Commodore PC-5/PC-10 Keyboard. Finally was able to get my hands on a board with Linear space invaders. i’m sad that it’s missing some keycaps that are probably going to be a pain in the ass to get a hold of. specially the alpha numerics because i wanted to use those for a modern build and the keycaps are as good as new. Lovely switches, though. no binding, no scratch, very nice sound and very stable.
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Hefty mail day. Wasn’t expecting this for another few days; MM Studio Class80
So chonk.
Obligatory
Now that’s a purposeful looking seam.
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can’t wait to see what you think of it once you get it built up!
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Phwoar, that’s a lot nicer than I was expecting.
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Nesting dolls, apparently. All the way from shipping box to what I actually needed. I feel like there’s a lesson here 
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Wowzers, now that’s something really special. You picked the best of the best colorways imo and I absolutely dig how the brass weight spans the entire bottom of the case. Right on dude.
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I got a fantastic little board from @sarvopari today 
A Klippe T with some buttery smooth tealios. This thing is great! I can hardly believe it was put up for sale 
I’m unable to correctly photograph GMK TA 2015 but let’s just say the teal is a perfect match for the plate; I’m glad I finally found a home for this keyset again. And I get to use the R5 keys in this layout! The extra-tall bottom row is a bit weird but I’ve always thought it was neat they included it for the 7u bottom row modifiers.
Side note: I absolutely love VIA. I went from not being able to figure out how to hit ctrl-alt-delete to unlock my computer to having my preferred layout set up within 2 minutes.
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This beautiful thing (Data General 6246). Actually came yesterday, but spent time restoring it then. The switches aren’t as smooth as I was hoping though.
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Lucky! You beat me to it. Great keyset and cable mashup too.
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Wooo! Glad you love it TA looks so good!
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Wow! That looks so much better than in the promo shots!
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NK_ Cream Clickie switches - yep, these are neat.
Teardown photos and stuff:
All the bits; top and bottom housing, “snapple cap”, and stem with captive plunger and spring.
The interesting bits; the snap-cap thing, and the stem assembly. Here you can see the tiny nub that pushes down the metal disc.
Another angle; the metal cap thing (I know there’s a word for this) is nearly but not quite flat. Aptly branded, they do function a lot like the safety cap on a Snapple. Their default state is a slight dome, which you can collapse by applying a little pressure. When this happens, the dome quickly inverts with a snap - snapping back when enough pressure is released.
Snap-cap in the background, and the bottom housing, with its contacts resembling their low-profile and BOX switches. Also the …basin? where the snap-cap sits, held captive only by the ever-so-slightly pre-loaded plunger.
The cap also reminds me of a toy my dad held onto from his childhood; essentially a larger one of these that would stay in its inverted state for just a moment instead of immediately snapping back; the idea is to put it on the ground before it resets, and then it pops up into the air. They have rubber versions these days, with a more hemispherical dome.
Another look at the bottom housing, with light so you can see how thin the plastic is around the edges of the basin.
If you’re wondering, yes, you can “linearize” this switch by either removing or flipping (so as not to lose) the snap-cap. This is a good time to mention that the switch is indeed linear, with only the tiniest physical report from the collapsing snap-cap.
The other side. Presumably the main reason this switch still has a center “pin” is for MX-compatibility, though it may contribute to the sound as well.
The basin floor is thin like a drum, with a hollow tube forming the central pin on the other side.
One more look at the contacts, which have a plastic part attached to interact with the single actuating leg on the stem.
Focusing on the top housing briefly; where a space for normal MX contacts would be are a couple of retaining blocks for the more compact contact system below.
The stem in-place, with contacts below, held open by the actuating stem leg.
Another angle of the bottom assembly
The other side
One more look at the bottom parts dis-assembled
Quick first-impression notes:
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Really smooth feeling >.>
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Linear, with a tiny bit of feel from the click (details about how it works with the teardown photos above)
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The smoothest stock Cream so far is a clicky, kind of a low-key mic drop while also being kind of hilarious, I love it
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You can fully “linearize” the switch by removing the snap-cap
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You can also just flip it over so you don’t lose it
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Kailh calls it “black”, but these are a delicious very-dark brown - like unsweetened chocolate or hey, the “black” SP SA Filco keyset. Hmm…
I really look forward to trying these in a board.
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Interesting! Mine come next week. I think I might build my Frog TKL with them!
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I actually got mine today. I put them in a hotswap board. My first thoughts:
- As mentioned before, extremely smooth
- Most similar to a box white clicky (possibly a smidge deeper click and less tactility)
- Low wobble
I like them. I can type faster on them than a normal clicky switch. I can easily average 100 to 105wpm on these, which is what I get on linears. I average around 90wpm on most clicky switches.
A novel switch that should be considered for its smoothness, stability, and unique clicky-clack sound signature.
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Found a NK Cream Clickie sound test video:
It’s sound is definitely interesting.
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Pair of MMSwitch parts from trusty CannonKeys.
TL53 felt great with Banana Splits so got some more. I also tried them in my frankenswitch with Halo stem and found that TL53 fixed its upstroke latency issue. Poifect!
UPE stem is for modding. Just got email saying New Nixies arrived at NovelKeys so this (and TL53 springs) may go into those if they sound good.
UPDATE: Just tried MMSwitch UPE stem in Cherry blacks. Sound is lower-pitch as expected and long-pole loud but wobble is very bad. I’m not very wobble-sensitive yet this feels bad enough for even me to cringe. I think the problem is that long-pole tip is small and rounded which MMSwitch bottom housing may account for but not Cherry black.
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The space bar really sounds weird in that video, but the rest of the sounds are similar to what I’m hearing. Again, it’s not that much off from something like a Kailh Box White, but it does feel better to type on.
I’ve also found that using DSA keycaps really brings out a lot in the switch. Crisper clicks and snappier feeling overall. I’ll have to try to DCS to see if it’s just the thinner keycaps that feel better or if it’s something to do with shape as well.
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Alas, the drawback to many long pole switches.
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