I'm sure the majority do use them and they do tarnish and scratch easily if used. If you would like to keep them looking fresh you can apply a coating of acrylic to keep them from tarnishing.
I actually have the AA that stays in the box and the AAA that lives in my pocket. That way I can see the pregression of the patina on the AAA. I really like the way it is wearing. I have not had any problems with it scratching.