Yeah travel feels good on the pairing. There is just something very familiar about it while upgraded since lubed and in the zeal housing feels very smooth and with better tolerances.
Just popping in after salvaging a bunch of MX Silent Black stems; these are definitely better than I thought they were from just using those switches by themselves, and from what I can tell are just objectively better than the Gateron-made ones.
Like the Bobas and other Gazzew silents, the portion of the stem opposite the legs is shaved-back a bit to make sure it doesn’t contact the housing - something that happens with all the Gat switches to a greater or lesser degree. I’m definitely interested to see how these stems do in Ink housings since Silent Inks are already one of my favorites.
Edit: Tried it and liked it. Tolerances on the Gat stems do actually seem to be a bit better, and they also seem to travel ever so slightly more smooth - but I do still think the overall impression is one I prefer. That off-angle “tick” sound just isn’t a factor.
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Another update after experimenting with these some more; in some housings, the MX Silent stems interfere and have a hard bottom-out. I’m guessing it’s that back part of the stem’s flat side that comes down a little farther.
Specifically, I put one in a YOK Panda housing, and noticed it had shortened travel and a non-dampened bottom-out.
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I guess I should update here as well haha. I made the switches and they’re pretty cool. Built them in the tealios housings with the sprit progressive 72g, and they’re definitely some of the most unique ones I have felt.
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While I am not a silent switch fan by any stretch. IMO, the best silent switches I’ve tried are MX Zilents & Gazzew Boba U4s. I have yet to try the newest Gazzew silent linears, but after trying many other ones I’m not ex[ecting myself to like them more than good old MX Zilents. So I’d say definitely still worth it nowadays if a super smooth silent linear switch is what you’re after!