best mechanical keyswitch ever

Muirium · 13 Oct 2015, 15:05

Tenso is the best way. I got my HHKB through them. A right wee stunner! My Type-S cost me a good bit less than even a regular HHKB at European price.

Beamspring is definitely harder to obtain. Our Seebart here has been hunting for a while! I do have a German layout beamspring for him though, he has right of first refusal once I finally part with it. My second beamspring is still in the US…

I've nothing against Model F's ping, by the way. But I will point out that beamspring is quite a different sound to either form of buckling spring. Selectric — the original of them all — is the one I need to try so I know if there's something up above again!

kbdfr · 13 Oct 2015, 15:21

Muirium wrote: ↑[…] I do have a German layout beamspring for [seebart] though, he has right of first refusal once I finally part with it. […]

What do you need a German layout keyboard for?
Sell it to seebart at once!

seebart · 13 Oct 2015, 15:27

It's logistics kbdfr, that's all. Give one, take one, get one (from 1000 miles away). The internals can get weird.

Chyros · 13 Oct 2015, 17:33

Muirium wrote: ↑Tenso is the best way. I got my HHKB through them. A right wee stunner! My Type-S cost me a good bit less than even a regular HHKB at European price.

I meant through a recycling centre

. I think the chances of me running into a beam spring might actually be slightly greater than that of me running into a Topre xD .

andrewjoy · 13 Oct 2015, 17:47

It depends how you define "the best".

If you are talking reliability then its hall effect, the MTBF is a billion keypresses ( or a milliard for you cool people who use the long form ) a BILLION!

The best tactile switch on feel alone is the beamspring.

The best feeling practical switch, as in you can use it in a keyboard with a modern layout and without a huge case is the model F capacitive bucking spring.

The best switch still in production is the novatouch topre with MX mount for the compatibility with caps and overall feel.

The best cherry switch is MX black/red ( with whatever spring you want in it) or ML. ALl other cherry switches are junk.

The best linier switch i have tried is white space invaders.

Muirium · 13 Oct 2015, 17:47

kbdfr wrote: ↑
Muirium wrote: ↑[…] I do have a German layout beamspring for [seebart] though, he has right of first refusal once I finally part with it. […]
What do you need a German layout keyboard for?
Sell it to seebart at once!

Oh come on. I'd hardly be a fitting club secretary without a beamspring in the premises! This isn't Reddit.

seebart · 13 Oct 2015, 18:10

andrewjoy wrote: ↑It depends how you define "the best".

If you are talking reliability then its hall effect, the MTBF is a billion keypresses ( or a milliard for you cool people who use the long form ) a BILLION!

The best tactile switch on feel alone is the beamspring.

The best feeling practical switch, as in you can use it in a keyboard with a modern layout and without a huge case is the model F capacitive bucking spring.

The best switch still in production is the novatouch topre with MX mount for the compatibility with caps and overall feel.

The best cherry switch is MX black/red ( with whatever spring you want in it) or ML. ALl other cherry switches are junk.

The best linier switch i have tried is white space invaders.

I'm assuming you mean

the best I have tried

for all those andrew?!? If I could I'd like you (and anyone else here) try dual magnet Hall Effect in one of my Micro Switch boards. I'd be curious if and how that might (or not) change your mind on "best switch feel". Now with white space invaders I will agree with you. But its all relative right?

andrewjoy · 13 Oct 2015, 18:12

All but the hall effect i have tried or own.

Chyros · 13 Oct 2015, 18:32

Really guys, it's something different for everyone. There's even people that prefer rubber to mech

.

Muirium · 13 Oct 2015, 18:32

Bad people. Wrong people.

Incoming Topre troll in 3…2…1…

andrewjoy · 13 Oct 2015, 20:05

That would have been me in the past but i have seen the light !

But seriously topre , space bars, rattly ABS on a super expensive board , fix that shit.

seebart · 13 Oct 2015, 20:06

andrewjoy wrote: ↑That would have been me in the past but i have seen the light !

But seriously topre , space bars, rattly ABS on a super expensive board , fix that shit.

But matt3o did fix it for us. And quite well. Topre needs to take some notes on that from him!

andrewjoy · 13 Oct 2015, 20:24

exactly ! Buy the design off him!

seebart · 13 Oct 2015, 20:28

andrewjoy wrote: ↑exactly ! Buy the design off him!

That and give him more leeway on those Topre keysets.

andrewjoy · 13 Oct 2015, 20:42

Or just bite the bullet and use MX mount

zslane · 13 Oct 2015, 21:26

Or wait for CM to produce keyboards with properly dampened NovaTouch switches. Preferably with full ANSI layout option as well as both black and white case colors. If they did that, it is very possible I would never use an MX switch again.

But for the time being, MX red is my switch of choice.

Findecanor · 13 Oct 2015, 21:37

hydragon wrote: ↑what is the best keyswitch off all times?.

All times? Not just the best key switch in our timeline but in all timelines, in the past and in the future ...

Really hard to say. I have only experienced a fraction of all mechanical key switches in this timeline and never visited the future.

A switch I would like, that may exist in some timeline in the future from the present, might have the following properties:
- super-fast and analogue sensing (like Topre and Adomax Flaretech)
- metal spring
- and rubber dome (for tactility)
- with at least 5 mm travel distance (for cushioning key stroke after tactile feedback at actuation)
- even backlighting in all four corners and the middle of each key, without light bleed around the key.
- be equally stable no matter how high the key is from the switch plane.
- be very low profile. 3/4" + travel distance above desk instead of 1" above desk, which is the case with Cherry MX.
- really silent
But yeah, I have typed all this before numerous time ... Maybe some day, in some timeline, a key switch manufacturer will read this and decide to develop it.

Muirium · 13 Oct 2015, 21:42

LED inside the keycap: way of the future.

Also, you forgot the ability to dial in how heavy you want each switch.

snarfarlarkus · 15 Oct 2015, 11:25

Just so you know OP, there is NO endgame keyboard. You're probably a youngen on this website and want to try the 'best' considered keyboard. But there is no. No such thing as the 'best' switch, 'endgame' switch nor 'holy grail' switch.

But hey, Capacitive buckling spring is life.

Muirium · 15 Oct 2015, 11:35

(No one wants to tell you this, so listen very closely. Okay? Cool. There's a shortcut straight to the top after all. I know, crazy right? But no one ever finds out until they get there, and they tend to get all butt hurt when someone new comes along and asks. Ssh! Quietly now, we mustn't get their attention! Right. So you want to know the ultimate answer? The One True Switch? You'll never believe it. No one ever does. But the golden one is Cherry MY. Don't think about it, I know it makes no sense. That's why they can't tell you. But you will discover. Go now, before they find us. Peace be upon you, and good luck!)

sth · 15 Oct 2015, 11:36

Muirium wrote: ↑(No one wants to tell you this, so listen very closely. Okay? Cool. There's a shortcut straight to the top after all. I know, crazy right? But no one ever finds out until they get there, and they tend to get all butt hurt when someone new comes along and asks. Ssh! Quietly now, we mustn't get their attention! Right. So you want to know the ultimate answer? The One True Switch? You'll never believe it. No one ever does. But the golden one is Cherry MY. Peace be upon you, and good luck!)

they tried this on geekhack last year.

Muirium · 15 Oct 2015, 11:40

No, they found us! Run!!

HzFaq · 15 Oct 2015, 11:42

[Post deleted by Truth Preservation Team]

Muirium · 15 Oct 2015, 11:46

I assume you're talking about GH. The lazy assed mods we have here can't be bothered with the vital work of MiniTrue. Bastards.