Looking to get a new mechanical keyboard - Any ideas?

[biscuits]

Hey everyone,

New user here, just registered I've always checked the site out, seems to have people with great knowledge of keyboards. Anyhow, here's my dilemma:

I'm currently using a Corsair K95 RGB Mechanical, but I'm thinking of parting ways with it... I kind of dislike the keyboard because of the elevated keys they are really high (I like high key caps though, just not this high) and I don't really care for the 18 macro keys on the board... hell I don't even need a numpad section on my board. I'm using Cherry MX Reds (I kind of like them, I've used a SteelSeries 6Gv2 board before with MX Blacks and liked that as well). That leads me to my next question, I have a few, hehe. I play some video games that require fast double taps on the spacebar, would a MX Black or Red switch be best for that? I mean I've used both but I really can't figure out which one is best. I kind of have a heavy finger where I like to press on my keycaps pretty hard I suppose. Also, I believe both my boards I've used have been Cherry stabilizers, I was thinking maybe Costar would be better? More solid? I'm not to knowledge-able about these things, so I was just wondering if anyone knew what switch/stabilizer would be best for precise fast double taps while being consistent. I know that I like linear switches, so blues and browns are out of the question.

Also, I was looking at the Ducky One or the Filco Majestouch-2. I don't need a numpad on my keyboard and don't need macros and backlighting isn't really important to me. I just want a solid keyboard with nice keypresses that register very well.

Any ideas? Ducky? Filco? I kind of want to branch away from Corsair for keyboards since all my PC parts are Corsair (which are good) I just dislike the keyboard. I was going to use the money from selling it to get a ducky or filco board and just wanted some opinions.

Cheers and thanks a lot guys!

- Joe

[biscuits]

any suggestions? 

[klennkellon]

[bad information]

[biscuits]

Well I'm looking for a keyboard with anti-ghosting as well.

I want something that has a good spacebar for double taps, I really am looking at a Ducky or Filco. I'm just unsure of whether I should get a black or red switch (like I currently have). I don't need backlighting so I'm kinda leaning towards a Filco, can anyone justify that they are solid? And what stabilizer would be better for double taps? Costar? Cherry? Or does it not matter? I found a nice Filco on Amazon for $100 and free shipping with black switches! Also I really want to get a TKL board, I never use the numpad lol, I really only use my PC for gaming.

[klennkellon]

Well I'm looking for a keyboard with anti-ghosting as well.

I want something that has a good spacebar for double taps, I really am looking at a Ducky or Filco. Would a IBM Model M or Rapid Access Pro 2 be good?

I didn't read all of the OP, sry.

Model M is not great for double tapping, it's very tactile and clicky and has a lot of hysteresis, it also only has 2KRO.

The Rapid Access Pro 2 is just a regular rubber dome, nothing special.

MX Reds or Matias Quiet Linear are your best bet if you like double tapping, specifically the KBParadise V80's and Leopold FC750's

[biscuits]

Well I'm looking for a keyboard with anti-ghosting as well.

I want something that has a good spacebar for double taps, I really am looking at a Ducky or Filco. Would a IBM Model M or Rapid Access Pro 2 be good?

I didn't read all of the OP, sry.

Model M is not great for double tapping, it's very tactile and clicky and has a lot of hysteresis, it also only has 2KRO.

The Rapid Access Pro 2 is just a regular rubber dome, nothing special.

MX Reds are your best bet if you like double tapping, If you just want a new board, you could try the Leopolds off www.mechanicalkeyboards.com . Superb build quality and ship with thick high quality PBT keycaps.

Okay, do you suggest the Leopold/Matias over the Filco? I don't know much about "PBT" keycaps? Could you explain a little? KBParadise V80's and Leopold FC750's hmm... they look like nice boards, I don't know why I'm so stuck on Filco, so you would suggest these 2 boards over Filco?

I'm liking the FC750 more than the V80

[saxophone]

I don't even know what thread starter is even going on about.

