Alps Appreciation Thread

[mike52787]

Theyre a bit deeper, but still just as pingy. The recording doesnt really do justice to the real sound of these switches.

[Mattr567]

Pingy and clicky, I like it

They sound very similar but the Blue's are better, although the White's aren't very far behind at all.

[mike52787]

Pingy and clicky, I like it

They sound very similar but the Blue's are better, although the White's aren't very far behind at all.

Yeah, they're ever so slightly deeper sounding. Feels slightly better as well. They're both good, but I like the blues better.

[blackriver]

Hello, here is my first ALPS board, just scooped it up last weekend. I read somewhere that Ortek MCK 101FX's don't use true APLS switches but i'm certainly no pro so I have no clue. Either way they feel way different than MX's and I love them!

[E3E]

Pingy and clicky, I like it

They sound very similar but the Blue's are better, although the White's aren't very far behind at all.

Yeah, they're ever so slightly deeper sounding. Feels slightly better as well. They're both good, but I like the blues better.

Yeah, the blues have a more robust sound.



You can probably tell which one is a blue leaf. They're much smoother looking.

It really comes down to the return spring and the click leaf. The slider and top housing are also important, especially the top housing for smoothness, but I'd say any first gen slider with a blue Alps click leaf and any light spring from SKCL Green, Orange, or Blue, would do it.

SKCM Brown also has a surprisingly light spring behind its stiff tactile leaf.

[alienman82]

removed.

[Wingpad]

you alps nerd!  it's all about that mx blue click leaf.  you need to try the green click leaf.  it's like a heavier leaf.  maybe a branch ...

all joking aside very cool how you can interchange parts like that and get new switch feelings.  kinda wish MX did that. we just got the spring game on the other side - hello ---- adele

Last I checked... MX switches don't have click leaves, mwahahaha! Game. Set. Match. Checked!

Yeah, it's quite amusing/useful; however, thanks to sprit soon will have springs as well

[Hypersphere]

@Wingpad: Thanks for the offer of some blue Alps springs! PM sent.

@mike52787: Thanks for the explanation of the build history of your alps64 custom board.

[chyros]

Theyre a bit deeper, but still just as pingy. The recording doesnt really do justice to the real sound of these switches.

Thanks! The difference doesn't sound quite as pronounced in this case, as I had expected. This would suggest that the difference in sound in not just due to the click leaves, although they play a small part perhaps.

Also thanks Ethan, I hadn't noticed the smoothness of the blue click leaf. I'll be making close-up pictures like this as well hopefully, to document this in more detail.

[E3E]

Theyre a bit deeper, but still just as pingy. The recording doesnt really do justice to the real sound of these switches.

Thanks! The difference doesn't sound quite as pronounced in this case, as I had expected. This would suggest that the difference in sound in not just due to the click leaves, although they play a small part perhaps.

Also thanks Ethan, I hadn't noticed the smoothness of the blue click leaf. I'll be making close-up pictures like this as well hopefully, to document this in more detail.

No problem. Yeah, it's really subjective when it comes to the sound. To me, mike's modified greens sound very similar to blue Alps, but you seem to feel like there's still a difference. I'm not sure what to think. 
 
Greens have pretty much everything a blue Alps switch has: long switch plate, dry lubricant on the slider, a light spring. There's the top housing, which comes from an SKCM white, but it doesn't seem too different from an SKCM blue top.

The only thing that comes to mind at this point is the variations in color between top housings, like the bluish housings versus the black ones.

[chyros]

Theyre a bit deeper, but still just as pingy. The recording doesnt really do justice to the real sound of these switches.

Thanks! The difference doesn't sound quite as pronounced in this case, as I had expected. This would suggest that the difference in sound in not just due to the click leaves, although they play a small part perhaps.

Also thanks Ethan, I hadn't noticed the smoothness of the blue click leaf. I'll be making close-up pictures like this as well hopefully, to document this in more detail.

