The RC-6 is not optimized to be a chopper but it is capable of taking down pretty much anything you could with a typical chopper knife, it just takes more time and for most purposes you would be better using it with a baton.
The RC-6 is a very well balanced and fast blade and this comes at the compromise of chopping. Chopping optimized knives tend to be blade heavy which helps in their efficiency. they also hold more mass and are generally longer in length. The compromise with a chopper is they really suck at fine tasks where you are using the tip of the knife or when trying to make detailed cuts. The RC-6 works quite good at fine tasks (not as good as the RC-3/4) but very acceptable. It has the large length for batoning and if you need to chop with it you can. All this in a package that is light enough to carry on your hip all day and not really notice it.
As a survival knife, I think the RC-6 is great. Its the kind of thing that I wouldn't really mind carrying with me on a hiking trip. It is heavier and longer than a typical bushcraft knife (e.g. RC-4), but is more capable for camp/kitchen/wood splitting duties. I think it is a great all around knife. For comparison, I have a SOD which I reviewed around Christmas time on W&SS. Between the two, I much prefer the RC-6 as an all around mid-size blade, the SOD being more chopper optimized and IMO less functional for a wider variety of tasks. Then again, if my primary function is to rip apart stumps in search of fatwood, then a 1/4" pry bar is a good thing to have. I also have an original Ranger RD-9. Awesome knife that is strictly for chopping and also good for prying. I don't know about the Ontario version, but I rate Justin's works right up there with rat cutlery. Great knife overall!
