I feel like this feelling is akin to Tealios versus something like NovelKeys Creams, my Tealios heavily-lubed with Tribosys 3204 feels frictionless - almost like ‘skating’ as described - so I barely feel any sort of contact.
This is in contrast to my NovelKeys Creams which are lubed with Krytox 205g0, and I don’t know if it’s just the nature of having all the components made out of POM, but I can definitely feel it.
Skating on ice versus rubbing lotion on yourself is perhaps a fitting metaphor? Skating is unbearably hard to describe even though I can feel it down to a science.
Good choice, donpark. I was going to write a second post saying that “skating” feel is like having two solid surfaces with a frictionless liquid in-between them. Was actually going to use the word “frictionless.” So I think that hits the mark.
Thanks! I’m hoping they are just as good if not better than the Alpacas & Tangies I already have in builds. The regular 63.5g springs are very nice as well IME also. I have those in my Creams & they make their weighting feel much better to me. Then I left the stock 62g springs in my Alpacas & used the progressive 63.5g ones in my Tangies.
I get what your saying with being able to use lower weights in silenced switches, although I should warn you the spirit 63.5g progressive springs start off much lighter than the linear ones & ramp up to the 63.5g bottom out force. So you may want to check out the 65g or 68g progressive springs if you find linear 63.5 springs a bit light.
Anyways it’s funny you said my setup sounds like the perfect switch. Honestly a decently smooth linear, lubed with 205g0 housings/stem 105 or 106 springs, with 60g to 65g springs, & filmed is what I am really falling in line with lately. More than any switch type & weighting than ever before! I am digging progressive & slow curved springs recently, not sure I will entirely switch over to them though. Oh and spirit has another spring variant out now called complex. Not sure of how they are winded or what their purpose are, but I hope to grab some in 63.5g sooner than later to try them out.
Progressive seem to be my fav for linears & a regular linear weighted spring would be my fav for tactiles since a progressive or slow curved spring could affect how the tactile bump feels.
This post of mine from January shows that, although I’m clearly in Linear Camp, my taste continues to shift. In the past, I favored sound more than overall feel. Now I’m shying away from loud sound.
I think the turning point was when I got my first gasket-mount board (Polaris). I didn’t like it at first but my appreciation for its subdued sound profile and slightly bouncier bottom-out feel (from gaskets?) started to grow. My taste for plate changed also. I started loving brass plates. Then POM plates became my favorite. Now I’m back to brass again as it’s not as loud as POM.
Still enjoying NK Dry Yellow lubed with 205g0 and filmed. It’s feel got even better after lube is fully settled in. It’s not just great for the price. It’s great period and the price is just bonus.
Honestly there has been much less innovation in the silent linear space than the silent tactile space. Although there is a silent linear version of GazzeW’s Boba switches which might be worth looking at. I have a few samples of the silent tactile Bobas which are far & away the best MX silenced/damped tactile switch I have tried. So I’d imagine the linear variant is no slouch either. Beyond that there is Healios (Zeal’s silent linear) which are top tier silent linear IMO. I should mention I am not a fan of silenced/damped switches & still consider MX Zilents (MX silent black or red stem in a V1 Zealio housing) the best MX silent linear. So I’d wait on some other opinions from people who use silent linears on the regular TBH.
I will have some Silent Alpacas soon, thanks to a Canadian GB. I have enough quantity to allow for testing, so I may post impressions.
I bought them because they are said to be the best [factory] silent linears once lubed and filmed. I’d have to figure out the spring weight first.
I use tactiles, but got pulled into the linear game b/c of Alpacas. All of these JWK linears are great [and usually the same except for spring] but they mostly need to be lubed and filmed.
The Silent Alpacas came at a good time, because I think they could potentially do well in a dampened macropad, like the Campine depicted in the KAM Playground GB. For single-press buttons, a smooth and quiet linear could be ideal. That’s my theory, anyway.
I’m curious about what can be built as a symmetrical macropad with some vertical keys.
Good call, I forgot about silent alpacas! I’d imagine Durock has some stock silent linears available on their Aliexpress store that should be comparable to silent alpacas also. Kinda funny the JWK/Durock silent linears are really good, but their silent tactiles kinda suck from what I’ve heard…
Hold my beer for sure, not enough portion control to control consistency, lube gets everywhere inside the switch vs the targeted areas you want, possibility of the accelerant used could react badly with the plastics, the excess lube you’ll put in each switch for it fully lube it will end up pooling at the bottom or leak out onto the PCB, etc. Seems like the board would end up being an inconsistent feeling, chattering mess not to long after doing something like this in my mind.