No problem. Yeah, it's really subjective when it comes to the sound. To me, mike's modified greens sound very similar to blue Alps, but you seem to feel like there's still a difference. I'm not sure what to think. 
 
Greens have pretty much everything a blue Alps switch has: long switch plate, dry lubricant on the slider, a light spring. There's the top housing, which comes from an SKCM white, but it doesn't seem too different from an SKCM blue top.

The only thing that comes to mind at this point is the variations in color between top housings, like the bluish housings versus the black ones.

No, I didn't intend to compare these to blue Alps. I wanted this video because I wanted to compare the sound white and blue click leaves make under comparable conditions. Doing them off-switch is a pretty good way of doing just that.

[Hypersphere]

I doubt I could tell the difference without being told which were the switches with click leaves from blue Alps vs. white Alps.

There can certainly be a major difference in feel between one type of leaf and another in a given Alps switch. Recently, I have swapped out the slider from the spacebar switch on two blue Alps boards, replacing it with the slider from a Matias Quiet swtich. The slider swap makes a pronounced difference in the sound of the spacebar. Initially, I had also swapped out the blue click leaf, replacing it with the Matias Quiet tactile leaf. However, the tactile leaf made the switch feel too heavy and the tactile bump felt too emphatic. So, I removed the Matias Quiet tactile leaf and reverted to the blue click leaf. This resulted in a lighter feel with a gentler tactile bump and a subtle click.

[Norman_the_Owl]

My heat gun isn't nearly powerful enough to assist me in getting rid of these soldered bolts.

How much would removing the bolts entirely affect the feeling of the board when it's reassembled? Would i notice that they're gone?

[E3E]

My heat gun isn't nearly powerful enough to assist me in getting rid of these soldered bolts.

How much would removing the bolts entirely affect the feeling of the board when it's reassembled? Would i notice that they're gone?

Would some ChipQuik work? It's a low temp solder meant to keep things fluid long enough for removing SMD components and other finicky stuff. It was great when trying to desolder SIP socketed boards with short sockets and it IS wonderful for SMD.

It might allow you to get all the solder out of the bolts.

[Norman_the_Owl]

Looks like it would take a ton, there are like 5 heavily soldered bolts. I only spent 40 dollars on the entire board, spending 40 more dollars to get it apart would be a shame. It would work though, it's just probably cheaper to get a stronger heatgun lol. Mines 300w, so it probably gets to 500 ish degrees F. Not quite hot enough. There'a a 1200w 1000 degrees F heat gun on amazon for 20$. I'm just weighing whether or not it's worth just drilling out the bolts or getting a new heat gun.

[E3E]

Looks like it would take a ton, there are like 5 heavily soldered bolts. I only spent 40 dollars on the entire board, spending 40 more dollars to get it apart would be a shame. It would work though, it's just probably cheaper to get a stronger heatgun lol. Mines 300w, so it probably gets to 500 ish degrees F. Not quite hot enough. There'a a 1200w 1000 degrees F heat gun on amazon for 20$. I'm just weighing whether or not it's worth just drilling out the bolts or getting a new heat gun.

Well, the thing with QuikChip is that it just take a small dab of the stuff for the solder to stay molten for a longer period of time. A tiny dab, heat it up, and get the solder sucker or pry apart when heated (not sure how these soldered bolts look though).

That gun sounds like it might be dangerously hot. I'd be afraid of it damaging some components. With something like QuikChip, you don't need a lot, it reduces soldering temperatures, and as a result, it stays molten much longer. You can literally move a part around for several seconds as opposed to the bond becoming almost instantly solid again the second you take heat away from it like with normal solder.

It really is worth it to have some. I think one pack would be more than enough to use for this, but you'd just have to not be excessive. You don't need a lot to get the desired result.

[alh84001]

When using heat gun, even if away from the components, when temperature is sufficiently high and you apply it long enough, you will get bubbling of copper or whatever is underneath the solder mask. If it's for a short period of time, it won't affect the board, but I wouldn't try and test it.

