This is correct that @dberardo has stated. Specifically, Box switches have an IP56 rating. This makes them ideal for many places where keyboards may not remain in the cleanest condition eg. libraries & gaming cafes
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As I’m typing on these, I’m thinking “Bones” would have been a more fitting name for both varieties of these switches.
They’re both (different) creamy colors - but the plastic has a boney quality to it more than a creamy one (especially the Boxes), and I’d say the same about the sound - at least before lubing.
If I understand correctly, even its “self lubrication” factor comes down to mostly dry powdered particles of itself, despite the more saturated image that phrase might bring to mind.
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Do you know if that’s also true for the ART BOX switches [Hansung] by any chance?
They use the more recent housing for the traditional BOX stems, like a BOX 1.5 switch. [They use the 2.0 top housing.]
I’ve got ART BOX Browns and they seem a little crunchier or scratchier than the regular ones, interestingly, although I’ve heard the opposite experience with the reds.
Obv not Huey, but I’m awake and killing time on late shift. 
I’ve got some of those Art Box switches as well, and if I understand correctly, all the Box switches should have that same rating because regardless of which generation they are from, they all have the same semi-sealed container for the contacts.
If you pop the top housing off, you’ll see a little rectangular lid. It’s held in place by the housing, so you can freely remove it to see the inside and check out how the crud is kept at bay.
Some boxes have the open hole at the bottom of the center “pin”, but I think that’s just for egress of any dust that gets past the stem into the spring compartment, and it doesn’t lead up into the contact box - that is, bottom-hole or no, the dust-proof box part is the same.
As for AB Browns feeling more crunchy and AB Blacks feeling less crunchy, that actually jives with my experience of Boxes so far; Art Boxes are supposedly lubed more thoroughly from the factory than regular ones. For a linear Box, that would just mean more smoothness - but for a tactile one, smooth lube on the tactile parts actually encourages the little pusher cam thing to click when it clears the bump.
Addendum: Comparing the Box Browns I got from a Hexgears Impulse and the Art Box Browns side-by-side, they are noticeably different, and I don’t think it’s the lube making that much difference. I don’t hear the characteristic light tick I mentioned above.
Pushing them stem-to-stem reveals a consistently heavier bump on the Arts, but the exact same spring weight.
I swapped top-halves between the two switches to verify, and the heavier bump followed the bottom housing.
TL;DR: I think that means a different leaf in the Art Box switches is what makes them feel different vs standard Box Browns.
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Wow. Thanks for that useful research. I was curious, and now I know more.
Personally, I prefer the exact tactility of the classic BOX Browns, the kind you get from Novelkeys [their batches seem to be better than the direct-from-China].
They even feel fine on a basic keyboard like the GMMK. I seem to be gradually converting my switch-testing GMMK into a BOX Brown keyboard.
The ART BOX Browns went on a KPRepublic XD87. They are a good choice because they can handle the wrong-facing housings no problem. So I could use Cherry-profile on these if I wanted to. But the greater tactility annoys me, it’s more feedback than I need.
[At least they stabilize OEM-profile well. Good use of cheap Tai Hao caps.]
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I got some box creams built up into a board yesterday and first impression is they’re… fine? I dunno I’m not super impressed, but they do feel nice. I just put them stock with no lube, the board I was using while I put it together has UPEEPEE stems in non-box cream housing, those are definitely smoother. The box creams also seem to kind of make a swooshing noise as they’re moving, similar to stock retooled blacks.
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Agree. They are like a pretty good movie that you wouldn’t go out of your way to ever see again.
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I’m kinda hoping that they break in after a while and I don’t end up wanting to rebuild the board, we’ll see
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Totally. I think this might be a good stock switch for those folks who actually enjoy a little texture in their key-travel, minority they may be.
The hype (and naming) around Creams touts them as smooth, and I think that’s a big part of their meme status - that gulf between what they’re supposed to be and what they are. I wonder how they’d have been recieved if they’d instead had been marketed as an alternative experience focused on “dry texture” or something. Certainly not as appealing to the masses, but I know there are people out there who enjoy that, and at very least the marketing would be more accurate.
It’s far from my favorite, but I can appreciate the texture - so I do enjoy typing with Box Creams. (Couldn’t get into the OG’s though.) The feeling reminds me a bit of the way “standard” red / black Kailh switches felt like 4 or 5 years ago, and I remember kind of liking it then, too.
There’s something super satisfying about an ice-skate or butter smooth switch, but there’s also something practical about a linear that still gives some amount of feedback through the travel.
After some more time with them, I can say they do slightly have the “bind” factor, but I have to press very gently to perceive it and in normal typing it’s not even a thing aside from that aforementioned “texture”. I’m thinking this comes down to the stem shape giving less opportunities to the plastic surfaces to have higher friction (like with off-center presses on a classic Cream).
i totally understand the binding issue and how you only feel it when gently pressing. For me, this is a stinker because I feel that binding when I game. WASD often get pressed in that manner when I’m moving around. Like you said, it’s not something you feel when typing. But when gaming, it’s there and annoying.
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That makes total sense, and I’m glad you mentioned it.
A better gaming keyboard is why I got my first mechanical, but it’s been years since I’ve used one for gaming so I kind of stopped considering those factors. (I still love games; I just tend to use a pad now.)
Looking at what would matter to me in a gaming keeb, I don’t think I’d like these for it, either.
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Just mounted these on the Planck high pro and was a bit disappointed. I was using lubed and filmed Cherry Blacks and they sounded so much better. These Creams are definitely going to need some lube to sound decent.
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I’ve yet to find a linear that beats some smooth lubed and filmed cherry blacks, maybe Nixies, but I’ll never know.
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