This is going to be a hard use knife. Go with the one you think feels best in your hand. Unfortunately you may not find your ideal knife in your first purchase. Use will tell you more. Hot spots that are not necessarily the fault of design crop up from time to time simply because people differ. Modern steels are great. Provided you go with a reputable manufacturer the rest comes down to preferences. I love the RSK, but that is just my opinion. For practicing your bushcraft may I offer an endorsement of a $10 Mora (the one with a finger guard though) or a Coldsteel Bushman (large or small) or even a Ka-Bar? Practice tools are just that, for practicing. While I too like the idea of practicing with that which I will be using, sometimes practice moves into abuse and if something gives I'd rather it be a $10 Mora than a significantly more expensive blade. Not saying that knives are not for use, just my picture of practicing involves things like digging with a knife or perhaps prying a bit and these are not things I prefer to do with my costlier blades unless warranted by the circumstances. Just my opinion...
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The fox knows many tricks; the hedgehog, one good one. - Aesop