Name That Switch - NEC PC-8801 edition

[linuxleah]

For those of us seeking standard Alps Mount (SKCM/SKBM compatible) keycaps and keyswitches... despite every resource online (including https://deskthority.net/wiki/NEC_PC-8801#cite_note-mousefan-1) indicating that the NEC PC-8801 keyboards contain either Alps SKCM Blue, Futaba MA series Clicky, or Alps integrated dome (One Piece)...

While purchasing PC-8801 keebs seeking Alps Blue keyswitches (and those lovely old-school keycaps), I seem to have purchased a PC-8801 keyboard using... these things?

They look kind of like Alps SKCC, but not quite... for one thing, the base of the slider is round, and for another, Deskthority says nothing about an SKCC Blue.

Anyone know what these things are? They feel quite linear.

[linuxleah]

INCREDIBLY thick doubleshot keycaps, though.

(And no, that cruciform mount is not in any way MX compatible.)

[Signature]

No clue really but what a beast of a keyboard 

[linuxleah]

Yeah, and the cord is absolutely DUMMY THICC.

I don't particularly like these linear Alps-y .... whatever-they-are, but I have half a mind to rebuild this with blue alps SKCM (assuming they are footprint-compatible) and typewriter keycaps or something.

[linuxleah]

Any scholars of obscure switches have any idea what these are? Some manner of weird Alps?

[butre]

NEC Vintage Linear, or so it's called.  it's presumed to have been manufactured by SMK.  it's a quite rare switch.  if I got my hands on one of these I would not consider changing out the switches, even if they aren't very good.  historical preservation is more important to me than whether or not the keyboard feels good.  if you do happen to swap out the switches though, I would certainly be interested in getting a few for my collection.

http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/pc8801.html
here's another example of a pc-8801 with these things in it

[linuxleah]

AHA! Thank you!

I may put this up on mechmarket then. Thank you for solving this mystery!