Which would you really rather type on?

[typo]

Please do not let this go crazy. Please try to be honest.
At the end of the day would you rather actually type on, a Topre/HHKB. or a Custom MX with your choice of switches?
I personally am into the bling but nothing beats the feel of Topre switches to me. Not the RGB, a real one.
So I use my 65% for light duty and if I must type 1000's of lines, Topre.

[Polymer]

Topre...it isn't even close.

I don't stay exclusively to Topre for typing but it is the most enjoyable...and what I use 90% of the time for work.

For play/gaming I prefer MX...and pretty much never use Topre for this...

[typo]

We agree. I do the same. Exactly as I said above. I just cannot type tens of thousands of lines on anything but Topre. Really not even HHKB. Now days it must be R2 PFU Limited full size. Actuation on bottom.
Before it was 104UG high profile. I love Korean 65% but it only gets about 20% usage here. I use it for casual work. My hardcore coding and debugging/compiling is all on the Topre. Plus if I write a very long email or use word ETC. I grab the Topre. Granted the Korean is much "nicer". I mean the case really, backlit ETC. The Topre switches no MX can hold a candle to IMO. Anyone that would say so and really knows their stuff is just an oddball then. It is almost universally embraced that Topre is best for typing.

I figured everyone was going to agree. See I am just torn because I wish for a Korean case/plate with Topre cup rubber! Yeah keep dreaming, I know. It is no secret I have money. I would pay crazy money and they still would not do it. Topre has super tight control on their capacitive discharge technology. They simply will not sell it for whatever reason. So this is just not happening in my lifetime most likely. I just say that because I am already older. Heck, it may never happen. I really like backlit and tried so hard to make the RealForce RGB a good board to no avail. Honestly though if I had to choose a billet Titanium case Vs injection plastic I would still take the Topre. 

Polymer, do you lube and silence ETC? I found that good on old Topre boards but messes up the microprocessor on the R2 limited ED. I also found the very limited key cap selection is only worth it if you like the way they look. None of them feel better than stock IMO.

[Sup]

I use them both for long time typing but now i use my silent MX switches with progressive springs more then my HHKB Pro 1 now.  I did always use my HHKB Pro 1 for my work where i had to type 8 hours a day.

I like them both but now i am favoring my silent mx switches more.

[typo]

WOW I did not expect that! Silents yet! I could not type for 20 minutes on those. Well the "oddball" came to the party pretty quickly! I say that with respect of course! I honestly really do find that very interesting. Just goes to show..... some people only wear Nike, some only New Balance I guess. even though Nike is vastly more popular.

[Polymer]

We agree. I do the same. Exactly as I said above. I just cannot type tens of thousands of lines on anything but Topre. Really not even HHKB. Now days it must be R2 PFU Limited full size. Actuation on bottom.
Before it was 104UG high profile. I love Korean 65% but it only gets about 20% usage here. I use it for casual work. My hardcore coding and debugging/compiling is all on the Topre. Plus if I write a very long email or use word ETC. I grab the Topre. Granted the Korean is much "nicer". I mean the case really, backlit ETC. The Topre switches no MX can hold a candle to IMO. Anyone that would say so and really knows their stuff is just an oddball then. It is almost universally embraced that Topre is best for typing.

I figured everyone was going to agree. See I am just torn because I wish for a Korean case/plate with Topre cup rubber! Yeah keep dreaming, I know. It is no secret I have money. I would pay crazy money and they still would not do it. Topre has super tight control on their capacitive discharge technology. They simply will not sell it for whatever reason. So this is just not happening in my lifetime most likely. I just say that because I am already older. Heck, it may never happen. I really like backlit and tried so hard to make the RealForce RGB a good board to no avail. Honestly though if I had to choose a billet Titanium case Vs injection plastic I would still take the Topre. 

Polymer, do you lube and silence ETC? I found that good on old Topre boards but messes up the microprocessor on the R2 limited ED. I also found the very limited key cap selection is only worth it if you like the way they look. None of them feel better than stock IMO.

What happened with your end game Topre?  And how did you go from actuation on the bottom from it being on the top?

I don't lube any of my Topre..and I have a mix of silent and non-silent, variable and uniform..so whatever it is I feel like. 

The 3rd party keycaps for Topre don't seem great...I have some old RF sets that I was able to pick up cheaply and I use those to mix up what my board looks like...but pretty tame compared to most.

The board I'm using the most right now is an R2 limited TKL...and probably have been for 6+ months.....although the other boards get a rotation I just seem to be going back to that for work stuff most of the time...

[Sup]

WOW I did not expect that! Silents yet! I could not type for 20 minutes on those. Well the "oddball" came to the party pretty quickly! I say that with respect of course! I honestly really do find that very interesting. Just goes to show..... some people only wear Nike, some only New Balance I guess. even though Nike is vastly more popular.

I guess i am  . I like linears and Topre and these two combines into the silent mx switch kind of. linear action and Topre like bottoming out and return feeling is pretty good.

