My first mechanical keyboard just got here..

[thesentinel]

But the issue is that these cherry mx reds seem kind of scratchy. Is there a way to fix this? The board is a cm storm quickfire tk.

[riotonthebay]

Hmm… I've not heard many complaints of reds feeling scratchy. Is it a few specific keys, or a general feeling everywhere?

If you wanted to, you could lube the switches. For reds I'd use Originative's thin formula. This will require desoldering all of the switches though, and is a relatively labor intensive modification.

[thesentinel]

Hmm… I've not heard many complaints of reds feeling scratchy. Is it a few specific keys, or a general feeling everywhere?

If you wanted to, you could lube the switches. For reds I'd use Originative's thin formula. This will require desoldering all of the switches though, and is a relatively labor intensive modification.

Everywhere, it feels just kind of scratchy. But I don't have much knowledge on how the cherry mx switches work or how to desolder them. Plus, I'd rather not void my warranty just yet. But while I'm here, I would enjoy receiving a link to a guide that explains exactly how mechanical switches work and what each part does.

[PolaBurrr]

a lot of them come scratchy brand new. Give it a few months and it should smoothen out. Don't lube before you break it in, as lube can prevent the wearing in process.

[moonexe]

[riotonthebay]

a lot of them come scratchy brand new. Give it a few months and it should smoothen out. Don't lube before you break it in, as lube can prevent the wearing in process.

This advice is better than mine. Break them in for a few months and see how they feel before lubing.

[thesentinel]

a lot of them come scratchy brand new. Give it a few months and it should smoothen out. Don't lube before you break it in, as lube can prevent the wearing in process.

This advice is better than mine. Break them in for a few months and see how they feel before lubing.

Alright. This is actually what I planned on doing, but it's very nice to get input from people that know more than me.

[rowdy]

My KeyCool has MX reds.  If I press the keys really slowly, I guess they do feel kinda scratchy.  When typing normally they just feel light and linear.

I have a slightly more used board with MX blacks that don't feel scratchy when compared to the MX reds, but those blacks, when compared to a much, much older keyboard I have with possibly vintage blacks, do feel scratchy.

So unless it kinda feels like there is sand in the switch, it is probably just the freshly manufactured plastic parts that are rubbing together, as they do, and just need to wear in a bit.

I should point out that my MX reds have not had that much use as I have discovered I prefer stiffer switches.

[FrostyToast]

My reds do feel scratchy when I press them very slowly, but if I use them normally and tap them fairly quickly, they feel fine. Report back after a few months to see if you stop noticing the scratchy feel.