Bumping this thread to ask if anyone knows a decent source for Holtite sockets. So far the cheapest I’ve found them in the US is ~25 cents apiece for the quantity I’m looking for:
https://www.newark.com/amp-te-connectivity/8134-hc-8p3/socket-3-45mm-5a-tin/dp/97F3272
I normally do DigiKey around $0.22 for 250 (but they are out of stock)
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/8134-HC-8P3/1151726
Online Components? (Never heard of them but they are $0.165 ea + $8.99 shipping)
https://www.onlinecomponents.com/en/te-connectivity-buchanan-brand/8134hc8p3-10694219.html
Fantastic - thank you!
Just placed an order with Online Components that’s supposed to ship tomorrow. If you see a big pile of them in an upcoming mail-day post you’ll know they’re legit. 
Bumping this post because I added all the new Mill-Max socket models to the first post post.Hotswap Sockets
This is also a great video explaining how to install the sockets and comparing some of them.
I was talking with someone who was using the new Mill-Max sockets that were siting higher then my previous photo with the same sockets. This was because the Boba switches have a nice tiny indents on the bottom that the sockets sit in making them slightly lower. (other switches may have this to but the cherry, zeal and misc other switches I had on hand did not)
This album show the differences between Cherry and Boba switches with different socket types.
Some new Kailh hotswap sockets are out in different colors and different contact material, they have upped the switch insertions to 6,000 from 100. Black never bothered me but I can see white being interesting to change things up.
Edit: I knew I had seen the image somewhere: Keyboard Builders' Digest - #45 by dovenyi
Yeah, it was featured three weeks ago. These sockets appeared in their store but with 60 million hotswaps cycles indicated. 
And four days later they modified it to the more humble 6000:
New Kailh hotswap colored sockets. The jade green ones have an odd color (not sure what I am going to use them for). Cream ones are nice. Might pair up with a white PCB
That “jade” reminds me of that stuff they call wasabi in gas station sushi packs.
TaekayKeyboards’s gonna start painting these soon, mark my words.
Maybe lol. They can probably be custom dyed them if someone is really going for a special look. I did that with some JST connectors for a friend it took like an hour and a half on the stove for the color to set in but they came out nice. I don’t know if it is worth the trouble unless it is a super see through case.
It would make a good “Yes, but is your case this see-through?” vid at the very least…
Jokes aside, I agree that it isn’t really worth the hassle. Just meant it as a joke because hot dam he paints alot!
There are also some full-metal sockets. For example, the Simpler 60 (in GB) is making use of it
This same style can also be found on certain prebuilt boards such as RK-G68 (My First Custom Keyboard | RK-G68 Build - YouTube)
I think these metal sockets with a coating of rubber or plastic would be the most ideal solution. Then you get the extra toughness of an all metal socket, without the possibility of it shorting itself out on the case.
I’m about to solder those millmax sockets but I’m still deciding whether I should go with solder or solder paste. Any tips on soldering using the solder paste? Do I just brush on the solder paste on the socket before putting it into the pcb? Or putting it into the pcb then brush solder paste on the socket and pad? It Hopefully it doesn’t sound too silly. 
Those will be as strong as the pads on the PCB, meaning that if you lift a pad you are in the same position as with Kailh hotswap sockets.
Buuuuut those have two pads per socket and you need one socket for each switch pin, and that means that this solution is at least 2 times sturdier than the Kailh solution because at least 2 times pad area on the PCB 
I go with thin solder for milmax. And solder paste for holtite sockets
I put together this chart a while back for mill max. Imma just leave this here for the new folks.
Another good resource has been Mill Max hotswap sockets 0305 vs 7305 vs Holtite
FYI: Kailh Sockets in more colors now (pink, purple, blue and green)
(Sorry for the double post)
So cool. I’d absolutely dig these in an acrylic or PC whatever.