[typo]

polymer, because I put a lot of money in the RGB. The R2 is honestly better just as is! Go figure. Kick myself. Actuation on top I like but was causing me many mistypes. It is too touchy. I know I change my mind a lot. For $225 or whatever the PFU R2 is probably the best keyboard for actually typing there is IMO. The kits and what have you are all fun but I don't like typing on them for hours I realized. I am glad you follow me so closely!

[tp4tissue]

WOW I did not expect that! Silents yet! I could not type for 20 minutes on those. Well the "oddball" came to the party pretty quickly! I say that with respect of course! I honestly really do find that very interesting. Just goes to show..... some people only wear Nike, some only New Balance I guess. even though Nike is vastly more popular.

I guess i am  . I like linears and Topre and these two combines into the silent mx switch kind of. linear action and Topre like bottoming out and return feeling is pretty good.

Orings, you've just described orings.

[Polymer]

polymer, because I put a lot of money in the RGB. The R2 is honestly better just as is! Go figure. Kick myself. Actuation on top I like but was causing me many mistypes. It is too touchy. I know I change my mind a lot. For $225 or whatever the PFU R2 is probably the best keyboard for actually typing there is IMO. The kits and what have you are all fun but I don't like typing on them for hours I realized. I am glad you follow me so closely!

Why not just change the actuation to the bottom on your custom?

Anyways, the reason I don't put it on the bottom is it feels slow to react..although I'm sure I'd get used to it eventually.  The reason I don't put it up top is I don't see an advantage to it and it'll make my other Topres feel sluggish...

Pretty much, I like that it has the option if I want to use it..but no reason to really want to use it..

[Riverman]

I've been switching between my silenced Topre Realforce 104 and a couple of MX keyboards.  The Topre feels great, but looks boring, so that's why the Realforce doesn't always stay on my desk.  I absolutely love the way the way silent black MX switches feel in a G80-3000 with thick PBT or POM keycaps, but the lack of decent PBT keycap sets with a stepped caps lock key kills me.  I also love the feel of brown switches with QMX clips and lighter keycaps, so that's the other combination that gets swapped out with my Topre at work.  At home I have a Topre Type Heaven with Silence-X rings and KBDFans PBT keycaps, and that's just perfect.  I'd have that same setup at work, or even a Realforce RGB with Silence-X rings, but I really don't enjoy spending two hours installing those darn things, and people are asking obscene amounts of money for Type Heavens and RGBs these days.

[longford]

polymer, because I put a lot of money in the RGB. The R2 is honestly better just as is! Go figure. Kick myself. Actuation on top I like but was causing me many mistypes. It is too touchy. I know I change my mind a lot. For $225 or whatever the PFU R2 is probably the best keyboard for actually typing there is IMO. The kits and what have you are all fun but I don't like typing on them for hours I realized. I am glad you follow me so closely!

I kind of really want one now too. You sold me on the typing! End game typing is very high on my list. I only see R2 PFU Limited for $340 on Amazon for just the mid size :/ So not sure I could justify that right now since i'm busy trying to buy a 65 or TKL in my other thread.  $225 tho and I'm there just show me

[ollir_]

Realforce 105 does it for me pretty well. It's completely "transparent" - it gets out of the way and you can just focus on typing. It's my daily driver at the office.
Of course I've chosen Topre for the office because it's an open office with the constraints of an open office.
At home I haven't really had much time to spend on the computer for some time now - random half an hour here and there - so any keyboard has been fine, I've just picked what I happen to feel like.

But now because of the circumstances, I've had the opportunity to start to give some of the keyboards at home that have previously gone with light usage some real use.

Last week I was on NEC blue ovals (on NEC APC-H412), which are really really great for typing. I'm going to return to the board again very soon.
This week I've worked with SKCM blue and it's really the best I can ask for. The sound is pleasant and the key feel is just right.

So any of the three above three switches work for me.

If I had to choose one that I'd be using at all times for work, I'd pick the Alps, but that is only possible while working remotely. I'm just going to enjoy it while it lasts

edit: oh, misread the original question a bit, didn't see it was about Topre vs. some custom MX blingblingyay specifically. I don't have experience on custom MX blingblingyay, so I'll just leave my reply as it is.

 

[typo]

Truth be told even completely weighted and customized like crazy the RGB is not as good as the R2 PFU limited but that just came out. I am not sure if all of you spend 14 hours typing. It is not even my job but I insist on doing it. I can sort of choose what I do anyways.  No fancy case or anything but if typing feel is what real matters I only see one answer. I would not even change the key caps as it throws off the weighting. Plus the PFU cannot use O-rings with the variable actuation. I mean it can but not very well. I guess my answer is to take apart the RGB and transplant in the PFU.

[Sup]

WOW I did not expect that! Silents yet! I could not type for 20 minutes on those. Well the "oddball" came to the party pretty quickly! I say that with respect of course! I honestly really do find that very interesting. Just goes to show..... some people only wear Nike, some only New Balance I guess. even though Nike is vastly more popular.

