What is the significance of the different colored IBM stems?

elecplus · 17 Feb 2015, 19:26

I have a number of Model Ms here, and I have discovered that the stem caps come in at least 4 colors: grey, snow white, cream, and standard beige. Do these different colors mean anything?

Muirium · 17 Feb 2015, 19:37

Not as far as I know. Generally speaking, we prefer single-piece caps anyway!

Do you have a spare Return key by the way? I need an original IBM one, in the traditional ANSI style, for this:

The very first board I ever bought from you is alive and well! I just need a matching colour Return key on it.

fohat · 17 Feb 2015, 20:20

There are many colors. Warm gray, cool gray, dark gray, very dark gray, black.

Many of the Unicomp keys I have bought lately have had pure white or pure black.

I have also dyed some red and green, just for kicks.

elecplus · 17 Feb 2015, 20:22

Muirium wrote: ↑
Do you have a spare Return key by the way? I need an original IBM one, in the traditional ANSI style, for this:
I just need a matching colour Return key on it.

As far as I know they all went to blackkat, but one might be discovered this weekend.

XMIT · 17 Feb 2015, 21:25

You might ask our friend in New Jersey:
http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cf ... /id/179764

2 USD for an Enter key through him. Contact sales@clickykeyboards.com for help. The online store has a 10 USD minimum order but he'll let you pay direct through PayPal. USPS shipping is quite cheap if you're willing to wait for it.

I have also seen some different colors for the two piece (lower) stem caps. I don't think they mean anything. Seems to me like a good way to use extra plastic since that cap is usually out of sight.

I prefer two piece Model M caps. They're just a little heavier and sound just a little better. To each their own of course.

0100010 · 17 Feb 2015, 22:54

I have some stems that are a light blue color and green, in addition to the greys, beiges, etc.

clickykeyboards · 17 Feb 2015, 23:00

On the earliest model M keyboards, (1985-1986), I've seen that mostly all the key stems are the same gray color.

Then sometime later in production, the F and J home keys had a slightly different plastic color than the others. My guess, is that this helped in the (robotic? or manual?) building of the keyboard.

Over time, it seems that IBM abandoned this and it is common to see a large variety of grays, white, black, beige colored key stems randomly used.

andrewjoy · 18 Feb 2015, 01:25

i find the grey ones are smoother, may just be a placibo but i ordered some from unicomp. Most where black and white they where crap to be fair . They also sent some grey ones and they where fine.

Also my windows cap i ordered from them was a 1 part cap , so if they say they dont do 1 part caps they are lying

XMIT · 18 Feb 2015, 15:30

I ordered a set of unprinted black caps a year or two ago from Unicomp and they were all one-piece caps.

E TwentyNine · 18 Feb 2015, 19:01

Muirium wrote: ↑Not as far as I know. Generally speaking, we prefer single-piece caps anyway!

Speak for yourself, I find the two piece tend to feel a little more solid to me.