Diceman,

You're absolutely right, I've given my RTAK much love and the knife WAS intended as a bush knife for jungle use. However, up in Oregon and Washington (my neck of the woods) most of what I use it on is White Oak and Ponderosa Pine. IF you want the truth of the matter though, I use my RTAK for just about anything under the sun. Clearing dead pine and oak from my property up in southern Washington, I chopped through 3-4 branches and trunks, but I've also used it to cut my way out of a patch of blackberry I fell into (don't ask),and prying bark off dead-falls for fire starting. So, the succinct answer to your question would be: yes, I primarily use it for heavy chopping. And it rocks.
AS far as failure's though, I haven't heard of any. I just remember watching a destruction test of the RTAK and seeing the guy put the knife in a vice point down, with the jaws clenched around where the micarta stops and the blade begins, and swing full power at handle with a sledge hammer. I don't think he ever could break it. That said, the knife is long and stiff, so I switch knives if it see it flexing a bit too far for comfort. In those cases, I whip out my throw-away knife, a Gerber LMF-II, and pry like crazy. The LMF's blade is sturdy as an tank, but it can't piece, slice, or chop worth a [censored]. Sharpened prybar anyone?