"keys elevated real high"? What? It's standard height + OEM keycaps. The only reason the keys on other keyboards don't look like they're up that high is because other keyboards have plastic frames wrapping around the keys. Physically the keys are still at the same height. If you feel that the keys are up too high what you should be doing is to get a new wrist rest of proper height rather than replacing the keyboard, as replacing the keyboard is going to make no difference at all.

Of all the stuff you listed only the Leopold would make any difference at all since they use their own keycap profile which is lower than OEM. The other alternative would be cherry mx board 2 / 3, tesoro gram or that hori keyboard since those all use low profile caps but none of them come in TKL variants unless if you want to pay for an entire board only for the keycaps.

[biscuits]

I don't even know what thread starter is even going on about.

"keys elevated real high"? What? It's standard height + OEM keycaps. The only reason the keys on other keyboards don't look like they're up that high is because other keyboards have plastic frames wrapping around the keys. Physically the keys are still at the same height. If you feel that the keys are up too high what you should be doing is to get a new wrist rest of proper height rather than replacing the keyboard, as replacing the keyboard is going to make no difference at all.

Of all the stuff you listed only the Leopold would make any difference at all since they use their own keycap profile which is lower than OEM. The other alternative would be cherry mx board 2 / 3, tesoro gram or that hori keyboard since those all use low profile caps but none of them come in TKL variants unless if you want to pay for an entire board only for the keycaps.

Well, sorry if I was wrong about the Corsair K95 keycaps being too high (the board I'm using now)... I came from a SteelSeries 6Gv2 and they seemed different... I've only owned 2 mechanical keyboards hah and I really just don't like my Corsair board anymore really, it's too big... I don't use macro keys or numpad (so I want to get a TKL, I play some FPS games and have a large mousepad so my keyboard gets in the way of mouse swipes sometimes).  I just want to get a simple yet solid keyboard which has very nice keys/keypresses so I can double tap fast on the spacebar, I will go the Cherry MX Red route, won't change that up. I'm just stuck between Filco or a Leopold FC750. That's all, was just asking for suggestions on what brand to get. Also I just don't need backlighting on my keyboard, I kind of dislike it now a days, heh.

[saxophone]

Omitting the small details, Leopold. No contest. The only reason people don't get Leopold is cause it's made in Korea and annoying to get (shipping, markups, having to buy via agent, or get lucky on ebay, etc) It's the better keyboard.

[biscuits]

So the Leopold FC750 is a better purchase than the Filco Majestouch-2 ?

[xtrafrood]

Leopold and Varmilo are practically the same brand. Definitely keep your eyes on those if you're uncomfortable with the topre varieties. All three of those brands usually have PBT keycaps.

Varmilo incorporates side printed (front printed) keycaps that pair nicely with their front oriented LEDs. You can find Varmilo with Costar stabilizers and I think Leopold uses Costar as well. Really easy to find on Aliexpress and they seem to be fairly popular on Massdrop. Massdrop seems to have the most variety as far as switch brands are concerned (Gateron/MX)

Alternatively I would check out Keyed Up Labs Keyboards (KUL Keyboards).

[biscuits]

Leopold and Varmilo are practically the same brand. Definitely keep your eyes on those if you're uncomfortable with the topre varieties. All three of those brands usually have PBT keycaps.

Varmilo incorporates side printed (front printed) keycaps that pair nicely with their front oriented LEDs. You can find Varmilo with Costar stabilizers and I think Leopold uses Costar as well. Really easy to find on Aliexpress and they seem to be fairly popular on Massdrop. Massdrop seems to have the most variety as far as switch brands are concerned (Gateron/MX)

Alternatively I would check out Keyed Up Labs Keyboards (KUL Keyboards).

Thanks csmertx!

Yeah I mean right now I'm just deciding between Filco or Leopold. I know that I want Cherry MX Red switches I like linear presses. Not really in need of LED's mechanicalkeyboards.com looks like it has some good deals. Do you think I should go down the Leopold route? Is it better quality than Filco? Also... will I dislike Costar stabilizers? Are they that much different than Cherries? Both the mechanical boards I've owned in the past (and the one I'm using now) have Cherry stabs.. would it really make a difference? I just want to have a nice firm spacebar and keys. Hehe.

