Iāve typed on mine for a day or two and I have some stock first impressions. I canāt compare them to self-made ones because Iāve yet to try those, but I can say at least now I have some tangible context for the handful of āErgo Clear inspiredā switches in my collection.
Feel:
The best feel-word I can come up with for these is ācrispyā - like sugar wafer cookies. The bump has a sharp and definitive peak, while the climb and descent feel a little lumpy - at typing speed this feels like just a little more going on in the travel feel. (Iām thinking this peak feels āsharpā as it does because of how quickly the force required to move the stem changes, not necessarily a force-curve graph with a sharp point on it.)
Thereās also a sort of ādrynessā to the feel - this might just be the characteristic Cherry Nylon texture at work. They arenāt dry in a resistance-friction sort of way, but there is some texture, and I think the sound might be an element to that impression as well.
These are pleasant and easy to type on with a nice, affirmative bump. Thereās plenty of texture and bumpy-bump feel, but nothing that gets in the way - no awkward or inconsistent resistance, no slip-stick, no distracting rattle.
Sound:
The best onomatopoeia I can come up with for these is āsnickityā - somewhere between the sound of say, Cherry Browns and snipping scissors. Thereās also a bit of grainy swish to slow presses which is mostly overshadowed by the other sounds of normal typing. Unsurprisingly, these bottom-out with a nice, moderate clack.
Every sharp tactile Iāve ever tried has some amount of leaf-and-spring noise, but itās notably minimal here - closer to a āpluckā than a āpingā or āringā - in the category of sharp medium tactiles, Iād say this is above average performance.
Comparison:
I know I have a few switches inspired by these, but the ones that come to top-of-mind are Dragonfruits. Now that Iāve tried Ergo Clears, I can see the influence.
They have a similar style of bump profile and overall impression, though Iād say both texture and that ādryā feeling is more of a factor with the Ergo Clears than with the Dragonfruits. By the same token, though, the Dragonfruits feel less tight and stable than the Ergo Clears - theyāve always given me a sort of āmehā poorly-dialed impression, feeling more wobbly and less definitive than the other TKC fruit switches. For lack of better words, Iāll also say the Ergo Clear bump feels more āassertiveā than the Dragonfruitās - maybe a combination of a little stronger with a little more stability.
While I love the flamboyant look of Dragonfruit housings, I have to say I prefer the Ergo Clears as switches for actual use.
Other Caveats / Considerations:
The only thing Iād mention here is that these have a tighter grip with keycaps than any other Cherry switches I have. Maybe any other switches I have period.
I havenāt observed any real damage being caused by them, but itās quite difficult to remove caps from them. Iāve been doing some testing with some old cap-killer BOX Jades - and while those do significantly more damage to cap stems, caps are somehow easier to remove from those. Iām sure thereās a good reason for that, but I couldnāt tell you what it is.
In sum:
If you donāt mind that Nylon texture or the other things that come with sharp tactiles in general, I think these are a genuinely solid option, and a stronger offering than many of the other switches citing the original Ergo Clear frankenswitch as inspiration. I suppose thereās a reason why Ergo Clears were the first franken to catch on, and why theyāve enjoyed a healthy following this whole time to the point Cherry decided to sell their own.
These are the granddaddy of an entire populous category of switches, and I have to say, I think theyāre still its standard-bearer.