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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: jeroplane on Sun, 14 October 2012, 04:20:57

Title: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: jeroplane on Sun, 14 October 2012, 04:20:57: I remember seeing someone mention it, as well as a Deskthority post about it, but I can't for the life of me find either.

How can one differentiate between modern and vintage Cherry MX Black switches? I remember it was something to do with the logo being aligned differently?
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: TheProfosist on Sun, 14 October 2012, 04:38:41: The logo is ever so slightly bigger on the vintage switches.
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: tsangan on Sun, 14 October 2012, 05:36:13: Vintage
(http://i.imgur.com/kZDgK.jpg)

New
(http://i.imgur.com/iW2d0.jpg)

I DO NOT OWN THESE PHOTOS

Source: http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8/cherry-mx-old-vs-new-t139-30.html
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: jeroplane on Sun, 14 October 2012, 06:02:37: Awesome, thanks for the info guys.
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 14 October 2012, 16:01:27: What differences are there between vintage and modern blacks (apart from the slight difference in logo size)?
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: urbanus on Mon, 15 October 2012, 03:15:45: Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 14 October 2012, 16:01:27
What differences are there between vintage and modern blacks (apart from the slight difference in logo size)?

The vintage switches have a smoother feel. They don't have the slight feeling of friction you get in modern blacks and reds.
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: rowdy on Mon, 15 October 2012, 04:25:36: Thanks for that. Looking a bit closer at my 1988 switches, they seem to have the smaller Cherry loco, so I guess they are not vintage.

So, that begs the question: how old are vintage MX black switches?
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: jeroplane on Mon, 15 October 2012, 04:45:15: Quote from: rowdy on Mon, 15 October 2012, 04:25:36
Thanks for that. Looking a bit closer at my 1988 switches, they seem to have the smaller Cherry loco, so I guess they are not vintage.

So, that begs the question: how old are vintage MX black switches?

From what I've read, they changed the material of the switches in about 1994/1995. So anything from 1984 to 1994 would be vintage.
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: rowdy on Mon, 15 October 2012, 04:57:39: Weird then. My terminal is dated December 1988 and the keyboard switches have a smaller Cherry logo, like the second pic above.
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: tsangan on Mon, 15 October 2012, 06:36:38: There definitely isnt a set date for this vintage/non vintage black stuff

All you can do is look to confirm
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: SmallFry on Mon, 15 October 2012, 07:31:02: I think you're all crazy... :P Black is black.

I personally haven't ever compared "vintage blacks" to "new ones".
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: bounce on Mon, 15 October 2012, 09:49:09: Hm, thats strange.
The cherry logo on my SteelSeries 7G is smaller than on my
G80 3000 HPMDE / 06 while the typing feels totally different (thats due to pcb mounted compared to platemounted i suppose).
Title: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: tsangan on Mon, 15 October 2012, 12:46:44: Quote from: SmallFry on Mon, 15 October 2012, 07:31:02
I think you're all crazy... :P Black is black.

I personally haven't ever compared "vintage blacks" to "new ones".
vintage mx blues and browns are better too btw since we're on this topic of vintage switches ;o
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Mon, 15 October 2012, 13:13:39: The original MX were black, and were made between 85 and sometime in the early 90s from what I can tell. The originals have a lighter spring, and the stem is possibly made of a different plastic formula, and also the legs that hit the crosspoint have a tiny bit less angle on them. The larger logo is the easiest way to spot them, but there may be some of the smaller logo with the orignal internals as well made during transition period. Some earlier blues can be spotted this way as well with the large logo, but the most imortant part there is the 2nd piece of the stem is made out of the same black plastic as the original blacks. Whatever the case with the older black plastic, is it has much less friction than later variants resulting in much smoothe action. I like to describe it as buttery.
Vintage browns only feel better because they have turned into reds after having thier little tactile point worn off. :P
Title: Re: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: rayuki on Mon, 15 October 2012, 13:46:40: Quote from: SmallFry on Mon, 15 October 2012, 07:31:02
I think you're all crazy... :P Black is black.

I personally haven't ever compared "vintage blacks" to "new ones".

The cheat I just got has vintage blacks, and it feels way better then modern blacks

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk 2
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: dorkvader on Wed, 17 October 2012, 09:11:29: All my WYSE keyboards have had a mix of vintage and modern blacks. I believe the vintage ones do feel different.
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: rowdy on Wed, 17 October 2012, 14:10:34: Hmmm I might pull a few more key caps off and see what else is there (I only checked a couple of them).
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: cgbuen on Wed, 24 October 2012, 02:21:37: What kind of springs do vintage blacks have? More than once I've seen people mention them in the same sentence as 62g springs. Are these found on WYSEs and such already, or are do members just tend to mod vintage blacks with separately purchased Korean 62g springs?
Title: Re: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: TheProfosist on Wed, 24 October 2012, 02:59:04: Quote from: cgbuen on Wed, 24 October 2012, 02:21:37
What kind of springs do vintage blacks have? More than once I've seen people mention them in the same sentence as 62g springs. Are these found on WYSEs and such already, or are do members just tend to mod vintage blacks with separately purchased Korean 62g springs?
mod vintage blacks with korean 62g springs.
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: cgbuen on Wed, 24 October 2012, 10:12:34: So how do stock vintage black springs feel? Closer to the modern 65g actuation force springs?
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 24 October 2012, 10:48:34: Vintage blacks are lighter than current, about 60-63g actuation force so just a touch heavier than the 62g since those are marked on bottom out force.
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: cgbuen on Thu, 25 October 2012, 01:33:31: Good to know! Thanks for the info guys! :)
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: TheQsanity on Thu, 25 October 2012, 02:08:37: Sooo... Vintage Alps anyone?
Title: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: xsphat on Tue, 06 November 2012, 14:22:20: Quote from: TheQsanity on Thu, 25 October 2012, 02:08:37
Sooo... Vintage Alps anyone?

I have some vintage white stem Alps in a Chiconey AT 'board in my closet, you want it?
Title: Re: Re: Identifying Vintage Blacks?
Post by: SmallFry on Tue, 06 November 2012, 17:58:06: Quote from: xsphat on Tue, 06 November 2012, 14:22:20
Quote from: TheQsanity on Thu, 25 October 2012, 02:08:37
Sooo... Vintage Alps anyone?

I have some vintage white stem Alps in a Chiconey AT 'board in my closet, you want it?
Mmmmm ALPS...