Going from Cherry MX Browns to Blues (or Blacks)

[MacroMX]

So I am new to the mechanical keyboard world. I just got my Filco Majestouch 2 (brown switch) last week and couldn't be happier with the build quality, or the night and day difference, over my rubber dome. However, I feel like I might have gone with a switch that is too light for my somewhat heavier and often clumsy typing style. I find myself hitting wrong keys often or out of order, or not realizing if I've hit a key when I try to lighten up my style to conform to the browns. Is there that big of a difference going from browns to blues? I like the little bit of tactility you get with the browns, but not how light it is. Am I better off going to blues? Or, would the black switches serve someone with my typing style better?

[ktkr]

Don't forget about clears. They're basically stiffer browns.

Blues hardly feel any heavier than browns to me, but they do have a far better force curve.

[mbc]

Don't forget about clears. They're basically stiffer browns.

What he said

[jellowiggler]

The only real way to know is to try it out.

Blues require 50g of force to press. Browns require 45g. Blues and browns have a hitch in them that you can feel when they register the key press.  This is called tactile feed back. Blues also make a little click noise when they actuate.
Blacks require 60g which increases to 80g as you press the key further down. Reds are lighter, 45g to 65g.  this is called a linear switch.

To fully depress a black switch requires almost twice the force of a brown, red or even blue.  Some people like this as it forces the key back to its home position faster. If you constantly type with a heavy style that bottoms out the key every time, you will probably find the black switch fatiguing.

All of this is in the key switch wiki.

I am forming the opinion that everyone getting a mechanical keyboard should try a blue or brown first. The switch tells you at what point the key press is read. This trains you to type lightly and efficiently.  A lot of people just mash the keys on their linear switch boards and they really don't need to.

Like I said the only way to know is to try them.

There is a traveling sample bag of switches available. Or if you are lucky enough to have a local reseller with a few models it can be an educational experience to try a few keyboards out.

Trying a blue switch out should be easy. The razer blackwidow has this switch and is the most widely available keyboard at retail. Your filco is a really nice board.  If you like a different board in the end you could probably organize a trade in the classifieds.

[MacroMX]

Thanks everyone for the info. I'll probably end up exchanging my Filco Browns for the Blues since I'm still within the 30 day return period on Amazon.com. Unfortunately the Best Buy or CompUSA where I live doesn't have the Razer on display to try.