[xtrafrood]

Leopold and Varmilo are practically the same brand. Definitely keep your eyes on those if you're uncomfortable with the topre varieties. All three of those brands usually have PBT keycaps.

Varmilo incorporates side printed (front printed) keycaps that pair nicely with their front oriented LEDs. You can find Varmilo with Costar stabilizers and I think Leopold uses Costar as well. Really easy to find on Aliexpress and they seem to be fairly popular on Massdrop. Massdrop seems to have the most variety as far as switch brands are concerned (Gateron/MX)

Alternatively I would check out Keyed Up Labs Keyboards (KUL Keyboards).

Thanks csmertx!

Yeah I mean right now I'm just deciding between Filco or Leopold. I know that I want Cherry MX Red switches I like linear presses. Not really in need of LED's mechanicalkeyboards.com looks like it has some good deals. Do you think I should go down the Leopold route? Is it better quality than Filco? Also... will I dislike Costar stabilizers? Are they that much different than Cherries? Both the mechanical boards I've owned in the past (and the one I'm using now) have Cherry stabs.. would it really make a difference? I just want to have a nice firm spacebar and keys. Hehe.

Filco is usually the go to keyboard but many feel that it is a little overpriced. Costar is difficult to remove but a lot of people love them for the sturdy feel. If you feel that your Cherry Stabilizers are mushy then maybe you'll want to check out Costar.

[biscuits]

Leopold and Varmilo are practically the same brand. Definitely keep your eyes on those if you're uncomfortable with the topre varieties. All three of those brands usually have PBT keycaps.

Varmilo incorporates side printed (front printed) keycaps that pair nicely with their front oriented LEDs. You can find Varmilo with Costar stabilizers and I think Leopold uses Costar as well. Really easy to find on Aliexpress and they seem to be fairly popular on Massdrop. Massdrop seems to have the most variety as far as switch brands are concerned (Gateron/MX)

Alternatively I would check out Keyed Up Labs Keyboards (KUL Keyboards).

Thanks csmertx!

Yeah I mean right now I'm just deciding between Filco or Leopold. I know that I want Cherry MX Red switches I like linear presses. Not really in need of LED's mechanicalkeyboards.com looks like it has some good deals. Do you think I should go down the Leopold route? Is it better quality than Filco? Also... will I dislike Costar stabilizers? Are they that much different than Cherries? Both the mechanical boards I've owned in the past (and the one I'm using now) have Cherry stabs.. would it really make a difference? I just want to have a nice firm spacebar and keys. Hehe.

Filco is usually the go to keyboard but many feel that it is a little overpriced. Costar is difficult to remove but a lot of people love them for the sturdy feel. If you feel that your Cherry Stabilizers are mushy then maybe you'll want to check out Costar.

Well the reason I ask is because I found a Filco Majestouch-2 on Amazon (New) for $100 and free shipping, it's Cherry MX Blacks though... are blacks just as good for double taps or should I stick with Reds?

[xtrafrood]

Leopold and Varmilo are practically the same brand. Definitely keep your eyes on those if you're uncomfortable with the topre varieties. All three of those brands usually have PBT keycaps.

Varmilo incorporates side printed (front printed) keycaps that pair nicely with their front oriented LEDs. You can find Varmilo with Costar stabilizers and I think Leopold uses Costar as well. Really easy to find on Aliexpress and they seem to be fairly popular on Massdrop. Massdrop seems to have the most variety as far as switch brands are concerned (Gateron/MX)

Alternatively I would check out Keyed Up Labs Keyboards (KUL Keyboards).

Thanks csmertx!

Yeah I mean right now I'm just deciding between Filco or Leopold. I know that I want Cherry MX Red switches I like linear presses. Not really in need of LED's mechanicalkeyboards.com looks like it has some good deals. Do you think I should go down the Leopold route? Is it better quality than Filco? Also... will I dislike Costar stabilizers? Are they that much different than Cherries? Both the mechanical boards I've owned in the past (and the one I'm using now) have Cherry stabs.. would it really make a difference? I just want to have a nice firm spacebar and keys. Hehe.

