I also prefer the non-shiny blades. Satin finish, bead blasted, black coated, etc. are among my favorites. I'm not in the military and I don't plan on going on any recon missions anytime soon.

The reason I prefer the "tactical" blade finishes is due to the fact that they're much less conspicuous (at reasonable sizes). That is very important to me in this day and age when everybody is so paranoid about anything that can be perceived as a weapon. I've found that if you take out a shiny knife (even a small one), it tends to attract more attention from people. With a dull, non-reflective, surface I find that I can generally take out my knife in public and rarely get any stares or comments. It's as if nobody notices. Even if it's legal to carry the knife, being hassled about it by civilians or law enforcement when all you want to do is open a package is frustrating. If I can reduce my chances of attracting attention with my knife, I'm all for that.

I suppose even for such a benign reason as I explained, you can still consider it tactical. My tactic is trying to stay inconspicuous .