Funky Frankenswitches

Heisenberg

  • Halo Clear stem
  • Gateron Blue Ink housing & spring
  • Very smooth, “tight” feel - no or very little rattle
  • Modest, yet crisp and satisfying tactility
  • “D-shaped” bump starting at very top
  • Is the danger

Short, snappy tactile with a harsh, loud bottom-out; the one who knocks.


Flavor-text:

I tend to fidget with my switch testers when I watch stuff. While clacking away on Creams, Inks, Creamy Inks, T1’s, and Holy Pandas, I had the thought to put a Halo stem into an Ink housing since the Cream and T1 stems do so well in them. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised by the result;

TL;DR: These crystalline wonders basically feel like extra-smooth, shortened T1’s.

That is, with a shorter travel because of the Halo stem, but with a similar smooth bump that encompasses most of the travel. Very satisfying.

This is definitely a switch meant to be bottomed-out; the bump essentially ends right as the stem hits the housing, giving for a very clean, snappy feel.

The sound and feel from that bottom-out is a little less distinct than that of a Holy Panda, also a bit less loud and piercing, as if the plastic is less dry, or more dense - I actually prefer this sound.

I’ve got to hand it to Gateron - they’ve got some good secret sauce in those Ink housings. I’d order a bucket of them if I could.

For its short travel, the bump is wide and smooth - very clear and noticeable, yet much more subtle than the Box silent browns I’m typing on now (which themselves are much more snappy than other “browns”).

I bought a bunch of Panda housings a while back, but damn if Ink housings aren’t way better in terms of what I want in a switch. I’m pretty sure my planned Holy Panda build just turned into a Heisenberg build. Well. At least the pandas are pretty…

Conclusion: Revising my recommendation for those that like an extra snappy, smooth “d-shaped” tactile bump. It’s not necessarily heavy like the bump on a Box Royal, but since it all but demands a hard bottom-out, they can be a little tiring - I suppose that’s the price of admission for what is to me still the most fun switch in my collection.

15 Likes