Blues aren’t even good clickies and I’m surprised such a man of culture hasn’t gone for alps
How do Alps compare to Box? I’ve been wanting to get some Box Jades, but I really am just trying to replicate buckling springs, too. May just skip all that and go for a Unicomp.
Ypu’re not going to beat Unicomp or New Model F, but if you go for box I went with the Box Navy rather than Jade after looking at the force curves and was happy with the results.
I’ve wondered about Alps.
I am on a constant quest to find something as close to buckling spring keys as possible; so far, I’ve failed. No matter how much I max out tactile or clicky, there’s simply no substitute. I could just get a Unicomp, but they don’t make ergonomic, column staggered keyboards, and my hand health is more important to me than even the peerless tactile experience of buckling spring.
I’ve heard that Alps are about the closest you can get; I’ve never encountered a keyboard with Alps keys to test, though. Have you used both? How do you think they compare?
I’m using Choc Browns right now; I got sucked into the whole low profile aesthetic. While I like the layout of my Piantor Pro and would keep that, I’d give up the low profile for anything closer to buckling springs.
If you want buckling springs I would just get those and put up with the layout, as you say, nothing else is going to be exactly the same. I find alps and mx switches more predictable typing experience but lack the same feel and are just not as loud in the same way.
Blue or Amber Alps would be my pick if you can find a board in the layout you want that supports Alps. I strongly recommend trying them before you invest, whites used to be cheaper than blues, so if you might get lucky with preferring whites and save some cash.
Zeal Clickiez are probably the closest to what you are going to get out of MX that I have tried, although I had to spring swap to get the feel how I prefer. They are not cheap especially when you add in new springs.
You can always ball bearing mod the MX switches to add in some extra thocc.
I can’t do the layout anymore. RSI.
not as loud in the same way.
It’s not the loud; it’s the way they click. Increasing tension until they buckle and then all tension is released.
I used to have close to 100WPM on a Model M. I’ve never been able to get over 80. Could be age, but I think the predictability and certainty of the keypress played a large part. You know, without any doubt, when you’ve got a positive keypress on a buckling spring.
Have you ever tried the Matias Click? I’ve read they’re the closest thing to buckling spring on the market.
I wish there was a way to test drive them. I could buy some and seat them in something, but I don’t think I’d really be able to tell without a full keyboard and a typing test. That’s always been the issue: accessability.
