Hello!
I'm rather new at this whole mechanical keyboard thing so please take my advice with a
small grain of salt, but I had the same dilemma up until a week ago and think I can chime in. I did research them both for about a month, so I think that the info I'll provide is pretty accurate.
The Rapid is made by Costar (which also does Filco, Das Ultimate and so on, all highly regarded boards on all forums I've visited), while the TK is made by another factory. No one knows for sure who it is, but it's not iOne at least - the guys who make the Razer BlackWidow and CM Storm Quick Fire Pro, since Carter (a CM representative) stated that they don't work with them any more (probably because of quality issues). It's also not Datacomp, I believe they sorta figured it out on another forum, it was something starting with a
P I think... well, never mind that.
Another difference between them is that the Rapid uses Costar stabilizers on the longer keys, while the TK (along with most other LED-illuminated keyboards) uses Cherry ones - everybody raves about how better Costar stabilizers feel, so keep that in mind.
Usually, you'll see everyone praise Costar as one of the best manufacturers out there.
Quality-wise, I think they're both pretty solid, although the TK weighs less than the Rapid - even with all those LEDs and so on (940 g for the Rapid vs 544 g for the TK)... if you like a heavy keyboard that screams "zombie-apocalypse-proof" then the Rapid should be your choice. I also like the design on the Rapid more, but that's up to you.
What also worried me on the TK was the non-standard layout - just look at that right cluster! You will have your Del key one row below where you would normally find it, your print screen next to the backspace and so on and so forth... for me, since I really dislike any layout that isn't the standard, that was a big put-off. In addition, if you ever want to change your key caps, note that the bottom row has "weird" sizes, so you're pretty much stuck with those keys.
Since you stated that you don't care about illumination, then I recommend the Rapid - it's the one I chose as well after
a lot of reading. I also mainly game on it, so when I type and need the number pad I think that it's better to just get out the USB one. This way you'll have one of the best TKL boards out there as opposed to a Jack of all Trades. Oh, as a side note, the Rapid is pretty much identical (at least for us, newbies) to the Filco Majestouch TKL which is almost twice the price. The main differences are in some solder joints, a differently colored PCB and so on, but the quality feeling (from what I've read) is the same.
Aaaand another thing: I just caught the key cap bug and I've already ordered a couple from different sites, and you will probably get it as well.
For me, I felt that the standard sizes on the Rapid were the way to go, and the TK's backlighting would be wasted on 99% of the key caps out there (since they're non-transparent).
Now, onto the switches! Again, I've had the exact same trouble picking, so that is why I'm writing this wall of text.
I also only tried the blues before, but as opposed to you I really liked their feel... but not their noise. So, I figured that browns were the way to go - that's until I found that the Rapid here only sells with blacks or reds. After more reading, I finally caved and bought the reds since I didn't want to import something and thus, have no warranty (quick note - older batches of the Rapid had an issue with the left Alt not working; it's most likely fixed by now). I instantly fell in love with the reds, and I'm really happy I went with them! For me, they feel perfect, since I always hated slamming my fingers on keys.
After I got this board my order for the WASDKeyboards Sampler Kit came (you should look into that if you aren't able to return it, like it's here), so I could at least get an idea about browns and blacks. Even if a switch mounted to a metal plate will feel different than one held with LEGOs (my DIY switch-holding apparatus
)), I'll try to at least describe the feeling... The Cherry MX red is pretty soft and easy to bottom out, but it doesn't actuate if I just place my fingers on the WASD keys. The force required increases a little bit the further you push it down, but it's still a great, precise movement... a mechanical one, you feel like a small piston is just below your fingers. The brown actuates when you apply a little bit more force, but it has the tactile bump higher than the blues - so, you only move it a little and then you can feel the bump. The reason why I'm saying "bump" so much is that it actually feels like that - compared to the "piston-like" movement on the reds, you will have a large hump to overcome when pressing. Personally, I really don't like the browns (but many people do, though)!
Hmm... just imagine it like this:\ - reds (slanted because the force increases with the distance travelled)
> - blues (little force required, then a crisp click, then little force required)
) - browns (little force required for a shorter distance, then a large hump, then little force required for the remaining distance)
That's pretty much how they feel when pressing on them!
I've also played around with the black switch, but I think it's much too hard to press and I'm sure I would get fatigued after an hour or so of pressing WASD+Shift.
Another think to keep in mind: linear switches (reds and blacks) are easier to double tap - with blues and browns I feel that I would sometimes forget to completely lift my finger off so I would try double-tapping when I was already below the bump (at least, that's what happens when I try it with the ones from the sampler kit).
Whoa, now that's a first post! In the end, I would recommend you the Rapid with Reds (if you don't usually hit your keys) or the Rapid with Blacks (if you use your fingers like hammers). Oh, and try this: place your hand on the table, then start tapping your fingers (not forcefully, just so that you start hearing the *thud* as opposed to a *pat-pat-pat*) - that's almost the force required to type on reds, so they're not
that soft, as some people say.
If I can be of any further help then please ask me and I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities!
Also, I'm thinking of doing an extended review this weekend, so you could wait for that as well (no promises, though... my SC2 ladder ranking isn't going up by itself!).