Filco is usually the go to keyboard but many feel that it is a little overpriced. Costar is difficult to remove but a lot of people love them for the sturdy feel. If you feel that your Cherry Stabilizers are mushy then maybe you'll want to check out Costar.

Well the reason I ask is because I found a Filco Majestouch-2 on Amazon (New) for $100 and free shipping, it's Cherry MX Blacks though... are blacks just as good for double taps or should I stick with Reds?

From what I understand people seem to like light switches for double taps. It just depends on your physical capabilities. There are some people here that play games using cherry mx greens. I think a few are even using Cherry Mx Grey switches which is complete madness 

But that Filco sounds like a good deal. If you ever wanted to solder together your own tenkeyless pcb you can use that Filco case. Phantom + Filco case is pretty popular from what I understand.

[biscuits]

Yeah I'm just debating if I should go for the Filco (Cherry Blacks) or the Leopold FC750 (Cherry Reds) - Tough choice. I'm typing on Reds now and game on them and love em' but I also liked my blacks... lol... hmm... part of me says I should stick with the lighter switch, reds lol But the Filco isn't $100 in reds.. it's like $150 where as the Leopold is like $115 with redz I'm kind of on a budget around $100-115

[Leslieann]

The primary difference between Reds and Blacks is that the Blacks have a stiffer spring.

In terms of gaming, for double taps I prefer something tactile (clear, brown or Jailhouse Blues), so I can ride the actuation point. Many people seem incapable of this though (it takes some finess), so a linear works better for them.  For me, I find that on linears I end up just slammming it up and down, which seems to be the idea. For me, double tapping doesn't work on green, blues or buckling springs for that matter, it can be done, but it's far less precise and slower if you ride the actuation point because their actuation and release points are at different places. You are almost best treating them like linears. Again, that's just me.


As for the keyboards, ignoring the switch, if you want to replace the caps, get the Filco (it uses a standard size). If you don't want to, get the Leopold (it uses an odd spacebar).

[biscuits]

The primary difference between Reds and Blacks is that the Blacks have a stiffer spring.

In terms of gaming, for double taps I prefer something tactile (clear, brown or Jailhouse Blues), so I can ride the actuation point. Many people seem incapable of this though (it takes some finess), so a linear works better for them.  For me, I find that on linears I end up just slammming it up and down, which seems to be the idea. For me, double tapping doesn't work on green, blues or buckling springs for that matter, it can be done, but it's far less precise and slower if you ride the actuation point because their actuation and release points are at different places. You are almost best treating them like linears. Again, that's just me.


As for the keyboards, ignoring the switch, if you want to replace the caps, get the Filco (it uses a standard size). If you don't want to, get the Leopold (it uses an odd spacebar).

Cool, very informative. So I mean... I've used blacks before but I really enjoy reds... would it be best to just get the Filco Cherry MX Blacks? It shouldn't be that much of a difference should it? Wouldn't it make double tapping easier if the spring is stiffer so it rebounds faster? Or just fish out the cash for a Filco board in reds? I really like the look of the Filco majestouch-2. Looks very sexy and simple, hehe

[jcoffin1981]

I don't even know what thread starter is even going on about.

"keys elevated real high"? What? It's standard height + OEM keycaps. The only reason the keys on other keyboards don't look like they're up that high is because other keyboards have plastic frames wrapping around the keys. Physically the keys are still at the same height. If you feel that the keys are up too high what you should be doing is to get a new wrist rest of proper height rather than replacing the keyboard, as replacing the keyboard is going to make no difference at all.

Of all the stuff you listed only the Leopold would make any difference at all since they use their own keycap profile which is lower than OEM. The other alternative would be cherry mx board 2 / 3, tesoro gram or that hori keyboard since those all use low profile caps but none of them come in TKL variants unless if you want to pay for an entire board only for the keycaps.

