Well last night I finally got an opportunity to use the Ratweiler for what it was meant for.
We decided to have a little cookout and campfire so I pressed the Rat into service. I gathered some kindling and made some fuzz sticks. It was kind of damp last night so we had to search for dry wood. Lots of chopping. Mostly little stuff but still fun.
Well my first impressions of the handle creating hot spots was a little off. With the right grip it doesn't bother too bad. It doesn't match my Steel Heart for comfort but it's not bad. Having used the Ergos for a while I do notice that the new black coating on the Rat isn't as durable as the older rougher coatings of the past.
I by no means abused it but I used it in the way it would be used at a camp site. It's still sharp and the coating is still in tact. I can just tell by some smoothing that it will wear faster than the old black coating.
We did take pictures but unfortunately since all this took place after dark none of the pictures were worth anything.

The coating on all of my Rats has smoothed a little with use, but I haven't had any steel showing yet --pretty tuff stuff. It'll be interesting to see how well the satin finishes endure the hard use that Rat-ophiles seem to give them. My guess is they'll do just fine as long as folks remember to clean and oil them.

Mike

Don't get me wrong. I'm by no means complaining. Just an observation and comparison. I look forward to really putting the Rat through it's paces. This is the first large Rat I've gotten. I have a Bandicoot and a Rat Shaker that have both been used extensively.
I have no doubt that these Rats with withstand the test of time. I know of a Satin Battle Rat that gets used daily. It's taken care of but by no means pampered. I guess there is an issue with corrosion if you don't clean them soon after use. I always clean my blades at the end of the day. I happen to like handling them so it's just part of the whole enjoyment of quality tool ownership.