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Author Topic: Zinc keys - How do they feel?  (Read 2488 times)

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Offline Defect

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Zinc keys - How do they feel?
« on: Thu, 24 April 2014, 14:41:41 »
There's a zinc 37 key set on Massdrop atm

Can anybody share their opinions on how metal keys feel?  I would imagine they warm up very quickly.  Do they produce a different sound when bottoming out?  Any affect on linear/tactile/click switches?  How well do they age?

Worth the price (obviously subject to opinion)?

Will be using search function until I get more replies, but really looking to hear from people for a discussion.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Zinc keys - How do they feel?
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 24 April 2014, 20:41:35 »
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Offline YoungMichael88

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Re: Zinc keys - How do they feel?
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 24 April 2014, 20:55:43 »
They are more of a novelty item to most people. I on the other hand love typing on them (I'm typing on them right now). They sound great and they are "different" for sure. I'm using them on reds and which makes the switch extremely light to type on and I love that. I can't be sure since I have never done a typing test, but I'm pretty certain that I type faster on this caps/switche combo than my greens with SP caps. I see no real wear on them yet and I've had them for over a year now (I switch between this keyboard and my LZ w/ greens so this is by no means my daily driver). They are cold to the touch at first but they warm up a bit with extended use. When gaming with them on something like LOL for a few hours they make your fingers a little sweaty so I do not use them for gaming. I'm not a "proper" typer so I don't leave my hands on the home row and keep them there. I more of less use 4 or 5 fingers to type so my fingers are never left on the keys for long. Hopefully this helps. In short, if you are looking for a cap set to use on the regular and you do a lot of typing/gaming, my guess is these are not the caps for you. but if you have a few boards and are looking for something neat that always turns a few heads then pick up a set. I just love them!
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Offline aref

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Re: Zinc keys - How do they feel?
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 24 April 2014, 21:14:33 »
Defect: Good question. I've been looking at zinc key caps for a while and wondering the same. I'd like to try them on my K65/MX Red KB.
How are you doing with your 87UB/55-gram keyboard?
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Offline Defect

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Re: Zinc keys - How do they feel?
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 25 April 2014, 00:19:56 »
Quote from: YoungMichael88 on Thu, 24 April 2014, 20:55:43
They are more of a novelty item to most people. I on the other hand love typing on them (I'm typing on them right now). They sound great and they are "different" for sure. I'm using them on reds and which makes the switch extremely light to type on and I love that. I can't be sure since I have never done a typing test, but I'm pretty certain that I type faster on this caps/switche combo than my greens with SP caps. I see no real wear on them yet and I've had them for over a year now (I switch between this keyboard and my LZ w/ greens so this is by no means my daily driver). They are cold to the touch at first but they warm up a bit with extended use. When gaming with them on something like LOL for a few hours they make your fingers a little sweaty so I do not use them for gaming. I'm not a "proper" typer so I don't leave my hands on the home row and keep them there. I more of less use 4 or 5 fingers to type so my fingers are never left on the keys for long. Hopefully this helps. In short, if you are looking for a cap set to use on the regular and you do a lot of typing/gaming, my guess is these are not the caps for you. but if you have a few boards and are looking for something neat that always turns a few heads then pick up a set. I just love them!

From what I read there definitely is a problem with using zinc caps on a daily driver.  I wish I knew more about metals--seems that zinc requires a coating which is obviously a concern when it comes to wear.  What bugs me is that owners seem to say that they are very nice to type on for linear switches, but do not hold up against heavy use.  Thank you for sharing your personal experience, this is what I was looking for.  I will have to view them as novelty caps :P

Quote from: SSKGuy on Thu, 24 April 2014, 21:14:33
Defect: Good question. I've been looking at zinc key caps for a while and wondering the same. I'd like to try them on my K65/MX Red KB.
How are you doing with your 87UB/55-gram keyboard?
Supposedly they're nice to type on for linears (which you seem to prefer), but maybe not so great for your long typing sessions.  As far as my board, all is well :)
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Not pictured: KeyCool 84 [MX Red] | Focus 2001 [Complicated White Alps]
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Offline YoungMichael88

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Re: Zinc keys - How do they feel?
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 25 April 2014, 00:27:33 »
For what its worth, mine still look exactly the same. They have maybe 8 hours of typing on them. I can only estimate. I have seen a WASD cluster basically demolished in another thread tho.
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Offline katushkin

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Re: Zinc keys - How do they feel?
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 25 April 2014, 14:24:50 »
I am very tempted by that gold zinc set.

All it would need is a gold Brobot to go with it.

And I would need a whole new board. :(
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