Well, sorry if I was wrong about the Corsair K95 keycaps being too high (the board I'm using now)... I came from a SteelSeries 6Gv2 and they seemed different... I've only owned 2 mechanical keyboards hah and I really just don't like my Corsair board anymore really, it's too big... I don't use macro keys or numpad (so I want to get a TKL, I play some FPS games and have a large mousepad so my keyboard gets in the way of mouse swipes sometimes).  I just want to get a simple yet solid keyboard which has very nice keys/keypresses so I can double tap fast on the spacebar, I will go the Cherry MX Red route, won't change that up. I'm just stuck between Filco or a Leopold FC750. That's all, was just asking for suggestions on what brand to get. Also I just don't need backlighting on my keyboard, I kind of dislike it now a days, heh.

Something with cherry style keycaps may bring the profile down a little bit.  It's also to a certain extent the build of the case.  I've had 3 boards next to each other and they were of all different heights, but they are not of what he is looking for.

[biscuits]

So out of the 2 keyboards, I've narrowed it down to either a Filco majestouch-2 or Leopold FC750... which of the 2 would be better quality and more responsive (I would be getting Cherry MX Red switches). Are ducky's not as good?

[saxophone]

To clarify things:

There's no thing as "more responsive" on multiple keyboards using practically the same construction and switches. Unless if someone were to seriously screw up the firmware or something (which they don't). So as long as it's same Cherry MX Red switches they're going to be equally responsive. What you'll be looking at instead is features/functions on top of that.

PBT is a plastic material that's harder and considered more durable than the usual materials used for keycaps. Keycaps made using PBT will last for longer before the surface becomes smooth/shiny from repeated use.

On keyboard going by worthwhileness on TKLs (I'm including price as weight here) looking at the popular choices
Leopold > KUL = Ducky One = IKBC c87 = Quickfire > KBP v80 > Filco
Leopold is on top cause they come with PBT keycaps and on a better keycap profile.
In the middle is a bunch of TKL keyboards going for $99, they sport pretty much the same features.
KBP v80 is rated lower because it costs more than the middle bunch but doesn't offer anything more.
Filco is in the bottom because it's outdated, it costs $130 making it the most expensive yet it doesn't offer anything more and even lacks basic things like removable cord and coord paths for choosing where the cord exits the keyboard.

[Leslieann]

Cool, very informative. So I mean... I've used blacks before but I really enjoy reds... would it be best to just get the Filco Cherry MX Blacks? It shouldn't be that much of a difference should it? Wouldn't it make double tapping easier if the spring is stiffer so it rebounds faster? Or just fish out the cash for a Filco board in reds? I really like the look of the Filco majestouch-2. Looks very sexy and simple, hehe

Blacks will be slightly faster to reset, but it makes it harder to change direction and push it back down. It's a toss-up.
Honestly though, so long as you don't have a Red next to you to compare it to, after a short time you wouldn't notice. You might think the other might be better, but once you adapt, you adapt.

If it was me, I would spend the money and get what what you want. This is a keyboard that will last you years, yes the reds are $50 more (check the used area), but over a period of 5 years, that's $10 extra a year for the keyboard you want (less if you keep it longer). Keyboards and mice are the things you indirectly interface with on your computer, spending money there is an investment.

[ThoughtArtist]

You sure you don't want backlighting?

Ducky One TKL is great for gaming. Solid & agile I say.

[biscuits]

Yeah I mean I like backlighting but I don't need it to be completely crazy. I've narrowed my decision down to Ducky One or the Filco Majestouch-2 (I want Cherry MX Reds I've decided, they are too nice to type and game on and I can double tap fast with them).

I'm just wondering which one is better quality on the spacebar, I've never used a Costar stabilizer... always Cherry stabs, but would that even make a huge difference? Also does the Ducky have a USB to PS/2 adapter? Does it even make any difference between plugging a kb straight into USB opposed to using a PS/2 adapter?

[ThoughtArtist]

The Ducky One TKL uses some sort of modified Cherry stabilizer with red posts so they aren't mushy like the black ones. You just may want to lube it. That said, I can press the spacebar very rapidly like all the other keys.

If all you mainly want to do is game with it, then the Ducky One is really good for that. With the backlighting you can have it only light up the keys you want as well and you can set the lighting to be low if you don't want it distracting you but still want the keys lit a small amount. Plus the keyboard is solid and weighty but not too much that it's hard to maneuver.

