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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Lammie on Fri, 18 July 2014, 01:51:03

Title: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: Lammie on Fri, 18 July 2014, 01:51:03
What is the most heaviest switch type available? Mx Green?
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: rowdy on Fri, 18 July 2014, 01:55:56
MX super black?
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: jacobolus on Fri, 18 July 2014, 02:05:06
I think HaaTa has a switch that takes like 400 grams-force or something to actuate.
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: Oobly on Fri, 18 July 2014, 02:08:45
For stock switches, MX Tactile Greys are really heavy (Clear style stems with heavier springs) as are Linear Greys (Black/Red style stem with heavier spring than Blacks).

You could buy some really heavy Korean springs (from here for instance: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=55888.0) and put them in your favourite type of MX switch if you want... The 100g springs are apparently like the springs in the Grey switches. He also has some 120g if you want REALLY heavy switches.
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: Xenderwind on Fri, 18 July 2014, 02:11:43
For stock switches, MX Tactile Greys are really heavy (Clear style stems with heavier springs) as are Linear Greys (Black/Red style stem with heavier spring than Blacks).

You could buy some really heavy Korean springs (from here for instance: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=55888.0) and put them in your favourite type of MX switch if you want... The 100g springs are apparently like the springs in the Grey switches. He also has some 120g if you want REALLY heavy switches.
Those springs didnt hit MOQ so I don't believe they will be getting ordered.
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: Melvang on Fri, 18 July 2014, 03:58:50
I believe it would be super blacks unless those were never actually produced. Other than that greys will be the heaviest.

For what its worth someone here found a spring that fit in an MX housing that would not actuate with his Mac book pro sitting on it.
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: BlueBär on Fri, 18 July 2014, 06:21:21
I believe it would be super blacks unless those were never actually produced.

How do you mean that? They're available in a few keyboards, I've had the joy of trying one, they're great ;D
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: Melvang on Fri, 18 July 2014, 06:41:20
I didn't realize that they were mass produced.  I thought that they were just a custom job like ergo clears or ghost blacks.
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Fri, 18 July 2014, 06:47:07
I didn't realize that they were mass produced.  I thought that they were just a custom job like ergo clears or ghost blacks.

There's not much but you can see some info about them here http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Super_Black
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: HaaTa on Fri, 18 July 2014, 11:40:48
So, the heaviest standalone switch I have.

Honeywell Hall Effect, 8-weighting -> 320g
http://deskthority.net/wiki/Honeywell_Hall_Effect (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Honeywell_Hall_Effect)
I have at least 3 keyboards with these switches (all different).

Sorta cheating, but my Teletype has double click switches, where the 2nd click exceeds 600g on my digital force gauge (I risk destroying my gauge going any higher).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaata/sets/72157635829504416/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaata/sets/72157635829504416/)

Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: dorkvader on Fri, 18 July 2014, 15:00:02
So, the heaviest standalone switch I have.

Honeywell Hall Effect, 8-weighting -> 320g
http://deskthority.net/wiki/Honeywell_Hall_Effect (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Honeywell_Hall_Effect)
I have at least 3 keyboards with these switches (all different).

Sorta cheating, but my Teletype has double click switches, where the 2nd click exceeds 600g on my digital force gauge (I risk destroying my gauge going any higher).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaata/sets/72157635829504416/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaata/sets/72157635829504416/)



I have a keytronic that has a switch that's roughly as heavy as the heaviest hall effect switches. Since there is an external spring, it would have been very easy for keytronic to manufacture them in different weights.
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 19 July 2014, 03:19:02
I prefer stiffer switches, such as MX blacks and greens.

What is the attraction of super-heavy switches, such as MX super blacks and those silly 320g Honeywells?
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: jacobolus on Sat, 19 July 2014, 04:14:36
I prefer stiffer switches, such as MX blacks and greens.

What is the attraction of super-heavy switches, such as MX super blacks and those silly 320g Honeywells?
I have some super-heavy Alps switches that were used for keys like “break” or “stop”; having an extra heavy switch prevents accidental actuation.
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 19 July 2014, 06:05:51
I prefer stiffer switches, such as MX blacks and greens.

What is the attraction of super-heavy switches, such as MX super blacks and those silly 320g Honeywells?
I have some super-heavy Alps switches that were used for keys like “break” or “stop”; having an extra heavy switch prevents accidental actuation.

For a single key or two, I can understand.  In fact I have done that myself - put an extra spring under a critical key.

Are there any full keyboards of extra-stiff switches anywhere?
Title: Re: Stiffest/heaviest switch type?
Post by: dorkvader on Sat, 19 July 2014, 12:00:35
I prefer stiffer switches, such as MX blacks and greens.

What is the attraction of super-heavy switches, such as MX super blacks and those silly 320g Honeywells?
I have some super-heavy Alps switches that were used for keys like “break” or “stop”; having an extra heavy switch prevents accidental actuation.
"reset" also traditionally is a super-heavy key. I believe it was used to reset the terminal.

Other than RDs, I think the heaviest swtich keyboards I know of are grey MX that ducky put out once.