Best Clicky Switches You've Tried

[photekq]

1) Beamsprings. Not all beamsprings though, there's a huge variation between the ones I've owned. Some are middling, but my 3278 is a dream.
2) Vintage MX blues lubricated with a very minute amount of GPL 103 on the legs. Really, I'm not joking. It makes the click much more low pitched and makes the tactility incredibly pleasant for use.
3) NOS/NIB blue Alps. All of the used ones I owned weren't enjoyable for me, but brand new ones really are something special.

[thefarside]

2) Vintage MX blues lubricated with a very minute amount of GPL 103 on the legs. Really, I'm not joking. It makes the click much more low pitched and makes the tactility incredibly pleasant for use.

I’ll have to give this a try on some old MX blues I have. Where do you get GPL 103? A search online shows places to get quotes but not an order for a small amount.

[photekq]

I’ll have to give this a try on some old MX blues I have. Where do you get GPL 103? A search online shows places to get quotes but not an order for a small amount.

I'm probably not the most up-to-date; I bought mine years ago on eBay. It looks like there is a listing for it up on eBay US but there might be a better place to get it nowadays. It looks like GPL 105 is much more popular in keyboard supply shops, but that oil will be decently more viscous than 103 so I'm not sure how it'd work in vintage blues.

[joebeazelman]

I forgot to mention one keyboard that probably rules them all in tactility and was truly an orgasmic typing experience and would be my absolute favourite if they could be dug out of the landfills.

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I had the fortune of typing on one when I was in high school. They were donated by the Wang Corporation after being retired from corporate service. When the machine is off, the keys can't be actuated. When powered on, you feel a slight vibration and an explosive pop under your fingers with a buttery smooth travel. Classmates actually fought over these machines even though there were plenty of more modern computers available like the IBM PC XTs and Apple //e. Unfortunately, I don't know what switch it used, but might have been a custom made one.

The Leading Edge computer was intended to emulate the Wang word processor and came bundled with the Leading Edge Word Processor which emulated the Wang. It's keyboard's blue Alps switches were probably chosen to emulate at least a tiny bit of the feel.

Stephen King, a prolific and horrific writer used several of them:

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[Chyros]

Those switches you can see in the picture are Honeywell Hall effect switches. The vast majority of those are linear though, not tactile.

[joebeazelman]

Those switches you can see in the picture are Honeywell Hall effect switches. The vast majority of those are linear though, not tactile.

I remember it feeling and sounding like an electric typewriter as you typed, but way more pleasant. It was as if the switches were motorized or had an electromagnetic mechanism. Perhaps, it was a different model of typewriter, but it was far more memorable than any keyboard I can remember. There's a video of someone...gasp...scrapping it for gold and shows the keyboard assembly in a bit more detail:


*** WARNING SERIOUS LOUTISH KEYBOARD VIOLENCE ***

Spoiler:

[Lalaland124]

Those switches you can see in the picture are Honeywell Hall effect switches. The vast majority of those are linear though, not tactile.

I remember it feeling and sounding like an electric typewriter as you typed, but way more pleasant. It was as if the switches were motorized or had an electromagnetic mechanism. Perhaps, it was a different model of typewriter, but it was far more memorable than any keyboard I can remember. There's a video of someone...gasp...scrapping it for gold and shows the keyboard assembly in a bit more detail:


*** WARNING SERIOUS LOUTISH KEYBOARD VIOLENCE ***

Spoiler:

If I remember correctly a few of these Wang terminals came with a solenoid built in. This would explain the typewriter like feeling. (For reference: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=25728&p=485302&hilit=Wang#p485302) Maybe that's what you mean

[Muirium]

To quote Ascaii from that thread:

You know its going to be a special day when you get a big wang in the mail. Nice find

The caps are pure Micro Switch. Just behold the mighty Tab!

Spoiler:

The solenoid theory sounds right. I've got one in my 1970s IBM 3276 beamspring and it catches your attention like nothing else. WHAM! WHAM-WHAM-WH-WHA-WHAM! Also fits with the memory that it doesn't work without power. A butter smooth linear Micro Switch board would feel limp and broken if you're used to that sonic assault when typing on it! The keys wouldn't lock shut, but they'd seem to lose their action, all right.