[Norman_the_Owl]

Looks like it would take a ton, there are like 5 heavily soldered bolts. I only spent 40 dollars on the entire board, spending 40 more dollars to get it apart would be a shame. It would work though, it's just probably cheaper to get a stronger heatgun lol. Mines 300w, so it probably gets to 500 ish degrees F. Not quite hot enough. There'a a 1200w 1000 degrees F heat gun on amazon for 20$. I'm just weighing whether or not it's worth just drilling out the bolts or getting a new heat gun.

Well, the thing with QuikChip is that it just take a small dab of the stuff for the solder to stay molten for a longer period of time. A tiny dab, heat it up, and get the solder sucker or pry apart when heated (not sure how these soldered bolts look though).

That gun sounds like it might be dangerously hot. I'd be afraid of it damaging some components. With something like QuikChip, you don't need a lot, it reduces soldering temperatures, and as a result, it stays molten much longer. You can literally move a part around for several seconds as opposed to the bond becoming almost instantly solid again the second you take heat away from it like with normal solder.

It really is worth it to have some. I think one pack would be more than enough to use for this, but you'd just have to not be excessive. You don't need a lot to get the desired result.

I guess i'll pick up a pack off amazon, what's the worse that could happen.

[Hypersphere]

I've discovered a new source of Tai-Hao WoB doubleshot Alps-mount keycaps -- Clueboard:

https://shop.clueboard.co/

TKL set = $14.99

NumPad set = $4.99

Mechanicalkeyboards.com does not currently stock the WoB set. They carry Olivette and Dolch for $34.00 for a full 104 set, but Dolch is currently out of stock. The Clueboard price is the same as recently offered on Massdrop, but Clueboard carries this set as a regular item and they usually ship immediately. As far as I know, Clueboard is the only vendor that supplies separate TKL and NumPad sets for Alps-mount keycaps.

I received my TKL + NumPad sets today, and they included 5 extra novelty caps as compensation for a slight delay in shipping.

I have no financial interest in Clueboard. I was just excited to find another source of new Alps-mount keycaps and thought that the Alps Appreciation followers might like to know (for those who do not know already).

[Wingpad]

I've discovered a new source of Tai-Hao WoB doubleshot Alps-mount keycaps -- Clueboard:

...

I received my TKL + NumPad sets today, and they included 5 extra novelty caps as compensation for a slight delay in shipping.

I saw those a while back when I was considering building a Clueboard - I just couldn't get behind the all-acrylic construction. What're you planning on using your Tai-Hao keycaps on? I used to have a set on my old AT101W and they're not bad, you get a lot of bang for your buck; however, now that I've gotten used to PBT/thicker caps I don't think I could go back

For anyone that's tried both Tai-Hao and Matias' offerings before - how did they compare?

[Hypersphere]

I've grown accustomed to PBT caps from my Topre-switch and IBM buckling spring keyboards as well as some of my KBP V60 Matias-swtich keyboards.  (The V60 alphas are PBT from IBM 5140 keyboards).

However, recently, I have been acquiring vintage Alps boards, and I have learned to tolerate, and even enjoy, using the stock doubleshot ABS caps on some of them, at least until I can source PBT caps that I like.

What I have been doing on some of the vintage Alps boards is to populate the alpha keys with dye-sub PBT caps and fill in the remainder of the board with blank black ABS from Matias and/or doubleshot ABS caps from vintage boards or from new sets made by Tai-Hao. The blanks work especially well for me because I remap a number of the keys and it would be difficult to find the correct legends. I also like to have color symmetry, with the Backquote/Tilde and Backslash keys the same color as the modifiers.

I find that the quality of the blank black caps from Matias is fine for the modifiers and on par with the Tai-Hao doubleshot ABS caps.

A good source of a dye-sub PBT set for a full-size keyboard is the SGI "Bigfoot" series of keyboards. These have thick PBT caps of excellent quality in a winkeyless layout and standard OEM profile. The CapsLock is stepped, so the SGI set will work completely on the Leading Edge DC-3014. The only drawback for me with the SGI set is the Italic font. My own preference is a regular font. However, the SGI keyboards are relatively plentiful at fairly reasonable prices.

