But the Chris Reeve is not designed as a hunting knife, it is a survival knife. You just do not know in advance what you intend to or have to do with the steel. Just out of curiosity I bought the GI Tanto and I can say it is shaving sharp and I can sharpen it this way myself. So it doesn't suck at slicing at all. The edge holding may be (maybe) less than Chris Reeve but in the field I am better at sharpening than at welding.