Is it minimalist? Maximalism? Somewhereinbetweenism?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Well, I have been at this for a little over a week now and honestly, I am not sold on the Synergy X and dedicated nail clipper combo.

Some things I like include the box opener on the Synergy X.  I find myself gravitating to that more than the blade for a lot of the things I want to cut.  I also like the feel of having a longer handle when I use it as a nail file.  I find it gives the whole thing a bit better balance than the smaller Swiss Clipper models.

I also like the pocket clip on the Synergy X.  While the custom Compact I usually carry also has a pocket clip, it's a custom model and therefore not much use to the rest of you, so kind of pointless from an advice standpoint.     So, in the absence of having a custom Victorinox Compact with a pocket clip, I'd go with the Synergy X.

I also like not doubling up on the scissors.  It's a little thing, but having scissors on the Compact and on the Swiss Clipper seems a bit redundant, mostly because it is.

But there are also things I don't like- as I stated earlier, I am not a fan of the crosscut nail file, but I am getting more used to it.  I still prefer the standard nail file, but I am learning to use this one in a way that works.

Also, while I like the box cutter instead of the can opener, I also very much hate it- it presents a serious hazard when trying to use the screwdriver tip, similar to the orange peeler/thumb opener on the Executive.  If you try to choke up on the screwdriver you end up grabbing the blade, which is not beneficial to continued finger health.

I'm also still not quite sold on the fancy cutout slots on the Synergy X.  They look cool and all, but I still wonder if they are going to get gummed up with pocket lint or other assorted crud.

The testing will continue on, but so far I'm kind of iffy on it.  There are things I like and things I don't like, but is that because it's not the right option or because I'm being a curmudgeon who is stuck in their ways and doesn't like change?

Only time will tell.

Def

[powernoodle]

Seems like you are close to liking the Synergy X.

Downsides for you:

- crosscut file, but you are dealing with it
-  box cutter prevents you from choking up on the flat driver; makes sense
-  fancy cutout slots ; mostly aesthetic; but they do lower the core temperature and increase top speed by a few kph

So mostly it seems like choking up on the box cutter may be the biggest issue for you.

Like the wiseacre doctor who was told by a patient that it hurts when I do this.  The doctor said "well don't do it then".   

[Brock O Lee]

The cross-cut file is one reason my Executives don't see much carry or use; I prefer the stippled type.

I used to prefer the old style "stippled" type of nail file. When I first tried it, the new cross-cut file on the Cadet seemed waaay too aggressive.

I eventually changed my mind when I got used to the new file over time. Now I much prefer it to the old file, which does not seem to be aggressive enough...