When I find time to snap some pics, I will post one or more of my favorite keycap schemes for some Alps boards.

[Wingpad]

However, recently, I have been acquiring vintage Alps boards, and I have learned to tolerate, and even enjoy, using the stock doubleshot ABS caps on some of them, at least until I can source PBT caps that I like.

...

A good source of a dye-sub PBT set for a full-size keyboard is the SGI "Bigfoot" series of keyboards. These have thick PBT caps of excellent quality in a winkeyless layout and standard OEM profile. The CapsLock is stepped, so the SGI set will work completely on the Leading Edge DC-3014. The only drawback for me with the SGI set is the Italic font. My own preference is a regular font. However, the SGI keyboards are relatively plentiful at fairly reasonable prices.

Have you considered trying to find a Dell AT101 (not 'W')? If you like the 5140's PBT dye-subbed legends, you'll probably like the AT101's since they're the same. Plus, you'd get a full matching set. Unfortunately, Dell AT101's are becoming scarce compared to their SGI AT101 counterparts. I also didn't realize the DC3014 is stepped the same way as an AT101 - I guess that makes sense since Alps Electric was behind both boards.

What I have been doing on some of the vintage Alps boards is to populate the alpha keys with dye-sub PBT caps and fill in the remainder of the board with blank black ABS from Matias and/or doubleshot ABS caps from vintage boards or from new sets made by Tai-Hao. The blanks work especially well for me because I remap a number of the keys and it would be difficult to find the correct legends. I also like to have color symmetry, with the Backquote/Tilde and Backslash keys the same color as the modifiers.

...

I find that the quality of the blank black caps from Matias is fine for the modifiers and on par with the Tai-Hao doubleshot ABS caps.

Ah, OK, that makes sense. I'll look forward to seeing those pictures. Also, duly noted about the quality - that's a bit disappointing since I find the modern Tai-Hao keycaps to be too thin for me. I was hoping Matias' offerings would be thicker.

[Mattr567]

I actually prefer DS ABS on some of my boards. Linear can go either way, tactile I like PBT and on Clicky switches ABS is the way to go.

For example I prefer the standard medium thickness ABS caps on my SKCM Blue Packard Bell vs SGI PBT's.

[mike52787]

I actually prefer thinner abs caps on my click modded greens, but on any tactile switch pbt caps are the best. I really need an at101 set to put on my omnikey. linear doesnt really matter to me.

[alienman82]

removed.

[mike52787]

My SGI granite feels really good.  Glad I got the ps2 version.  Might swap orange alps in it eventually.  maybe in the SKCM greens since I could desolder them later.

Does it have dampened whites or dampened creams?

[alienman82]

removed.

[mike52787]

My SGI granite feels really good.  Glad I got the ps2 version.  Might swap orange alps in it eventually.  maybe in the SKCM greens since I could desolder them later.

Does it have dampened whites or dampened creams?

too much of a gay person to check

knew it

[alienman82]

removed.

[Hypersphere]

Regarding keycap thickness in general, the degree of thickness is not necessarily correlated with quality or performance, although psychologically at least, there seems to be a threshold of thickness below which confidence in the product wanes.

An example: Recently, I pulled the dye-sub PBT caps from an IBM P70 Alps plate spring keyboard, and I discovered that the keycaps were the thinnest I had ever seen. They are so thin, I actually said out loud, "Wow! These caps are really thin!" They are like egg shells. I was afraid to grasp them too tightly for fear they would break. However, I tested them on a white Alps board, and they worked just fine. There was no detectable difference in sound, but the feel of the PBT was better than the feel of the stock ABS caps.

In contrast, I have had thick dye-sub PBT caps for Cherry mx that had problems with ill-fitting stems and thick walls that interfered with stabilizer wires.

[Norman_the_Owl]

My SGI granite feels really good.  Glad I got the ps2 version.  Might swap orange alps in it eventually.  maybe in the SKCM greens since I could desolder them later.

