Matias Quiet Clicks - scratchy?

Bjerrk · 21 Apr 2021, 11:00

I have an Ortek AEK-style keyboard, which came with some fairly bad four-tab Alps clones (Xiang Min KSB-N, I believe).
So I desoldered them and bought a bunch of Matias Quiet Clicks from The Keyboard Co. to replace them:

The tactility and weighting of these switches are nice, but they are very scratchy. Is this par for the course with Matias switches?

While I don't mind scratchiness too much, it is slightly disappointing. What are your experiences - do they improve over time?

lispnick · 21 Apr 2021, 18:33

Can you identify the source of scratchiness?

kelvinhall05 · 21 Apr 2021, 18:40

My quiet linears are extremely smooth.

motoko · 21 Apr 2021, 21:28

Define scratchy? The Matias have a strange something-like-a double bump compared to Alps IME, but I've not found them to be scratchy-; rather than overlubed in fact.

TNT · 21 Apr 2021, 21:43

They feel rough compared to real alps, but they come well or maybe even overlubed, so it's unlikely that they're scratchy unless you somehow got defective units. I don't like their switches very much except the "quiet linears" with the dampening removed.

micmil · 22 Apr 2021, 01:56

You obviously just need to break them in.

TicTocTom · 22 Apr 2021, 05:52

I have a "Tactile Pro" (clicky) with their clickiest switches, and though I loved it when I first got it years ago, I do find it incredibly scratchy now. I will eventually try to linearize and lube these. I also had a "quiet click" keyboard (tactile) at work that I absolutely loved and I miss it. That one is much more faithful to the AEK heritage with a delicious tactile bump if you like that sort of thing. Not scratchy at all. And my Laptop pro also has nice "quiet click" tactile switches. Matias have a linear switch too that I suspect is nice.

In summary: yes, the clicky "Tactile Pro" is scratchy, but the tactile "Quiet Pros" are nice.

Bjerrk · 22 Apr 2021, 10:14

TicTocTom wrote: 22 Apr 2021, 05:52 In summary: yes, the clicky "Tactile Pro" is scratchy, but the tactile "Quiet Pros" are nice.

I have the Quiet Clicks, though.

TNT wrote: 21 Apr 2021, 21:43 They feel rough compared to real alps, but they come well or maybe even overlubed, so it's unlikely that they're scratchy unless you somehow got defective units. I don't like their switches very much except the "quiet linears" with the dampening removed.

I opened a few switches and tried a few different things.
First observation: Yes, they come factory lubed, however much of it has ended up on the tactile leaf, and not much on the rails. I guess that's fairly easy to explain, though.
Second observation: Click modding them makes them more fun

lispnick wrote: 21 Apr 2021, 18:33 Can you identify the source of scratchiness?

Third observation: After linearising, they feel a lot smoother. This leads me to suspect that the scratchiness isn't due so much to slider rails/housing interaction as such. Of course, the tactile leaf applies a lateral force to the slider which may exacerbate the scratchiness ...

Muirium · 22 Apr 2021, 10:27

Did you ask around before committing to Matias switches? Their reputation is… well, you've discovered it now!

Bjerrk · 22 Apr 2021, 12:44

Muirium wrote: 22 Apr 2021, 10:27 Did you ask around before committing to Matias switches? Their reputation is… well, you've discovered it now!

I totes did, dude!
And you totes replied!

Muirium · 22 Apr 2021, 12:51

Aha! I agree with that guy, then.

I've got a bag of tasty cream complicated Alps, though maybe not enough for a full size. Definitely go with classic switches when you can.

Bjerrk · 22 Apr 2021, 13:54

Muirium wrote: 22 Apr 2021, 12:51 Aha! I agree with that guy, then.

I've got a bag of tasty cream complicated Alps, though maybe not enough for a full size. Definitely go with classic switches when you can.

Writing this on a Copam K-430 keyboard with blue Alps

But the prospect of a good contemporary Alps-a-like still draws me in ...

Muirium · 22 Apr 2021, 14:34

Kinda setting up the Matias switches for a fall with a comparison the like of that, aren't we!

I've a solid metal 60% with blues, too, and they're as good as their reputation. Damped Alps can be worth exploring, though, as they're just so different. I quite like them in the AEK II. Thus the bag of creams. But when I got that Alp64 PCB (along with my HHKB bluetooth controller) from Hasu, there was little doubt which switches were going into it, I'll confess!

lispnick · 22 Apr 2021, 14:51

My observation: I have one bag of Matias Quiet switches that is 3 years old, all the switches there are heavily lubed and they feel really smooth. I do not like the double tactile bump and the dampeners either but their travel is definitely smooth. On the other hand, I opened a newer bag of the same switches (1 year old) and there is no lube at all, not a trace. Compared the the older ones, these do feel scratchy. I tried to apply the NyoGel/OKS lube combination to the sliders and the result is fine, I think better than the 3-years-old switches.

Bjerrk · 22 Apr 2021, 15:10

lispnick wrote: 22 Apr 2021, 14:51 My observation: I have one bag of Matias Quiet switches that is 3 years old, all the switches there are heavily lubed and they feel really smooth. I do not like the double tactile bump and the dampeners either but their travel is definitely smooth. On the other hand, I opened a newer bag of the same switches (1 year old) and there is no lube at all, not a trace. Compared the the older ones, these do feel scratchy. I tried to apply the NyoGel/OKS lube combination to the sliders and the result is fine, I think better than the 3-years-old switches.

Thanks, Lispnick! I have been considering trying out that combination (even though finding a vendor was tricky).