I guess i am  . I like linears and Topre and these two combines into the silent mx switch kind of. linear action and Topre like bottoming out and return feeling is pretty good.

Orings, you've just described orings.

Didn't know that o rings somehow disrupt the space quantum universe to silence upstroke oh wait it can't not possible. MX SILENTS are not the same as putting o rings on key caps.

i was talking about how the bottom out reminds me of topre and the return sound as well because of the rubber in the sliders what o rings can't do.

[Riverman]

I really like typing on silent blacks in an G80-3494.  They do have a very pleasant feel to them and for a mechanical keyboard switch, they're very quiet.  There's definitely no comparison between o-rings and silent MX switches.  The feel of the silent switches is much crisper, and travel is hardly reduced compared to a non-silenced switch.

[typo]

I meant if you put O-rings on a variable actuation Topre. Depending on the O-ring thickness. It could cause the switches to intermittently register. I have tried this. Wow Blacks? I used to swear by them too. Years ago. The problem is you must think about your life in the future. That much force. Those things bottom out at about 100cn. If you use them extensively you may regret it later. Arthritis in the knuckles will make a 6'8" 300# man cry like a baby. It is like paper cuts. Things you would not guess hurt much hurt like bananas. Blacks are a very good way to do it. I am not preaching to you. Or telling you what to do. I am just giving you information. You decide what to do. Personally blacks are my favorite switch but I am much to old to go barking up that tree now. I probably like them only 10% less than Topre. Any other MX to me is at least 35% less than Topre. I know why you like them. Darn shame, ain't it? It is like booze. It is a lot of fun until you have no more liver. Oh well I do not mean to be a kill joy. I love them too.

I really can't put anything above Topre for typing. The problem I have is it is not "premium". So I am undergoing a lot of work to transplant a PFU Limited into my custom RGB case. Other than that it does not require all the mods the RGB did because it is already a "real" Topre. What I did attempting to make the RGB Into a "real" Topre was Ludacris in retrospect. Hi Walie The only thing is now I am sans LED's. No big deal as I am a seasoned touch typist. I still enjoy a bit of light in the room. Can't have everything.

[Sintpinty]

Please do not let this go crazy. Please try to be honest.
At the end of the day would you rather actually type on, a Topre/HHKB. or a Custom MX with your choice of switches?
I personally am into the bling but nothing beats the feel of Topre switches to me. Not the RGB, a real one.
So I use my 65% for light duty and if I must type 1000's of lines, Topre.

greens are the dream.

[Polymer]

I meant if you put O-rings on a variable actuation Topre. Depending on the O-ring thickness. It could cause the switches to intermittently register. I have tried this.

You mean silencing rings?  It doesn't cause it to intermittently register unless you've lost so much travel it is already actuated...otherwise no...

I agree with Sup that MX Silents are a nice middle ground for people that like Topre...I don't mind typing on MX silents and I like to game on them...I like worn in browns a bit more but I'm really growing to like MX Silents..

[Maledicted]

I have, unfortunately, never tried Topre, and only really like box jades and navies of the MX-compatible switches I have ever tried. I do have a feeling I wouldn't particularly like them, since I like a pronounced, crisp tactile event and sound.

ollir_ isn't joking about NEC blue ovals. Those things are sweet. I may like them more than my beloved box switches. I like capacitive buckling spring and SKCM blue alps a bit more than the NECs as well though.

[typo]

Doubt you would like them Maledicted. They just press straight down pretty much. Tiny bump but if you type fast you never feel it. MX all have more resistance.

[Riverman]

Wow Blacks? I used to swear by them too. Years ago. The problem is you must think about your life in the future. That much force. Those things bottom out at about 100cn. If you use them extensively you may regret it later. Arthritis in the knuckles will make a 6'8" 300# man cry like a baby. It is like paper cuts. Things you would not guess hurt much hurt like bananas. Blacks are a very good way to do it. I am not preaching to you. Or telling you what to do. I am just giving you information. You decide what to do. Personally blacks are my favorite switch but I am much to old to go barking up that tree now. I probably like them only 10% less than Topre. Any other MX to me is at least 35% less than Topre. I know why you like them. Darn shame, ain't it? It is like booze. It is a lot of fun until you have no more liver. Oh well I do not mean to be a kill joy. I love them too.

I have to agree with you on that.  A switch that feels nice to type on for a few minutes is not always the switch you want to be typing on day after day, month after month.  I have two keyboards with silent blacks, one plate mounted and one PCB mounted, and the plate mounted one is too stiff for everyday use, so that one is out of the rotation.  It's amazing how different two keyboards with the same switches can feel.  My daily driver for the moment is a nice light MX brown Das Keyboard 4, but I'm sure my variable weight Realforce will come back into the office soon enough.

[ddrfraser1]

There are few better experiences than typing on a nice lubed topre board. I put 55g BKE redux domes in a realforce and it is absolute sex to type on.

[Shapey Fiend]

I'd love to try Topre I just have a habit of cheaping out on things so I'll wait till what I have breaks.