Whats with Gateron switchs?

[loki993]

When I was on here a lot about a year ago before I bought my keyboards everything was cherrys. Kalihs were around but no one wanted them as people thought they were cheap cherry knock offs. Id poke in from time to time since them and didn't see much chaning. Now lately all I see are Gaterons, almost every keyboard on MD has Gaterons as an option, people here are talking about Gaterons, people selling Gateron switches. These have to be new, because I knew nothing about hem when I was around before....what am I missing? What I see is just another cheap cherry knock off, I must be missing something...so why all the seeming love for Gateron yet when Kalih came out they were "poo pooed" and still aren't very popular..unless your buying a really cheap keyboard and then you get them only because theyre your only option.

[CPTBadAss]

Have you tried them both yet? They're not bad. Kailh Browns I actually liked. The rest of them? Not so much. And the Kailhs on the Razer boards felt terrible to me. Gateron linears felt like an improvement on Cherry linears to me. Gateron Blues? Felt the same as Cherry MX Blue so I'd rather grab the Cherry stuff.

[loki993]

No I havent I was just curious and like I said Kailhs seems to be looked down on and these Gatrons seem to be the new hotness.

All I have are 2 keyboards both with stock clears and they're just too stiff for me, at least at the bottom. So Ive started looking for options to change them or looking at different keyboards, I mean really we all need more keyboards. Hence the other thread too.....

Not a ton of stuff around here to try and I wasn't really in a postilion before to buy a bunch of keyboards to try and plus to be totally honest my first thought was why would I try another switch thats trying to copy cherry. Why not just get cherry.

[Blaise170]

Kailhs are looked down upon by a bunch of people because they are clones. I like most of the Kailhs, especially Yellows and Blues. Only real difference is that Cherry uses gold contacts.

[CPTBadAss]

Gaterons are clones too though.

[Blaise170]

Gaterons are clones too though.

But they are "different" and not "exact copies". Or at least that's what I've usually seen people say when they rave about Gaterons and hate on Kailh.

[hwood34]

Gaterons are clones too though.

But they are "different" and not "exact copies". Or at least that's what I've usually seen people say when they rave about Gaterons and hate on Kailh.

The basic arguement is that while Kailh just seemed like an attempt to make a cheaper copy of Cherry, Gateron actively tried to improve on the switch

[nephiel]

Kailhs are looked down upon by a bunch of people because they are clones. I like most of the Kailhs, especially Yellows and Blues. Only real difference is that Cherry uses gold contacts.

So, are Gateron contacts gold plated like Cherry?

[Blaise170]

So, are Gateron contacts gold plated like Cherry?

No, and AFAIK, all of the clones use copper contacts.

[hwood34]

So, are Gateron contacts gold plated like Cherry?

No, and AFAIK, all of the clones use copper contacts.

They both use copper leaves but both gold coat contact points

[Huxley2500]

So what exactly makes them "smoother"?

[hwood34]

So what exactly makes them "smoother"?

The plastic used in the housings. No one knows exactly what is different