Hi there, first of all it's true that the belt and carcass of the tire is still in tact. What was shown on the tire is a cut and chip issue where partial tread blocks are chipped away from the tread. It seems to me the tire must have done some kind of off-road activity.

Regarding your fear comments, I disagree with this line of thought. The upside is saving some money, however the down side is a much higher risk of puncture and possibly loosing some handling characteristics of the tire. This would usually lead to a minor inconvenience or worse case a major accident. If it's a downside is something we can't bear the risk Is not worth taking. Hence from my point of view, the logical thing to do is to change a new tire.