I think it depends on your particular granite, your edge style, and usage. In our house, the edge of the granite was badly chipped in several areas around the sink. The granite was patterened and the chipped areas really weren't noticeable unless you were down at eye level, or ran your finger along the edge. However, this scared me enough that we rounded the edges of our new countertops at the sinks. They are quartz, and don't have a pattern. I was afraid that chips would be much more noticeable. I really like the look of the sharp 1/8" eased edges, but we are heavy (careless?) kitchen users, and they just weren't right for us.

If you like the kohler sink that you mentioned in your post, it does come in a single hole version that does not say it is specifically designed for that Kohler Karbon faucet with it. So most likely you could use any faucet you want. See the link below. Like you I do not like water drops left around the faucet. I don't think it will ruin anything but I don't like seeing it. There are many faucets that can be mounted with the handle towards the front instead of on the side and that will help with water dripping on the counter. My faucet is not mounted that way but it is so easy to move the handle that I can do it with one finger and usually not leave water drops behind. Good luck in your faucet search. Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler Indio sink

Sorry, I haven't read the original thread. If we are talking about a 'tile in' installation, the sink must indeed be 'sandwiched'. But on slab materials, a sandwich installation is a very bad idea, since you can't replace the sink without destroying the counter top. 'Mechanical'connector as opposed to 'chemical', ie: glue or silicone. If you spend much time on this forum, you'll come accross horror stories from people whose granite installers counted on the silicone to hold up an undermount sink... One type of mechanical connector is a mount clip that's screwed into the stone and supports the sink. If everything is carefully cut, it can also be screwed into the ply, which doesn't 'sandwich' the rim of the sink. You can also support the sink from below with "L" brackets attached to the cab side walls if the cab is too narrow to access the area where the mounting clips go. Moen's short video clip on installing undermounts can be seen at the link below. Here is a link that might be useful: undermount install

ksc36/Joseph Corbett, LLC: I read the instructions and if you read it carefully, the wood block method is an alternative to use only if the clips are too long for the application ; in other words, if the clips would extend past, and sit on the cabinet side walls and keep the counter top from sitting on the cabinets. I don't think this would normally be an issue when installing a 30" sink into a 36" cabinet - both typical, standard sizes. I don't read it as an alternative technique to be used at the discretion of the installer in place of the specified technique using the Blanco instructions and hardware. In my opinion (which I have developed during my ordeal), installers will almost always use wood and screws instead of anchors and hardware because it is simply faster and easier with less chance of making a mistake - plus there's no immediate downside. The customer, unless he is watching closely and knows what he is looking at, will never know what the installer did .................until possibly months or years later. On the other hand, using the anchors requires that the counter top be turned over (bottom up) which would probably require a third installer. The installers that did my counter tops consisted of 1 installer and 1 helper - they were in my house about 2 hours. They said that they had 4 counter top installations to do and they had to be done that day. I don't know how these guys are paid but I suspect that they are paid by the job and the number of jobs they sign up for or are assigned - speed is definitely a factor in their pay. Incidentally, the men that did my installation were also upset at the mistakes in the manufacturing of my counter top requiring them to make field adjustments which ultimately resulted in my counter top not being flat and the "lippage". I tried to get their names so that I could subpoena them to small claims court but M.R.Stone, LLC would not provide their contact information.