Those are called kerf cuts. Some species like to peel their bark down at the hinge which can redirect your top or snag your flip line. The cuts are usually just through the bark into the cambium, and not deep enough to ruin the integrity of your hinge wood.
Thanks for the offer! We have a guy that ports our big saws, but climbing saws we generally leave stock, those 540xp’s really rip straight from the dealer.
