Do Topre domes change in feel over time?

[sangeth]

I recently picked up a new HHKB to go alongside my first HHKB that I originally purchased second hand.  My first HHKB appeared to be quite old as the housing is quite yellow from age.  I've always had trouble programming for long periods on my first HHKB simply because I found the keys to be quite stiff.  From what I can tell it hasn't had any modifications that would change the feel of the keys so I'm curious if anyone knows if they're expected to change feel over time.

[Wobbled]

Yes they definitely stiffen over time, my HHKB Pro 1's were closer to 55g than 45g

[tp4tissue]

Yes, they become harder..

also, hot and cold cycles are not recommended. would cause it to deteriorate faster...

[SpAmRaY]

OP are you sure your original hhkb wasn't a hhkb lite??

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[sangeth]

Definitely a Pro 2.  I find it interesting that I haven't heard of this before.  I guess the change is gradual and you probably wouldn't notice over time.

[ArchDill]

This is interesting. I did not realize the get more stiff. I felt like my domes were losing some of the stiffness.

[sangeth]

Yeah this surprises me as well.  Does the yellowing of the case indicate that it was in an area that had regular temperature fluctuations?

[mustcode]

Rubber tends to harden as they gets older. Some people like old rubber better though, some say they are more tactile than the new rubber. But I imagine if they get really really old it can crumble as well.

[zslane]

I imagine that a domesheet that doesn't get any use for several years will harden, while a domesheet that is used constantly for several years will wear out. One phenomenon would probably counteract the other, so if some old, yellowed Topre board that hasn't seen any use for a long time gets used a lot, after a while its stiffer domes will probably "soften up".

[Sup]

I have 2003 HHKB Pro 1 and yes it's much heavier and more tactile then my  HHKB Pro 2

[xondat]

Would be quite clever if they were designed to harden over time.

[hasu]

My Pro1 also got heavier after around seven years use and  I found its plunger cylinders got dusty and worn slightly. With fully taking apart cleaning and lubrication solved the problem, it was not domes in my case.

My Pro1 is a bit lighter and less crisp in terms of tactility than younger intact Pro2 now.

[E3E]

So we all know about this phenomenon happening with original HHKB Pros, but what about Realforces? I need to check the JustSystems model I have from 2006 then, heh.

[Wobbled]

Well the realforce uses the same type of rubber cups as the HHKB's regardless of which generation so they'll experience the same problems as HHKB's in terms of getting stiffer. One thing I would love to experiment with is heating up or freezing these rubber domes to see if they effect stiffness & tactility.
The only way I've seen topre domes go to complete **** is when a HHKB was left in storage with the keys depressed for a long amount of time. The domes were completely linear afterwards.

[E3E]

Well, if it's linear and mushy, that sounds awful, but I do like me a linear feel in general, so that's... intriguing.