The reason the cleaned ship looks nice and fresh is that you have removed a layer of clay from the chip. The edges get rounder, and the mold detail is lost.

If you want to restore you chips by removing part of them, I've found sandpaper works even better, and it's faster.

Or you could just leave the history that the chip has accumulated, and your chip will still be "as made, with normal casino wear". And future collectors will thank you for it.