Metal Keycap Info

[mAz]

Hey guys,

I was just browsing the net for some keycaps to replace my worn out standard ones for my CMS-QFR and I found these on Overclockers...

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=702&catid=23&subid=2455

I am really tempted by them as I think they look nice enough to not be considered tacky and with regular cleaning they will look really nice on my currently under construction desk (minimalistic black w/ white and metal accents) the only thing that is stopping me buying them right now (well, asking the lovely all knowing all beautiful girlfriend if it is ok first) is I can't seem to find any reviews on them apart from one youtube video:

(Headset users be advised, the into is loud but nice in 7.1)

Is there anyone on here that either has the QWERTY, FN and 1-9 keys or has similar that can give me some insight as to how they are to use? I use a CMS-QFR that I want them on at the moment until I get my next mech (more on that soon...) it has MXBlacks and I mainly use it for gaming and just browsing.

Dan

[phx]

I actually just got a few metal key caps earlier today.

They definitely feel a lot different. First of all, it's a lot heavier than plastic so the weight of it makes it easier to activate keys (so it might make MX black feel like MX red). At the same time the weight of it also make the key slower to bounce back after you hit it. So it will be slightly harder to double tap a key really fast. I personally wouldn't use metal keys just for a small cluster because of the inconsistency in feels.
One of these days maybe I'll be rich/crazy enough to get metal caps on the entire keyboard...

As for the feel, it's cold to the touch

[mAz]

@phx - I am looking to get a full set that is on offer on Overclockers as I think they would look better than just a few in a cluster as you say.

- What do you use your keyboard for?
- As you say about the weight and the double-tapping I would be concerned that I would be hitting keys twice when I only want to activate them once, or am I being a bit OTT about the action?
- Would you be able to post a pic of how they look please?

Dan

[phx]

@phx - I am looking to get a full set that is on offer on Overclockers as I think they would look better than just a few in a cluster as you say.

- What do you use your keyboard for?
- As you say about the weight and the double-tapping I would be concerned that I would be hitting keys twice when I only want to activate them once, or am I being a bit OTT about the action?
- Would you be able to post a pic of how they look please?

Dan

I use it mainly for typing with some gaming.

You won't double tap by accident with these keys, and it really only affects your speed when you need to double tap it really fast.

My keyboard is MX brown, it is pretty interesting to use the metal keys, they are louder too. It's hard to imagine what they are like without actually trying it out yourself. You may like it you may hate it.

EDIT: you can try putting a coin on your cap then press it, maybe that can replicate the feel a bit 

[mAz]

Cool, I think I will probably order one of the smaller sets and see if I can get them to maybe include a few dampers (I have had a look at a few youtube videos and I do actually like the noise that they make but I can assume that my GF might have something to say about that!) just to test out whether I might get some of those too.

I could be wrong here (Feel free to correct me if I am!) but the MXBrown require less pressure to cause actuation so because I have MXBlack (Due to spring compression?!) I might have a bit better luck with the double-tapping than if I had a different switch (I do have big hairy gorilla hands so that wouldn't help in the weight department).

I will order some and see how I get on, I do like the look of them so I would be a bit bummed out if I got them and found they don't give me as much useful satisfaction as they do visual!

Dan

[phx]

yeah mx black is harder to press than brown. 60g vs 45g

[mAz]

I'm hoping that will make a difference in terms of double-tapping (I don't know if you play Starcraft but if you don't then double-tapping can mean the difference between winning and losing if you don't notice it!) I have a friend who had a mouse that would double click and it took him ages to realise and has was losing his army so much that he stopped playing for a week until he found out why

[deSheol]

Zinc?

[mAz]

@deSheol - Yeah according to the site they are a Zinc alloy (It has been a long time since I was in school so I had to go onto the net to look at the properties of it). From what I found, they are supposedly made from the same stuff as vehicle panels and are deigned to last a long time (6-12 years). This being said, there doesn't seem to be any definitive proof of either the metal they are made from nor the longevity of the keycaps... But for a tester, I was thinking of getting the OCUK escape key to see what sort of quality they are before committing to such a large amount for something that might turn out to be crap.