Gateron Ink switches with 50g sprit springs and 415 Keys UHMWPE Stems
I wanted a very light-weight switch with a snappy response. First attempt was Gateron Ink Black with 50g Sprit springs and Tribosys 3203 lube. It is already very good, but not quite as smooth and refined as Gateron Ink with 205g0 lube. Swapping to 415 Keys UHMWPE brings the smoothness back. The sound signature isn’t quite as rounded and thocky as stock Gateron Ink with 205g0 lube, but the push feel is closer to my ideal.
I also wanted something really light, 58g is on the high side. Oddly enough the new Sprit Multistage M1 55g springs are also quite light (it feels similar to a 50g TX Long spring)
I got a batch of MX Salmons from Kinetic Labs which was my first encounter with two-stagers (per the listing these use a 63.5g two-stage spring). I took the spring out and started experimenting. I used a Cherry Clear stem with a 63.5g progressive spring in a moyu housing (jwk heavy tactile) and it had a lot of trouble returning (real sluggish) while the 63.5g 2S returns pretty snappily.
Does this follow with what the 2-stage springs are supposed to do? I guess add a little more weight at the top of the spring? Should these be rated the same way as 1-stage springs?
Multi stage springs are meant to be lighter on the downstroke than they are on the upstroke AFAIK. This would explain the dual stage returning better than the progressive spring.
More journeys with 415 Keys UHMWPE stems. So far my housing for it has been Gateron Inks, but its kind of expensive. For a cheaper option, I tried Gazzew Blue Ice housing and RGB top. Comparison
Sound: Blue Ice is relatively muted and quiet. Gateron Inks have a more distinct sound, not quite as thocky as stock Gateron Inks, but has a bit of that flavor.
Stem wobble: Blue Ice has less stem wobble, especially in north south direction. Both switches are perfectly acceptable in this aspect.
Smoothness: Gateron Ink is smoother, especially when pressed off axis. I can sometimes feel the UHMWPE brushing against the top housing in the Gazzew build.
Overall: decent option for an affordable quiet (but not silent) linear switch. In terms of typing feel, I prefer Gateron Ink or Durock Linears because they are smoother and more consistent. However If we compare the Gazzew UHMWPE linear to silent linears, then it would rank favorably. I dont like the silencing pads on most silent linear switches because they tend to feel mushy and reduce key travel.
I wonder if I take a milky yellow gateron housing and put it in something like a sakurios if it would sound better (if it can make any noticeable sound at all.
@skepp I gave this a shot just now; alas, the silicone plug stops the stem from going down enough to actuate reliably - it will just barely register or flicker but not stay actuated when held. I’ll give this a try with another (shorter) long pole stem shortly; Pro Burgundy stems are a hair longer than standard Kailhs and Tecsees - closer to Gazzew’s long poles.
@newness Ahoy! I do think a milky top would change the sound of a Sakurio slightly, but since it’s a silent stem I think most of that sound change will be in the travel itself. I have some milky-housing Gateron silent blacks (think of these as low-budget Sakurios), and they have a fair amount of travel-scratch / texture sound before lubing. (I actually kind of like it, but I imagine it’s not what most people would be looking for when tuning switches.) Here’s an old recording of the milky-top Gateron Silent Blacks:
The Bluish-White poles are pretty much standard length, yes.
Shoobs has a new video on an upcoming Gazzew long-pole linear that includes a great stem comparison between it (the Gazzew) and a bunch of others. The Gazzew stems are so close in length to the Kailh Pros I’d need calipers to tell the difference.
Kailh Blacks & Creams, while effectively the same length, are not identical. The Cream is ever so slightly longer, and with a lower bevel on the pole - closer to the Halo than the Black.
Tecsee long-poles are very similar in length to Creams and Halos.
Kailh Pro and Gazzew long-poles are also very similar, with the Pros being ever so slightly longer.
Bluish Whites are standard length, but have a much shorter, rounder bevel than usual. KK / Candy switches look like that, too. Edit: actually - the Bluish White pole is shorter than standard if strictly compared to the top of the cross-mount; in this image the comparison is with the top of the surrounding shroud because I used a straight-edge to line these up.
More info on the Bluish White compatibility; Tecsee and Kailh Black stems are also too long to work reliably - on a light bottom-out they don’t actuate, but they do if you push harder - they’d likely work without the silicone plug. Seems to me any long-pole stem is going to be too long to work reliably with that plug in the tube, though ones closer to standard should do alright.
Also - even though the TTC tops are some of the few that fit on Gazzew bottoms, Gazzew tops won’t fully mount on TTC bottoms.
Have you tested the kailh speed stems with the bluish white silicone plug? I know something like a speed copper stem in a t1 housing shortens the post travel significantly(clipping the stem restores it). I wonder how short the travel post but is with the bluish white bottom. Maybe even something approaching a D curve in a speed tactile? The other speed stems might also provide novel frankenswitches with the bottom out feel of the silicone plug and short travel if they actuate properly.