   

[biscuits]

The Ducky One TKL uses some sort of modified Cherry stabilizer with red posts so they aren't mushy like the black ones. You just may want to lube it. That said, I can press the spacebar very rapidly like all the other keys.

If all you mainly do it game, then the Ducky ONE is really good for that. With the backlighting you can have it only light up the keys you want as well and you can set the lighting to be low if you don't want it distracting you but still want the keys lit a small amount.

   

Yeah that keyboard looks awesome. All I use my PC for is gaming... i play FPS's and Strategy type games where you have to double tap space fast... The Ducky One is listed at a reasonable price to on mechkeyboards.com. Are you using red switches on your keyboard? I'm just sick of my Corsair K95, it's too big and clanky and I really just want a smaller keyboard that does the job. Also I don't trust myself "lubing" anything after my bad experience with my old keyboard trying to lube switches and I permanately ruined it (it was a 6gv2 steelseries) lol.

[ThoughtArtist]

I use browns on mine, so the actuation weight is the same. You don't have to lube it, it's just the modifiers rattle a bit since they are looser. The spacebar doesn't rattle as much though. It feels better than the Shine 4 for double tapping.

[biscuits]

Okay I'll go with the Ducky One then cause it would be nice to have some backlighting just nothing over the edge though. $99 and free shipping on mechkeyboards.com can't beat that price. I'm just wondering if I should try brown switches, never used them before... though I really do like my reds and linear switches... I can type and double tap pretty damn fast on reds... maybe I should just stay with what I like?

[ThoughtArtist]

I've never tried reds, but I find that with browns I can feather them nicely. Like if you are using WASD and you want to hold it at the actuation point, the small bump can help you feel where it actuates so you don't "overshoot" it, but it's not such a large bump that it gets in the way of doubletapping. I think it's mainly personal preference though, it's hard to say what is objectively better. The browns might be better for overall general use if you want to type on your keyboard much. That's a reason browns are more popular, but it's up to you.

Also, mechanicalkeyboards.com has good customer service, so if you hated it, I think they will work with you.

[biscuits]

I've never tried reds, but I find that with browns I can feather them nicely. Like if you are using WASD and you want to hold it at the actuation point, the small bump can help you feel where it actuates so you don't "overshoot" it, but it's not such a large bump that it gets in the way of doubletapping. I think it's mainly personal preference though, it's hard to say what is objectively better. The browns might be better for overall general use if you want to type on your keyboard much. That's a reason browns are more popular, but it's up to you.

Also, mechanicalkeyboards.com has good customer service, so if you hated it, I think they will work with you.

Haha I'm sure I'd like the Ducky a lot more than my Corsair K95... for some reason I just don't like this board anymore, the macro keys are useless and I never use the numpad... it like gets in the way when I play FPS games since I have a huge mousepad and sometimes my mouse swipes hit the side of the KB, irritating lol... the keyboards 2 big and I don't even use the software for all the RGB color profiles..... does the Ducky have a 1ms response time though like how my corsair board has now?

[ThoughtArtist]

They say it has a 1000hz polling rate:

 "1000Hz Report Rate - Ducky One uses the fastest rate available under the USB interface, and updates the keyboard's status to the computer every 1 millisecond. This minimize the delay from when the keys are pressed and signal received by your computer."

I also got tired of the large keyboard I had (at least for my main usage). My shoulder started to ache a lot as well as just having that numpad generally in the way.

[biscuits]

Nice setup, yeah I have a BenQ monitor 144hz, with a Zowie G-SR mousepad. I just NEVER use the NUMPAD on my keyboard and I don't use macro keys.... so the TKL is the way to go... and i'm not a hugeee backlighting fan, I mean having it is nice but I don't need all the colorful effects like the Shine's offer... just having one solid backlighting color is good enough for me. Hopefully the Ducky 1 doesn't disappoint. I'm sure I will like it a lot with some MX RedzZz Would you say the Ducky 1 has the same build quality as the Shines to a certain extent?

[ThoughtArtist]

I feel about the same way with backlighting. It can come in handy but I'd rather have nicer keys and other features.