Does it have dampened whites or dampened creams?

I've been using dampened white and oh boy are they fun.

These are all bindy and some are repeating a lot. Good thing i bought the board for caps

[Hypersphere]

@Wingpad: Here are some pics of the LE DC-3014 SMCM blue Alps board. The top case was painted burgundy red and the bottom case was painted flat black with Dupli-Color Vinyl & Fabric spray coating. The board was outfitted with dye-sub PBT alphas from an IBM 5140. The white F-keys and NumPad number keys are doubleshot ABS from a Northgate Omnikey 101. The WoB keys are Tai-Hao doubleshot ABS, and the blank black keys are ABS from Matias.







Despite the mixed origins of the keycaps, the profiles match and the colors and textures are close enough not to be jarring to the eye, especially when in actual use rather than being scrutinized in a photo. I also don't notice the difference in keycap composition when typing because most of the time I am in contact with the dye-sub PBT alpha keys. I do, however, really appreciate the dry feel of PBT when I compare this setup with another keyboard that has stock doubleshot ABS caps on all of the keys.

[E3E]

Yeah, the dryness of PBT is something I really like too. I find ABS to be warm and grippy while PBT is dry and takes texturing very well. I like them both; not a dye hard PBT ONLY person, but I'd say I do prefer it more often than not.

[Hypersphere]

Before getting into vintage Alps, I had dye-sub PBT caps on all my boards, many of which already came so equipped (HHKB, RF, IBM Model F and Model M). Now, partially due to the difficulty in sourcing PBT caps and partially due to the pleasure of typing on classic Alps-switch boards, I find that I can sometimes enjoy typing on ABS. For example, at the moment, my Northgate Omnikey 101 boards are all-ABS. However, I think I will swap out at the main alpha keys on at least one of the Northgates with dye-sub PBT. Unfortunately, I only have one IBM 5140 set remaining, unless I rob them from my V60 Matias boards.

[Mattr567]

So in anticipation toward the Tandem coming tomorrow I put the internals of a SKCL Cream into my SGI to get an idea of what they could feel like. At first the Cream felt too heavy but after a little bit I actually like them a lot. Unlike SKCL Green which can be a bit abrupt going down SKCL Cream has a cushion of sorts. A characteristic I have heard of other heavier linear switches like SKCL Brown.

Also had an unexpected surprise. The SKCL Cream has a black switch plate Was not expecting that. The only other black switchplate switches I have are the SKCL Green from the 1984 dated Multistation. This implies that the Sharp typewriter the Cream came out of must be an early one as well and it's SKCL Greens also had black switchplates.

[E3E]

So in anticipation toward the Tandem coming tomorrow I put the internals of a SKCL Cream into my SGI to get an idea of what they could feel like. At first the Cream felt too heavy but after a little bit I actually like them a lot. Unlike SKCL Green which can be a bit abrupt going down SKCL Cream has a cushion of sorts. A characteristic I have heard of other heavier linear switches like SKCL Brown.

Also had an unexpected surprise. The SKCL Cream has a black switch plate Was not expecting that. The only other black switchplate switches I have are the SKCL Green from the 1984 dated Multistation. This implies that the Sharp typewriter the Cream came out of must be an early one as well and it's SKCL Greens also had black switchplates.

Oh wow, is it coming in tomorrow? I didn't even notice. 

Yuuuus, the cushion of heavier linears is one of my favorite aspects. Ambers have supreme cushion, but they ARE heavier than Alps SKCL Brown and Cream, so I too am concerned if they'll be too heavy. I don't think so though, I think it'll just be more cushion for the pushin', so to speak.

Playing around with the amber space bar using a single key once, it actually felt like an Alps switch that could feasibly be "floated" and held just above actuation point, whereas most other Alps switches are too light for that to be practical with the high actuation point.

Ahh yeah, I got black switchplate SKCL Greens from a Sharp Typewriter too! One I desoldered for a customer as well. I figure it must've been from 1984. The SKCL Compacts they came with also had black plates. I used a black switchplate to repair a chattery SKCL Brown once.

