PBT typing feel

[F u r u y á]

This thread has a rich content and keycap material reviews! I'm just replying for the statistical sake of concurring with Saturn, Flip and AKIMbO.

I concur 101% with the following (especially the bolded parts):

I've always heard that PBT is the ultimate in keycap material.
(...)
They feel extremely slippery to my fingers.

I can't ever go back to ABS keys. The feel of a well-worn set of PBT is superb. It's perfect. The texture / friction is just enough to attain good grip, while sliding to the next key on the upstroke.

ABS keys tend to "grab hold" of my finger tips which I hate. It slows me down.

Nothing beats the slippery feeling of POM.  POM feels slippery, but in a good way.  ABS just feels meh.  PBT feels heavenly.

For me, performance-wise, POM > PBT >> ABS because I like being able to slip my fingers fast, freely and smoothly through the keycaps.

[lazerpointer]

Hmmmm, now I have to buy a Noppoo to try out this POM

[F u r u y á]

Hmmmm, now I have to buy a Noppoo to try out this POM

Mine is from PLU ML-87 (black). Dunno if it's cheaper than Noppoo so you might consider it too.


And just to add to my previous comment, here's my experience with brand new ABS (coming from POM): stock Filco keycaps feeling incredibly sticky-stuttering. In that thread Limmy added great information (as usual) about the coefficient of friction of ABS, PBT and POM:

Coefficient of friction (reference2)
ABS: approx. 0.35
PBT: approx. 0.25
POM: approx. 0.21
Note - This figure has been approximated from a chart in reference2.

[TotalChaos]

Many ppl mistakenly think that PBT is less slippery than ABS because many PBT keycaps come with a texturized matte finish built-in to the keycap mold.

PBT is a very strong and rigid plastic.  IMHO a texturized finish will last a long time when cast in PBT plastic but will quickly wear away when cast in ABS plastic.

And of course if 10 different companies use PBT keycaps then you can be sure there are 5 different kinds of texture being applied to the keycaps.

And then to make things more confusing, some manufacturers apply a coating on top of the keycap, for example to protect their cheap-O Pad-Printed legends.  Different coatings can have any of a million possible imaginable effects.

I think this explains why some ppl think PBT is slippery but other ppl think PBT is grippy grabby or even sandpapery rough.




p.s. POM FTW! 

[keymaster]

This is how I felt when I switched from standard ABS to thick PBT..

[davkol]

I have three kinds of keycaps on my keyboard right now: thick POM (Noppoo), thin PBT (Cherry) and thick ABS (Cherry). I've replaced most doubleshots (thick ABS) with those PBT caps recently, because I hate the sticky feeling of (shiny) ABS when my hands get sweaty. I can't decide whether I prefer POM, or PBT though.

[Grim Fandango]

You guys are so weird.  I've come to the conclusion that all the world is crazy, and I'm the only sane one.

PBT is slippery, and ABS is grippy.  Truth.

Haven't any of you guys (those of you who play piano) ever played on a really old piano with true ebony and ivory keys, and your fingers slipped off of them because they were too dry and you couldn't get a grip?  PBT is like that, to me.

The sandyness you are referring to does make a lot of sense to me, but this feeling is not the same in every set of PBT keycaps. I think it is caused by the surface texture, and I feel it a bit in one set (qtan's black pbt) but not really in another (imsto thick pbt, which is slightly more smooth). A lot of confusion probably comes from the fact that what you are feeling has more to do with the production process of the keys, than it does with the actual material they are made from.

Since I made my post in this thread in the beginning of march, I have tried yet another set of PBT keycaps, while keeping abs keycaps on my other keyboard. Once I got more used to the surface texture on Qtan's set (KBC), the "sandyness" stopped bothering me. However, I am still not sold on it.

Currently ordering a full set of GMK double shot ABS keycaps (oh how my wallet hurts). Once I get them I will compare these as well. Eventually I will have too many spare keycaps and sell at least two sets. I wonder which will be the ones that I like most.

EDIT: After going back and forth I finally settled on what my preferences are
-I do not like Cherry profile over OEM (though they are fine).
-Since thick PBT from imsto comes in Cherry profile, I prefer the thin OEM PBT sets by KBC and Vortex that I have.
-After switching completely from ABS to PBT, ABS now feels worse. Could be caused by just being used to a slightly different feel.
-I am sad, because the double shot ABS cherry profile sets are some of the best looking available. I wanted to prefer these over everything else, but that is not what happened.

[Jocelyn]

This is how I felt when I switched from standard ABS to thick PBT..

ROFL!!! How appropriate

[ideus]

ABS double shot cherries - terse and tender, my favorites.
Thick PBT imsto's in cherry height - matter finish, these caps feel more plastic to me.

[Hyde]

ABS double shot cherries - terse and tender, my favorites.
Thick PBT imsto's in cherry height - matter finish, these caps feel more plastic to me.

I currently have the imsto PBT and I kind of feel the same way.  I really want to try ABS double shot but Sherryton vanished 

[dmreeves]

I had ABS caps on a steelseries 6gv2 for about two years and before coming to GH I didn't know other tyeps of plastic keycaps existed. I discovered that pretty much hands down PBT caps won everyone over, so siding with the majority, when I got my KBT pure I picked one with PBT caps. I found that I really prefer the PBT as they feel "cleaner" and don't get oily and slippery like my ABS caps. I find that PBT have a little bit less friction and at times I need the slight "give" or that the pbt caps have to maximize my typing speed.

PBT reminds me of having my fingertips chalked like you rub chalk on your hands when playing pool, but to a lesser extent.

[fohat.digs]

Since I am an IBM Model M/F diehard, the feeling of Reagan-era PBT has become ingrained (no pun intended) in my fingertips.

Since the keys are big, tall, and heavy (regardless of whether 1-piece or 2-piece, there is a lot of plastic there) that is what feels "right" to me. I think that the mass of the keys is helpful, but I also understand that a gamer would want a light key that would spring back quickly.

Now that I have a few weeks of use on the cast pewter metal caps I got from osrix (Ben from the UK) I can say that I REALLY like them. They are not too slick, and the additional mass creates a very sweet resonance and feel.

Double shot keys look great - no one will argue that anything else can be as sharp - but they quickly wear to a slickness that is unpleasant to - SOME - people. I don't particularly mind it, but prefer some texture on my key surfaces. Also, they never wear evenly, so the "3" will tend to look differently than the "W" and "E" ....