I can say of the build quality that the board has little to no flex and no give when pressing keys. You'd end up risking breaking the keyswitch before you could make the board flex in any substantial manner.

I  ordered a Varmilo TKL recently and chose NO backlighting because the LEDs are facing you  and the keys are floating, so the lighting actually looked like it would distract me more than anything. I didn't want lights shining my face!

[ThoughtArtist]

Also, there is one LED facing you on the spacebar switch, so it might shine you if you don't put a small piece of tape over it. It's easy to do though.

[ThoughtArtist]

n/a

[ThoughtArtist]

 I have to put the tape a bit lower on the thicker GMK spacebar or else it will rub the tape.

But here it is with no tape whatsoever and correctly applied tape. Hopefully the pics are okay.

[biscuits]

Yeah I don't think I would need to put tape over it or anything, I don't think it would cause a disturbance much to me. That first picture you posted are how my Corsair K95 keys look, if you search an image of the keyboard I'm on now... the K95.. I hate how the keys are on the board, just dislike it. The Ducky One looks solid. hehe. I don't really like messing around with my keyboards once I get them, only thing I'll do is pull keycaps off and dust it out, I learned my lesson with lubing switches in the past and ruining my entire board lol

[ThoughtArtist]

That sucks about the bad lube job. I'll be careful if I try it.

And I'm hoping I like the Varmilo with the floating keys, we'll see. Maybe it won't be like the K95 bad experience you had. That thing does look like a desk hog for sure.

[rowdy]

Cool, very informative. So I mean... I've used blacks before but I really enjoy reds... would it be best to just get the Filco Cherry MX Blacks? It shouldn't be that much of a difference should it? Wouldn't it make double tapping easier if the spring is stiffer so it rebounds faster? Or just fish out the cash for a Filco board in reds? I really like the look of the Filco majestouch-2. Looks very sexy and simple, hehe

Blacks will be slightly faster to reset, but it makes it harder to change direction and push it back down. It's a toss-up.
Honestly though, so long as you don't have a Red next to you to compare it to, after a short time you wouldn't notice. You might think the other might be better, but once you adapt, you adapt.

If it was me, I would spend the money and get what what you want. This is a keyboard that will last you years, yes the reds are $50 more (check the used area), but over a period of 5 years, that's $10 extra a year for the keyboard you want (less if you keep it longer). Keyboards and mice are the things you indirectly interface with on your computer, spending money there is an investment.

Something else to consider is if you need to hold keys down while playing.

With MX blacks, holding one key down means 60g downforce pressure sustained.  Holding two down = 120g downwards pressure (from one hand).  Holding three down would be 180g sustained downward force.  That could get tiring after a while.

[biscuits]

Cool, very informative. So I mean... I've used blacks before but I really enjoy reds... would it be best to just get the Filco Cherry MX Blacks? It shouldn't be that much of a difference should it? Wouldn't it make double tapping easier if the spring is stiffer so it rebounds faster? Or just fish out the cash for a Filco board in reds? I really like the look of the Filco majestouch-2. Looks very sexy and simple, hehe

Blacks will be slightly faster to reset, but it makes it harder to change direction and push it back down. It's a toss-up.
Honestly though, so long as you don't have a Red next to you to compare it to, after a short time you wouldn't notice. You might think the other might be better, but once you adapt, you adapt.

If it was me, I would spend the money and get what what you want. This is a keyboard that will last you years, yes the reds are $50 more (check the used area), but over a period of 5 years, that's $10 extra a year for the keyboard you want (less if you keep it longer). Keyboards and mice are the things you indirectly interface with on your computer, spending money there is an investment.

Something else to consider is if you need to hold keys down while playing.

With MX blacks, holding one key down means 60g downforce pressure sustained.  Holding two down = 120g downwards pressure (from one hand).  Holding three down would be 180g sustained downward force.  That could get tiring after a while.

Yeah, like I said I used to use MX Blacks on my first mech board, this board has reds and I think I like them a lot more especially since I use WASD controls and arrow key controls a lot in terms of holding them down, nice and soft