.Needed to put a good edge on it and the finish marks up easy. But its a tool and a great one only thing that makes it 4 stars for me is no sheathworth every penny. if pennies still existed.