Picture: MX Black slider comparison - Vintage vs modern

[Lynx_Carpathica]

There is a myth about Vintage MX Blacks being superior to modern ones in terms of smoothness. Now here are the two compared. As you can see, the vintage slider has a smoother surface. If you want, and the quality is OK, you can post this picture in the MX black wiki.

[scottc]

I don't understand, you say it's a myth that "Vintage MX blacks" are smoother but then say that the vintage slider has a smoother surface! Are you implying that "Vintage MX blacks" are indeed smoother, or that it's untrue?

[Lynx_Carpathica]

Yes, it is Definitely true. They're mutch smoother, even scratching them with my nails have different noise levels, especially the prongs that keep the 2 contact leaves separated.

Sorry, but I'm not a cherry expert, thus I don't know the fancy words.

[scottc]

Sorry, I didn't mean to use the quotes to imply that your terminology was off or anything! I just wanted to use your term because I know there are a few variations that people say ("vintage blacks", "old MX blacks", etc) and didn't want to confuse them.

Anyway, this is great info, thanks for documenting it! Which keyboards did the two sliders come from, out of curiosity?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

What keyboard is each switch in the photo from and what do these switches look like?

[Lynx_Carpathica]

G80-1800 from around Vista or Windows 7 era (round circle around Windows logo), Lasered PBT keycaps, and a Keytronic KB-5150A (?).

You're welcome!

EDIT:
Daniel Beardsmore: Moment please! Gonna make new pictures about them!

[scottc]

Sorry to pester you, but could we get close-ups of the Cherry logos of one of the vintage and one of the regular MX black switches please? One of the indicators of real vintage MX blacks is a different Cherry logo, but this has been disputed as it seems like it can go either way.

[Lynx_Carpathica]

Unfortunatelly, I can't... I only have a phone.. But the old seems to have a bigger, and the cherry logo has a clearly noticeable leaf. The modern has a bit smaller, but the difference is almost unnoticeable. Both are seem to be center aligned.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I'm still sceptical about that Keytronic. A Keytronic keyboard using Cherry switches?

KB-5150 is a real Keytronic model number, but it's a foam and foil keyboard:

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/your-sys ... -the-best/

I don't recall seeing any detailed photos of the Cherry/Keytronic keyboard that would allow for analysis and dating.

[Lynx_Carpathica]

it looks almost exactly the same, but it's rebaged to Varyter XT. The only id. what i've found was on the mainboard, KB-5151A.

[Lynx_Carpathica]

hmmm Either I'm not the first to open this G80-1800 keyboard, or the switches are lubed from the factory. It looks like lithium grease, but it's only on the prongs of the sliders, and on the ears of the contact leaves.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I've found your original photos. One chip could be a Hitachi, with a "5" date code (1985 or 1995). One has Asian handwriting on it, which is odd considering that Key Tronic are American and Cherry were American and likely had moved to Germany at that point. It doesn't look Key Tronic. If it's really Key Tronic, it's more likely to say "K.T.C." on the PCB, and Key Tronic had very distinctive labels on the backs of the keyboards (9-pin dot matrix printed with meaningless codes). I don't know if it's fake (like those IBM Model M keyboards with Alps switches) or if Key Tronic outsourced to the Far East to increase production/lower costs.

Whatever it is, it's very far from normal and it needs documenting properly.

If it really is 1985 (which is already into the era of the US using the Far East for cheaper manufacturing) then they would indeed be very early MX Black switches, almost as old as they get (having been introduced in late 1983).

If you're saying that lubed modern switches still feel less smooth than vintage blacks, that's funny.