NateTheShake
11B
I'm not doubting you and I'm not trying to be funny, but what are you doing with a kershaw to chip the blade? Which model did it happen with?
I have quite a few knives (some benchmades even) but I choose to carry a Kershaw. I've put some heavy use on mine and I've NEVER chipped a blade. Perhaps my definition of "Heavy" use is different than yours.
I regularly chip epoxy off of my various projects with a kershaw. At some extreme angles. I would suspect that should chip the edge fairly easy if it really were that fragile.
Benchmades do have better metallurgy and heat treating and are probably more durable, but in my experience I've not found kershaws to be too fragile.
I have chipped my Kershaw Blackout, Blur, and Leek. All of them have small chips in the blades, most are missing teeth in the serrations, and one Blackout is missing the whole tip. Before you ask, no I don't use them as a pry or screwdriver, but that's where my TLC begins and ends. Otherwise I am in the Infantry and have used my knives as carbon scrapers, cooking utencils, first aid tools (properly sanitized), can openers, wire cutters, etc. Is a knife the absolute best tool for these tasks? Probably not, but it's the one in my pocket always so it's the one that will inevitably be tasked with the chore whether I intend it to or not. Lesser knives have not stood up to the task, I have yet to have a complaint about either of my Benchmades (I also carry a mini-Nitrous Stryker, it is currenty on loan to another soldier who lost his knife... and is waiting for the Benchmade he just ordered after using mine for a few days.)
Today, to point out what I mean by hard-use, we had a sling load of water blivets come in. For safety the valves are all taped shut so they don't open during flight and shift the load. The guys loading the blivets like to be mighty sure they aren't coming open so the tape was just piled on and there is no time to try to unwrap it, you just have to cut through. During this our blades come in contact with the valve bodies, which are metal of some sort. You try to be delicate, but it happens and I have seen a few knives dulled out or chipped in the process. I took point on cutting the valves today and the blade is still hair-shave sharp.
Like I said, I don't stand to gain one penny trying to sell someone on the brand, I just have my own experience.