Pretty nifty.

[Mattr567]

So in anticipation toward the Tandem coming tomorrow I put the internals of a SKCL Cream into my SGI to get an idea of what they could feel like. At first the Cream felt too heavy but after a little bit I actually like them a lot. Unlike SKCL Green which can be a bit abrupt going down SKCL Cream has a cushion of sorts. A characteristic I have heard of other heavier linear switches like SKCL Brown.

Also had an unexpected surprise. The SKCL Cream has a black switch plate Was not expecting that. The only other black switchplate switches I have are the SKCL Green from the 1984 dated Multistation. This implies that the Sharp typewriter the Cream came out of must be an early one as well and it's SKCL Greens also had black switchplates.

Oh wow, is it coming in tomorrow? I didn't even notice. 

Yuuuus, the cushion of heavier linears is one of my favorite aspects. Ambers have supreme cushion, but they ARE heavier than Alps SKCL Brown and Cream, so I too am concerned if they'll be too heavy. I don't think so though, I think it'll just be more cushion for the pushin', so to speak.

Playing around with the amber space bar using a single key once, it actually felt like an Alps switch that could feasibly be "floated" and held just above actuation point, whereas most other Alps switches are too light for that to be practical with the high actuation point.

Ahh yeah, I got black switchplate SKCL Greens from a Sharp Typewriter too! One I desoldered for a customer as well. I figure it must've been from 1984. The SKCL Compacts they came with also had black plates. I used a black switchplate to repair a chattery SKCL Brown once.

Pretty nifty.

Yea, let's just hope they aren't too heavy, I also don't think they will be. It's going to be that little extra bit that side by side you would notice but after a week of use? By that point you wouldn't be able to tell. Let's also hope that I get the right one

That would confirm that those Sharp's have a good chance to have black switchplates along with the early Multistation's. I'd imagine there was a SKCL Cream under the space of that Sharp as well. At that point SKCC and SKCL were being produced at the same time which is a bit weird.

What exactly is the difference between SKCL Brown and Cream? Hmm.

[alh84001]

Okay, wow. SKCM Brown has a seriously light spring.

I measured actuation at ~47.5 (9 nickles and a penny). Bottom out was at 50.

See the weird thing with Alps that makes it so hard to figure out a proper bottom out weight is, well... Sometimes the balance of the weight on the cap lets more or less weight sit on top of the switch before bottoming. I guess because of the weight distribution?

 I could get it to bottom with 50 though, every time. So it is much lighter than SKCL Brown.

So we've got a spring that's pretty much on par with SKCL Green in an otherwise heavy switch. The leaf spring really does take up all the resistance.

Testing SKCL Brown again, it bottoms at 70g. So actuation for brown is 60g and it bottoms at 70.

I just necro'd this post, since I got to the same point but other way round. I just took two green switches and added tops and click/tactile leaves from SKCM blue and SKCM (canon) cream.

The result is heavier switches then their donors. Doing a slider-on-slider test and taking care they are aligned, clicky green is heavier than blue, white and amber. Tactile green is heavier than tactile cream, and is on par with tactile brown (two of the tactile browns actuate before, and two after the green). Conversely, without the tactile leaf, tactile cream is really, really light.

I guess, those heavier linears would feel pretty heavy when paired with tactile/clicky leaf.

[Mattr567]

Ooooh, someone should put a SKCM Brown tactile leaf into a SKCL Amber and see what results

I'll do it tomorrow when I get the Tandem.

[E3E]

Yep, this is true. Tactile and click leaves bump up the actual weight of the switch. That means that linears are probably the heaviest switches from their return spring alone. Alps SKCM Brown's spring is very light, but the tactile leaf makes it one of the heaviest switches in the Alps family.

Not all of the Sharp typewriters have black switchplates. I've seen grey ones too. I've dismantled about 3 or so, if I remember right. Two for a customer. One for me?

