Well guys, it's fine to have a good laugh; but there's no reason to beat up on BigCityHillbilly.

(Aside: I tend to agree that "tactical!" too often equates with "bone-head marketing!" But there's nothing wrong with being visually discreet in wild country, or urban country.)

Anyway, FWIW:

I've found that blades that were mirror-shiny in the store quickly lose that lustre after hard use in the field. I don't like scuffing them with abrasives; that just makes them harder to clean, since there is now more surface area for the crud to weld itself on to. Which it surely will.

So, you can take it on a hard-core tour of duty...

... or, frankly, if you want to break in a new blade ... use it hard in the kitchen. You will have to sharpen it frequently, chop through bones and veggies (all acidic), withstand soaking in the sink and blasting in the dishwasher ... all of which is healthy abuse.

Plus: your DW or significant other will realize that you will take the lead on dinner for a week or so, since you are testing out your newest blade. So, every time you bring home a new blade, your pennance will be ... edible!

Okay, maybe this isn't macho enough for the rest of you, but I assure you it's a fine way to accumulate points. Which you will flare off somewhere else, no doubt.

At least your blades won't be shiny any more.

Cheers all,
Doug