Adjacent-Topic ramble incoming:
Indeed - that’s pretty much where the Halo (and subsequently Hako) switches came from. I’d say more people have used the Halo stem in something else than have used Halos themselves, but they really are notable switches in their own right.
This is a fun topic for me for a handful of reasons, one being that Halos were the first interesting non-MX-mainline switch I’d tried - and also the first I’d tried with a stated design goal more nuanced than “linear / tactile / clicky”.
When they were the new thing, it seems to me The Clears got the most attention; both, I think, because it’s a bit more approachable than its heavier, shorter-curve siblings in the Trues, but because of association with MX Clears and Ergo Clears. For me, though, the True is the more interesting switch, and the one that accomplishes the goal of discouraging bottom-out most successfully.
(It’s that big, steep hill at the end there; a tactile peak of ~60g giving way to an actuation of ~52g, which then quickly ramps-up to the bottom-out weight of 100g. Between the start of movement at ~45g and the tactile peak, there’s a delta of around 15 grams - that’s pretty mild. Between actuation and bottom-out, though, that’s a delta of nearly 50 grams.)
The springs are ping-monsters, though, so lubing those at least is a must. Speaking of springs and using Halo parts elsewhere - Halo True springs also accomplish their original goal when used in other switches.
Slow-curve switches (with flat, slowly-rising force graphs) are all the rage these days, and for good reason - but there’s something to be said for the fast-curve springs as well. Using one (like the Halo True’s) in a linear makes for a switch that’s easy to actuate but tiring to bottom-out. With just a little practice, your fingertips will be gently bouncing from key to key like spider’s legs silently traversing the grass and leaves - or maybe a fairy prancing from lily pad to lily pad, causing only the slightest ripple on the serene water’s surface.
Given the aforementioned typing style, my actual most silent switches aren’t silenced at all; they’re Halo Trues with linear stems in them.
Some informal audio comparison; these are recordings taken in different places under different conditions so they aren’t a direct comparison per se - but they should still give you an idea of the difference between the sound character of a dampened switch bottoming-out and an un-dampened one not bottoming-out:
Gateron Silent Blacks:
Kailh Silent Box Browns:
Kailh Box Creams w/ Silent Box Brown Stems:
Boba U4s, hand-lubed with 106 oil (just about as quiet as bottoming-out on a dampened switch gets):
Halos with Panda linear stems and springs (normal style, bottoming-out):
Halo Trues with linear stems (fast-curve, avoiding bottom-out):
I think anyone curious about different switch types should try something with a fast-curve spring at least once. An expertly-tuned, well-made linear is a thing of beauty - but with a little discipline and technique adjustment, one made of literally discarded spare parts can be remarkably pleasant as well.
I’d actually love to see something like this in a clicky switch, to bring this chicken-walk around to something not totally off-topic.