That pic of early 80s Stephen King by the way!

[DrunkUkrainian]

I would have said blue Alps before but I just got my Apple IIc in the mail and it has almost perfect Amber Alps and I definitely prefer them. Now to get a converter and figure out where to route the cable.

[The Laptop Lagger]

I personally favour Black Space Invaders, but I have very little experience with Clicky switches. I daily tactile switches and in that I am partial to the Alps SKCM Cream Damped switch. Having tried several including the Matias damped counterpart, I prefer the defined "clack" of the Creams

[Muirium]

Space Invaders? Ah, a good switch. Our viral mind tricks of spreading opinion by being honest about what we actually like are clearly working on you!

I just got my Apple IIc in the mail … now to get a converter and figure out where to route the cable.

Did you get a keyboard module or the full IIc? I could see the whole micro being quite a characterful keyboard for a modern machine!



At least it's low profile, and could sit under a monitor stand, as it was designed to. You could route keyboard output artfully out the back. Heavy bonus points if you're nutty enough to actually try that cute little CRT!

[DrunkUkrainian]

I could see the whole micro being quite a characterful keyboard for a modern machine!

I'm not sure honestly. I do like how the computer looks but it's too big for my desk (especially because I'd want a 104 key nearby with a 60% layout). Part of me wants to recreate Chyros's Project A and build a wooden box for it. Maybe style it after one of the Apple I cases out there.

[clickandthock]

All time? IBM Model F Buckling Springs! Modern switches? Kailh BOX White!! Not to tactile, light and clicky!

[LambdaCore]

Either Buckling Springs or White Alps from what I've used so far, although I do still really want to try both blue alps and capacitive buckling springs. In terms of modern switches however (although my model M was a unicomp, so technically modern!) I liked some of the click bar switches I've been able to briefly use, though I can't make a final comment on those as I've only been able to briefly toy around with them

[JCMax]

All time? IBM Model F Buckling Springs! Modern switches? Kailh BOX White!! Not to tactile, light and clicky!

Either Buckling Springs or White Alps from what I've used so far, although I do still really want to try both blue alps and capacitive buckling springs. In terms of modern switches however (although my model M was a unicomp, so technically modern!) I liked some of the click bar switches I've been able to briefly use, though I can't make a final comment on those as I've only been able to briefly toy around with them

How would you rate the old school Alps switches compared to the better modern switches? For example how would you describe Complicated Blue Alps switches to Jade switches, etc?

For the record, my favorite feeling modern switch is the Kaihl Speed Navy switch. It has SUPERB tactility and responsiveness. It would be my all-around favorite switch if it just wasn't so damned stiff!!!

How would something like this, Jade, or Box Navy compare to the best Alps switches like White or Complicated Blue Alps?

[Bjerrk]

How would you rate the old school Alps switches compared to the better modern switches? For example how would you describe Complicated Blue Alps switches to Jade switches, etc?

Honestly, the modern clickbar switches do quite well in terms of keyfeel. The main advantage of Alps is sound, I'd say. So much more pleasant than the somewhat ear-piercing Kailh clickbars.

The Alps design has a few other advantages over the Kailh clickbars (essentially no minimum return force required to reset the click element on the upstroke), but it certainly has some disadvantages as well.

[LambdaCore]

How would you rate the old school Alps switches compared to the better modern switches? For example how would you describe Complicated Blue Alps switches to Jade switches, etc?

For the record, my favorite feeling modern switch is the Kaihl Speed Navy switch. It has SUPERB tactility and responsiveness. It would be my all-around favorite switch if it just wasn't so damned stiff!!!

How would something like this, Jade, or Box Navy compare to the best Alps switches like White or Complicated Blue Alps?

Both old school options beat out any of the modern switches I've used, unless you wanna count Unicomp buckling springs. Granted I've only tried Box Whites, Matias Clicky switches and MX Blues out of modern switches, of them, forgot to mention the Matias Switches which I would probably rate as my favorite. I still wanna try getting a hold of the AEII keycaps and stick them onto my Matias board

[Yasu0]

For the same cost as a brand new lexington M, I can get a filthy binding alps white board or take 2 months to relearn a defunct xt layout after soldering up a usb adapter.. or make one month's payment of a 2 year payment plan on a beamspring.. let me think about this one.

