The coating is put on the blades for those who want it as something to prevent over-excessive wear and tear on the blade, as well as assisting in rust and corrosion of the blade. Eventually, the coating will "thin" in areas and show the steel of the blade. The satin finish is there for those of us who like "shiny" blades; this of course means more care must taken to oil the blade to help prevent any degradation of the steel.

Of course, I've had the DMLE absolutely soaked for an entire weekend in the woods (miserable rain!), and only noticed a vague hint of brownish rust on the blade edge. Dans' steel seems to deflect rust better than most on the market today, and it's not even a stainless! Very good steel!