Cherry black lighter than the cherry blue? No, that can't be right..

[nargo]

Hello all,

long time reader, first time poster here.

I am currently in Tokyo and figured that I should check out akihabara while I'm in the neighborhood. I went to Yodobashi Camera and noticed that their keyboard section was quite well stocked. I have a Das Keyboard Ultimate at home, but I'm in the market for a tenkeyless as well, so I figured that I'd check out the feel of the different switches.
Now, here comes the interesting part:
When I tried out the keyboard marked "linear action", and with a picture of a black cherry switch on the sticker, all of the keys felt very light to press, even lighter than what I remember of my Das at home. The key was still linear, and after removing the cap I could see that the switch was black.
Furthermore, when I tried the browns out, they felt linear as well. I could feel a bit of a tactile bump on some of the keys but certainly not all of them. I thought they felt.. mushy I think the correct word is. Almost like a rubber dome keyboard.

So, my question to you is this: Is this expected? Or were the keyboard old and had gone bad from too much testing? I saw that the Japanese were quite heavy-handed when they tested the keyboards, but I still would not expect such a big degradation.

[SirClickAlot]

First of all : Welcome to GH!

The brown is almost a linear switch. No click and a very tiny little bump, hardly noticeable.
What you describe could just be your interpretation of the switch. The blacks are linear , but they require more force to press them. To my knowledge the switch characteristics don't ALL change over time equally. So, on the blacks : did you press some of the lesser used keys ( Like function keys )?

Regards.

[Findecanor]

Could it be that the board had been modded with lighter springs? ("Ghetto reds") ?

[ch_123]

Wear, or an incorrectly advertised brown or red would explain it.

[Lanx]

no joke, maybe your colorblind and can't tell between brown and red. when i got my browns i took off the keycaps and asked my fiancee what color they were, thats how red/green color blind i am.

[Ekaros]

no joke, maybe your colorblind and can't tell between brown and red. when i got my browns i took off the keycaps and asked my fiancee what color they were, thats how red/green color blind i am.

I had to check, but it realy is quite redish... The brown that is... Still, I think the red-red is very much more "vibrant"...

[x2p]

I would say its likely over usage, many of the ones at Yodobashi come used for display since they dont want to "waste" a 100$ + keyboard

Edit this is if it is black for sure

[Ekaros]

I would say its likely over usage, many of the ones at Yodobashi come used for display since they dont want to "waste" a 100$ + keyboard

Edit this is if it is black for sure

That raises certain questions about long term reliability, I think force might be higher in display use, but certainly there should be less use than one which is in everyday use. Used makes sense, but still, they can't be very old boards...

Anyone can tell difference between NM used(pressed) MX and fresh one?

[nargo]

First of all : Welcome to GH!
To my knowledge the switch characteristics don't ALL change over time equally. So, on the blacks : did you press some of the lesser used keys ( Like function keys )?
Regards.

Thank you!

That's what I thought as well, and I tried some of the function keys, and they felt a bit different but not much.
It might be that I had built up an expectation of the blacks as really tough switches to press, and they did not live up to the hype.

no joke, maybe your colorblind and can't tell between brown and red. when i got my browns i took off the keycaps and asked my fiancee what color they were, thats how red/green color blind i am.

Well, my draft officer didn't seem to think that I'm colorblind and from what I have seen of the pictures of the reds they seem kind of vibrant so I don't think that's the problem.

[nargo]

That raises certain questions about long term reliability, I think force might be higher in display use, but certainly there should be less use than one which is in everyday use. Used makes sense, but still, they can't be very old boards...

Anyone can tell difference between NM used(pressed) MX and fresh one?

Some of the boards looked pretty beat up, and there were many missing keys on the mechanical ones. But both the black and the browns that I tried out didn't seem all that messed up.
I watched some of the customers trying the boards out. They pounded pretty hard on one for half a second and then moved on to one a few places further down the line. Not the way I test keyboards but I'm not crazy efficient like the Japanese..