The MOD 4 probably had a little finishing done as did the Ka-Bar. The Busse-made knives and some other combat knives are really rough on the unground part under the coating. I don't want to discourage anyone from doing a satin finish on one, but know what you're getting into. I have yet to get a complete satin finish all over on any of mine, but some are close. That is why when the satin DMLE was offered, I got it without hesitation. I am happy with my buffed up "competition grades" as they are, but they cannot compare to a factory satin finish. Stripping them is easy. The paint stripper does that part. It's the sanding that takes a long time, even on a belt sander.