Looking carefully at the blade, it appears to me that there is some mottling of the steel - darker areas when viewed in direct sunlight. Does anyone else see this or did I have too much coffee today? I'm wondering if the texture was added to minimize this effect specifically for this steel or whether this will become the standard finish for Mules. I do have to say that the finish looks fine, but a year from now you won't be able to tell what finish it started with. LOL