[Muirium]

Helpful reminder everyone: lesser keyboards are also available. Don’t be rube! Stay a newb!

[Palatino]

For the price of a brand new Model M, you could have bought an almost new crisp pine white alps board from me, including postage to Hawaii! Unfortunately it's gone now, and I'm already regretting selling it. But there are definitely plenty of good condition alps boards out there.

[Bjerrk]

a brand new lexington M

Aye, that's some quality stuff. I type on a Unicomp Model M at work every day, never get tired of it.
I just pray that Unicomp will keep doing what they're doing.

[Yasu0]

Well. Usually its a crap shoot was my point. But I'm still thinking about this one.. Let me go type up a comparison list on my Selectric and ponder some more.

[hellothere]

How would you rate the old school Alps switches compared to the better modern switches? For example how would you describe Complicated Blue Alps switches to Jade switches, etc?

How would something like this, Jade, or Box Navy compare to the best Alps switches like White or Complicated Blue Alps?

Box Jade and Navy are much more tactile and heavier than both white and blue Alps. I think the weight of Navy is closer to SKCM brown Alps. If I could find a tactile or clicky switch that was a little less heavy than the Jade, it'd probably be in the running for one of my top switches. I have tried the Box Pink and they really didn't impress me.

I've not tried a ton of MX switches, but I'm very interested in trying Zealios, Zeal Clickiez, and Halo True. All of those are heavier than I generally like, but they're worth trying and I have a hotswap keyboard.

My opinion on blue Alps is that they're fairly inconsistent. They can range from just OK to fabulous. Early-ish white Alps are pretty consistent and I'd put them in the "very good" category. I'm quite fond of the SKCM brown keyboard I'm typing on right now, but it's a really, really heavy switch. My favorite Alps tactile switch is cream damped, unless this white damped one I have manages to really impress me. Orange Alps are a bit too light. I need to play around with some more salmon Alps keyboards to decide. I'm also very interested in trying amber Alps.

[davkol]

Box Jade and Navy are much more tactile and heavier than both white and blue Alps. I think the weight of Navy is closer to SKCM brown Alps. If I could find a tactile or clicky switch that was a little less heavy than the Jade, it'd probably be in the running for one of my top switches.

sprit has had aftermarket springs for Alps and Kailh Box for years already.

Whether he actually ships them or not at any given time, that's another story.

[Bjerrk]

sprit has had aftermarket springs for Alps and Kailh Box for years already.

Whether he actually ships them or not at any given time, that's another story.

Yeah, but the clickbar design has a bit of a bad limitation there. They require a certain return force to correctly reset, as I understand it.

[davkol]

Box Jade and Navy are much more tactile and heavier than both white and blue Alps. I think the weight of Navy is closer to SKCM brown Alps. If I could find a tactile or clicky switch that was a little less heavy than the Jade, it'd probably be in the running for one of my top switches.

sprit has had aftermarket springs for Alps and Kailh Box for years already.

Yeah, but the clickbar design has a bit of a bad limitation there. They require a certain return force to correctly reset, as I understand it.

sprit sells alternative clickbars too.

[hellothere]

sprit has had aftermarket springs for Alps and Kailh Box for years already.

Whether he actually ships them or not at any given time, that's another story.

Yeah, but the clickbar design has a bit of a bad limitation there. They require a certain return force to correctly reset, as I understand it.

You're correct on all counts.

I bought a bunch of Sprit Alps springs about a year ago from MechanicalKeyboards.com. They were all different weightings. I haven't tried ordering from https://www.spritdesigns.com.

Looks like MK does have the Kailh springs in stock, but not click bars. I checked a couple other stores and they didn't have them either.

[Numaticjoe_1]

I like the sharp click on the mx greens but it definitely isn't my favourite.
I really love the click on blue alps switches which is probably my favourite.
I have heard that kailh BOX jades, white and navy are pretty good but I have never tried them. I think the box jades have a loud and thick click.