1) I had one small nick occur in the original edge. Whether this was due to my negligence or not I had no idea. I honed it away. The blade is FINE. No problems. I have used it since October of last year EDC,. HEAVILY. Sharpened alot. Blade has worn from 3.44 inches to 3.42 inches long just from usage. Never owned a better folding knife. I surmised the "chipping" scare was just a lot of hype from people with inexperience on how to treat or care for blades in general.

2) I carry the larger version, because I just want more blade in my hand for the tasks that I have to do. It's a matter of personal preference for many people. I used to think a 2.5" blade I carried was enough for my EDC, but found that it wasn't for the things that I use a blade for. If the 2.88" blade on the Mini-RSK works for you, go for it.