Interesting Finds & Heads-Ups

Gateron X are in stock! Cool colors.

3 Likes

I love me some beige but I have a hard time justifying these over “normal” Pros. Those have an incredible price to performance ratio so I’m not quite sure what to make of these.

2 Likes

One more: Was looking at Agile’s website when I saw this:

But get this: HAND LUBED?

Screenshot 2022-07-22 6.54.39 PM

That’s around 50 ish cents per switch, and if Agile is correct, that’s crazy.

1 Like

When vendors say switches are pre-lubed from the factory, does that imply they were hand lubed? I’ve always wondered this…

I wouldn’t say this is entirely impossible though! I have some KTT Strawberry switches that are lightly factory lubed and they come out to $0.40/switch as well. Haven’t done any additional lubing and they’re the smoothest stock switch I’ve ever tried. Up to par to (possibly even better) than switches I’ve lubed myself!

Idk what these switch creators are doing these days, but the quality:price ratio on switches these days is looking better and better

3 Likes

I’ll press X too.

They don’t imply whether these are factory lubed or lubed with a regular lubricant like e.g. 205g0 though. Considering lubing services cost around as much as the switches themselves, I doubt they’re anything but standard factory lubed like everything JWK.

2 Likes

I really like the KTT Strawberries. I’d love to lube them with 205g0 to tone down the clack on them, but I can’t find an easy way to open them. I’d lose my mind trying to open 70 of them. I don’t know what kind of sorcery they use to hold them together.

2 Likes

I can spot one difference between these and the Pros - these do not have the curve in the top housing that helps with Cherry profile / North-facing compatibility found on Pros, Oil Kings, North Poles, newer KS-3X1s and KS-9s, GoPolar’s switches, and a few more.

I’d be curious to see these measured on some really sensitive equipment to see which makes a bigger difference; the polishing afforded to the Xes or the lubing afforded to the Pros.

Are there X-Pros? :thinking:

1 Like

I have my own doubt picture lol

4 Likes

Ooh, good eye! While not a dealbreaker, that does seem like a strange exclusion given that so many of their switches have it now. I really don’t want to suggest that Gateron further their character salad product line but a somehow even smoother Pro? That I’d like to see.

GMK Taiga GB is a go! If you are interested, please show your support early so this great set makes it out of the gate (I’ll cry if it goes down like Prussian Blue :sob:).

2 Likes

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgYinJ3v3rS/

@Jacky posted a teaser of a proto (Apricot) that’s a new sub-40 with (to me) 'van vibes. Strangely compelling.

(ignore the bottom-right one. That’s a Dimple)

3 Likes

Sometimes I think designers focus on keyboards as a decorative item and not a tool.

That layout looks like it came straight from hell. I’d rather use a SafeType with Smith-Corona leafsprings than type on that layout.

1 Like

Well, if it’s not a black square it’s a decorative item so thread easy with that statement. :wink:

I don’t think so. I think they have a machine that does it. I usually see the pre-lube either on the stem rails or the spring is drenched allowing the excess to spread around the rest of the inner housing after a bit of use. The only gotcha is consistency, but most vendors are getting good.

1 Like

Looks like Akko is making a spring mounted keeb - would this be the first commercially-produced one of those?

4 Likes

ohhh… I can hear the choirs sing the Ping gospel. In the holy Hollowness church of Keebville.

This is not a novelty, and people should embrace new layouts cropping up, rather than rehashing 65s again and again. I’ve been maining qaz’s on and off for a year or two - if you can swing 40s qaz is definitely doable. Tap-hold and combos are your friend.

2 Likes

Looks like Omnitype is doing their own series of PBT Cherry caps a-la Novelkeys and TKC, and it sounds like they’ll be (legitimately) bringing some old fave colorways to the table. I’m all about it!

7 Likes

Interesting! They definitely have the cool colorways that could make it worth it. Also interesting that the first two the announce are some of the most cloned on AliExpress :thinking:

Hmm… I already own 2 sets of 9009 and modo light. I hope they make original designs for OTC. You guys think GMK will eventually have to start lowering their prices or nah?

1 Like