What's with the "original" Cherry key stabilizers? On keys like shift, return (less of a problem on space) I find the Filco ones much better because they don't change the feel of the switch. One boards with the originals, those keys, well, suck. Or am I doing it wrong?

Pics by rapster, Filco vs Cherry:

Original Cherry ones are the one in the second pic. The main improvement is that keys do not rattle at all. I never noticed any real change in feel. If you get out the web-wit-o-meter you should get 5g more required force at most.

Why I prefer the Cherry ones:

1) They are much more solid - Barely any key rattle (especially vertically)
2) Nearly indestructible - These do not break. The most common error is the wire snapping out, takes 2 secs to fix. Compare that to Taiwan ones breaking in half - you are fucked.
3) Much better for frequent keycap swapping - It does not take two instructional videos and 20 minutes of work to get a shift key back on.
4) Much more forgiving to differently shaped keycaps. This is quite a big point. The Cherry stabilizers will take pretty much any keycap you throw at them. No matter of the material and stem size. The Taiwan ones are not forgiving at all, since they have to sit very tight in the keycap simply because of the way this design works. Some of the Black Widow spacebars actually have a tiny bit of paper between the stabilizers and the keycap, because they are so demanding for precision.

Nice Pics!

Cherry Corp. G99 stabilizer


Filco Style

Also there are three different types of Cherry ones. I'll take some pics tomorrow to compare. Old ones were screwed in, new ones snapped in.

Definitely easier to swap keycaps. But it does make the key feel mushier to me. Also they sound different.

I think you're doing it wrong.

Maybe I just have weak pinkies. The ones on the KBC Poker start to feel a bit better now, so some of the effect is just because they are new and stiff or something. It's a fun little board.

Some people actually did try to mod Cherry original Stabilizers when they did build their DK Saver.

It was mainly due to reduce the noise but some people said it changes the touch much better.
I am not sure whether this mod would help you or not.

Link

They are much more solid - Barely any key rattle (especially vertically)

You just made me smile.

Nearly indestructible - These do not break. The most common error is the wire snapping out, takes 2 secs to fix.

That's only true for pcb mounted keyboards.
Nearly indestructible?

Heh. Nice use of my pic

Although not EVERY GeekHacker (or DKTer) is as strong as me

I've pulled stabilizers out many a time on Cherry-made 'boards. I'm sure the plate-mounted ones are a little sturdier. That's not going to help webwit, though.

So majestouch@geekhack agrees with me.

Majestouch had a pretty good post. Nothing new, I suppose, but at he least he added some business perspective.

So the Cherry stabilizers might be easier and sturdier for keycap removal, but who cares? Feeling is nr. 1. You'll spend at least 99.99% of the time typing on the keys as opposed to removing the larger keycaps. I never broke a Filco stabilizer.

I much prefer the feeling on Cherry ones. Key rattle on the Filco ones alone pisses me off. Fuck them. You are doing it wrong.

I prefer to feel the original tactile feel of the switch, not the mushy feeling the Cherry stabilizers add to it. Who wants all the big keys mushier and with a different feel, requiring a bit more force for those pinkie keys? Costar improved those stabilizers imo.

My SS uses Cherry stabilizers and every stabilized keys have some travel when I lightly tap them especially at the corners.

Thats a problem with the fake Taiwanese ones. The stems are not long enough or the keycaps are too deep. The real deal vintage ones go all the way into the keycap, without any way to cause key rattle. In the end it will always be a matter or preference I guess.

Why do you think those are fake? Do you have any reference on that? I was thought that the stabilizers are ordered from Cherry corp. Have you ever experienced this problem with original cherries? Is there any way to fix this?
Maybe this is the reason behind Cherry keycaps have a lower height profile.

I'm not sure about the ones on the SS, but the ones on the KBC Poker are different from the Cherry Corp. ones, same for the ones in the Leopold. I don't think it can easily be fixed. It can be mineralized by adding something between the stem and keycap, but unless it really bugs you a lot, I would not bother.

Have you considered replacing the Taiwanese ones in your Poker and Leopold?

I did this morning

I have really old ones in the Poker.. best ones around, imo. They are screwed in from under the PCB rather than plugged in like the Cherry ones. Hard to find nowadays.. I only have 4 of them so I'm using a normal one in the Backspace.

Somehow I need to get a set of those.

sixty wrote:Original Cherry ones are the one in the second pic. The main improvement is that keys do not rattle at all. I never noticed any real change in feel. If you get out the web-wit-o-meter you should get 5g more required force at most.

Why I prefer the Cherry ones:

1) They are much more solid - Barely any key rattle (especially vertically)
2) Nearly indestructible - These do not break. The most common error is the wire snapping out, takes 2 secs to fix. Compare that to Taiwan ones breaking in half - you are fucked.
3) Much better for frequent keycap swapping - It does not take two instructional videos and 20 minutes of work to get a shift key back on.
4) Much more forgiving to differently shaped keycaps. This is quite a big point. The Cherry stabilizers will take pretty much any keycap you throw at them. No matter of the material and stem size. The Taiwan ones are not forgiving at all, since they have to sit very tight in the keycap simply because of the way this design works. Some of the Black Widow spacebars actually have a tiny bit of paper between the stabilizers and the keycap, because they are so demanding for precision.

agreed. I've removed keycaps so many times until even my geekhack key puller broke. It would be much worse if i had a keyboard with Filco stabilizers.

Granted that most people won't often remove keycaps, the cherry stabilizers are much more durable

My keypuller broke too the other day, still use it since I am too cheap to spend another $2 on one of those again.

itlnstln wrote:Majestouch had a pretty good post. Nothing new, I suppose, but at he least he added some business perspective.

When selling Filcos Majestouch preferred the lighter action of the Filco style stabilizers.

Now that he is selling Leopolds Majestouch prefers the easier removal of keys from Leopold style stabilizers.

I tend to not worry about stabilizers. Except Topre's. They kinda suck for a $300 keyboard.



What happens if you don't follow the Japanese instructions....

Stabilizer bars? How very quaint.

Hear, hear.

But that's the inferior blue type. The white ones are better, but the black ones..

The best ones are the dark white ones, they are made from a different material. I heard Chuck say so.

I'm, ordering a filco puller from 7bit. More sturdy just need to be careful not to pull the entire switch off.