An enthusiast’s deep dive into mechanical keyboard switches

Buckling springs: I stockpiled IBM Model M back when it wasn't a thing and used that for years. Alps. Cherry MXes. Then I tried a board with Topre switch and since then I'm happily camping with my HHKB Pro JP (japanese).

I'd try these fancy ergonomic / self made keyboards but only the day they'll start making them with Topre switches.

That's my "hack": seen that I couldn't get any custom keyboard with Topre switches, I picked the next best thing to me... A japanese Topre keyboard. Now the funny thing is: despite having some japanese family, I don't speak japanese at all (well, ok, I know the names of a few animals and know the hiraganas but that's it).

I really only picked a japanese keyboard for the very narrow space bar (the point is not that the space bar is tiny but that a tiny space bar makes for modifiers left and right of the spacebar easy to reach with the thumbs as the thumbs have much less distance to travel). Another bonus of having more modifiers is that can have these additional modifiers acting as Super and Hyper.

P.S: as a european for whatever reason it wasn't easy to get a Japanese HHKB Pro JP shipped to me, so I got my family in Japan to bring me two when they visited me.

The 3.5mm travel bothers me when I'm typing extremely fast, but the heavy weight and strong tactility helps prevent misinputs otherwise.

Additionally, I can have Box Navy in an ergo layout.

I have a Model F reproduction (F77) but I prefer Topre over it.

Like you, I prefer the sensation of typing with Topre switches. But I cannot escape the fact that ergonomics is by far the most important factor for my health — and as you know, there are sadly few keyboards on the market with Topre switches, let alone those focused on extreme ergonomics. (Again to emphasize the importance of ergonomics; as pleasing as aesthetics and sound and feel can be, they do not cancel out RSI).

Fortunately, I found a keyboard (and switch) with incredible ergonomics, aesthetics, AND great tactile and auditory sensation! Specifically, I use the ZSA Moonlander with Cherry MX Silent Red switches. I’ll spare you the rant about how amazing the ZSA Moonlander keyboard is with its ergonomics and firmware customizability, and explain Cherry Silent Red versus Topre.

The main problem I have with most mechanical “spring” key switches is the jarring nature when they bottom-out (as well as the loud click of some, which I personally hate); it’s very clear when the switch bottoms out abruptly and violently and makes a “clack” sound (not to be confused with the loud “click” sound that clicky switches like Cherry Blue make that some people like). I prefer a smoother sound and feel.

Unlike any other Cherry switch (or any others I’m aware of), the Cherry Silent Red has effectively a rubber pad on both the downstroke and the upstroke, avoiding the harshest “clacking” you get from mechanical spring switches that also is shared by Topre.

Now with that said, Topre still has an overall smoother and more graceful “force curve” than any “linear” spring switch will provide. But the rubber padding makes a huge difference and is (at least for me) good enough.

If Mistel had better programmable firmware, I would have gone Mistel... Maybe if I need a travel keyboard some day, I'll get the MD600.

In the keyboard meetup back then I talked to the people from Cherry a lot. I told them that they have a lot of choices, but none of them is as great as that old vintage black over there...

They were owned by ZF and very into big industrial customers. In 2018 they talked about getting more independent again and about starting to care more about small customers. Also they were hiring all sorts of positions - to me it almost looked like a start from scratch - they listed positions from sales to firmware development...

It was way too difficult back then to buy from Cherry. So I chose Alps from Matias for my builds. Other then that I use an old indestructible Keytronic ErgoForce and a Topre.