Yeah, well you has SKCC and SKCM cross over most likely during a transitional phase, I'd imagine.

Also, I'm not sure how SKCL Cream and SKCL Brown are different. They're nearly identical from what I've seen. It's just that SKCL Brown was made by Goldstar Alps (and so only seen in Korean boards) and SKCL Cream was made universally by Alps. I've never seen SKCL Brown used as a space bar switch; it's always been for standard keys.

Ooooh, someone should put a SKCM Brown tactile leaf into a SKCL Amber and see what results

I'll do it tomorrow when I get the Tandem.

You mean an amber spring in an SKCM Brown housing right? I think it'd feel about the same until you get past the tactile "ramp" of the leaf, but the spring under it should just make it feel crazy weighty.

[Mattr567]

It can work either way. I'll do it your way since it's easier. Amber spring in a Brown.

I will create the Alps switch on steroids!

[E3E]

It can work either way. I'll do it your way since it's easier. Amber spring in a Brown.

I will create the Alps switch on steroids!

It's just that you can't put a brown tactile leaf into an amber. ) At least not an SKCL Amber.

[Mattr567]

Obviously you would also need a SKCM top housing. Other than that I don't see what the problem would be.

I'll do it the other way though since it's easier lol.

[E3E]

Obviously you would also need a SKCM top housing. Other than that I don't see what the problem would be.

I'll do it the other way though since it's easier lol.

Oh, duh. I was just thinking in literal terms, not in mike52787 breaking boundaries terms. )

[Quackles]

Just managed to pick up this keyboard on eBay, which arrived today! Wasn't sure whether it will come with orange alps or salmon alps. Thankfully it is salmon alps, as I already have orange alps! Really enjoying the feel of salmon alps. The keyboard was used in conjunction with music software, so the owner had stickers on the keys. I planned on taking them off when it arrived, but it looks quite cool in person and adds some character. Will most likely take them off eventually though. I'm hoping it will be easy and not damage the keycaps. Anyone able to provide advice on the best way to take them off?

[alh84001]

If you just soak them in warm water with some detergent it should become easy to peel of the stickers. At least it was this way with my m0115 and m0116 which both had stickers on their numpads.

@E3E, ohaimark weighed an SKCL clear from his Panasonic board to be between 75-80 gf. That would be a bit higher than your measurement of 70gf for SKCL brown. Of course, this is all within a margin of error when taking into account state of the switch, measurement itself and so on.

[E3E]

If you just soak them in warm water with some detergent it should become easy to peel of the stickers. At least it was this way with my m0115 and m0116 which both had stickers on their numpads.

@E3E, ohaimark weighed an SKCL clear from his Panasonic board to be between 75-80 gf. That would be a bit higher than your measurement of 70gf for SKCL brown. Of course, this is all within a margin of error when taking into account state of the switch, measurement itself and so on.

SKCL Clear, hehe.

Hmm, I weighed them myself and they came out to around the same weight, SKCL Cream/Brown. There is probably a margin of error, but I'd say they're similar! I'll have to weigh them again in bit to compare!

It's always a bit tricky when weighing with coins. 

[alh84001]

SKCL Clear, hehe.

I actually re-read that sentence and thought that something seemed wronged, but I just couldn't tell what and dismissed it  )

[Mattr567]

So, a new discovery had been made. There are two SKCL Amber: SKCL Amber and SKCL Striped Amber. The Tandem is the source for this.

The standard SKCL Amber's in the board have this red vertical stripe which I have not seen used on any other switch. This is different from the known "lipstick" since it is only a thin vertical line while the lipstick covers the whole top of the stem. This Amber is much lighter. Somewhere between SKCL Green and SKCL Brown. A bit more than SKCL Yellow i'd say.

The spacebar SKCL Amber (which we have known and has been found on many other SKCL Brown boards as the spacebar) is different! It's much heavier like SKCL Brown or Cream and doesn't have the red vertical stripe. That's how they tell the difference. Also the lock switch is Brown.
Pics:

[alh84001]

Nice one. Now only if we could find more