I can’t even remember the last time I ordered from KBDFans.
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I bought some gateron quinn switches. They should have similar if not the same moulds as gateron baby kangaroos but different from them (other than the color and a slightly heavier spring) is the nylon top and bottom compared too the nylon bottom and pc top baby kangaroo’s. i’ve been wanting kangaroos for a while but i really hate the sound of pc tops so when i saw these were a thing i just had to buy them
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What’s with all the dislike towards kbdfans? (I’m not supporting them, just curious.)
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I had a bad experience with a return. Ended up costing me over $100 to return something. Other than that, I just enjoy supporting smaller businesses or individuals if possible
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For me, it’s not dislike but displacement. Having many US vendors offering everything I need and shipping cost makes KBDFans just another vendor. If they had compelling products, I may buy again but so far they were all mehs and disappointments.
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I think these will look amazing on my VHS Norbaforce. They are not scalped though. I wonder if it’ll work since the case doesn’t have a lot of slant.
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A couple of things are tempting me but I’m too poor right now, apartment renovation ongoing so that’s all of my spending gone.
HG Jett Black Urushi Spacebar at $105 a pop, having already missed out on the Red Urushi spacebar
Viktus Styrka currently on close out sales, $200 OFF
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I’ve bought way too many keyboard-related things lately, but I still have stuff I can’t shake from my mind…
- Picked up a microphone boom arm today to free up a bit of desk space.
- Space170 looks wonderfully tempting…
- …and so does the TKL Cycle7.
- I also want to try some more switches - namely the Flower Shadow, Aflion Melody, Sarokeys Strawberry Wine, and Chosfox Voyager - but right now am really, really happy with the BSUN X.
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I’ve been thinking about the concept of buying a keyboard.
Right now I’m in the eye of the storm. Everything is amazingly calm when I don’t have a single group buy item I’m waiting for. I’m not waiting for any keysets to ship. I’m not waiting for any keyboards to ship.
While I’m in this calm center, the storm and world moves forward with new keyboards, switches, and keysets which will always look new and shiny.
Right now I have more important financial responsibilities than keyboards. My keyboard spending will probably be on new switches to refurbish some of my old boards. Heck, I still have vintage boards I love and need to freshen up!
Any decent switch recommendations?
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Relatively recent switches that:
- impressed me right off the bat: Cream Soda, Oil King
- grew on me: Durock Black Lotus, Aflion Blue Sky
But I’ve lost much of interest in new switches, instead spending more time revisiting classic switches armed with new tricks like long springs, long stems, and RO-59.
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Bring back trampoline mod 
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In addition to Don’s recommendations, these are a few of the recent-ish switches that have impressed me:
Factory-lubed linears:
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Invokeys Black Sesame V2 - long-pole made by Aflion, deep and buttery
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Gateron New North Pole 2.0 (why it’s “New 2.0” and not “3.0” only Gateron knows) - full-travel, also deep and buttery, sound a little more subdued; I reviewed the 1.0 version here, which is the same except for the light diffuser and the lack of an air port in the bottom tube which was added to address sluggishness
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NuPhy Night Breeze - long-pole polycarb BSUN linears with POK stems; smooth with a great clack - more skate than butter, perceptible but light grain (applies to all the NuPhys on this list)
Factory-lubed tactiles:
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Akko POM Browns - my personal favorite “brown”, slight long-pole; I don’t think anything about these will surprise you, except maybe for how decent they are - I reviewed these as well - TL;DR: an all-POM brown that I think is quite good
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NuPhy Fleeting Gold - long-pole BSUN light tactile with POK stem; honestly a lot like the Akko POM Browns, but no POM to be found. Remarkably clean for a stock light tactile
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Moyu.studio Betty - extra long-pole Haimu tactile. Among the most index-y, snappy tactiles I’ve felt that doesn’t involve metal parts outside the leaf or isn’t super heavy. Crazy satisfying. (If “indexy” sounds a little too extra, the Moondrop Tessence is an otherwise similar switch with a more rounded bump and slightly longer travel.)
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NuPhy Glacier Rose - One more of these long-pole BSUN POK-stemmed things; this one a more punchy tactile than the Fleeting Gold. Somewhere between the Bettys and something more average in terms of bump intensity.
There are honestly quite a few more, but these are the ones I’ve been going back to time and time again in the past few months. Factory lubing is almost the default now; those Black Sesames were available in a dry version for V1, but V2 only comes pre-lubed, for example. The silver lining here is that factory lubing has continued to improve over time and most manufacturers at least do a decent job with it.
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So I got the T1s in and I think they’re definitely a little bit worse in terms of housing wobble compared to the batch I got in early 2021. They have about 50% wobble rate and when opening the switch the tops come off easier without having to be pried off.
These do have the new leaf with two thick pins instead of one thick and one thin though. And they are smoother than the JWICK T1s I have with the same thick pins. I don’t think T1s are super compelling these days when the JWICK T1s are fractionally less smooth but are cheaper and you get a full nylon housing instead of PC top/nylon bottom.
edit: I lubed a few more of these and they definitely get to that frictionless feel which I’m aiming for, sort of like the sensation of skating on fresh ice. So for that I’m fine with having paid the higher price for the regular Durock T1s but I think the majority of people will be happier with the money saved by going for the JWICK T1s instead.
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I have been enjoying the Vertex V1’s on my plateless build as of late.
Some other nice linears I have been really impressed with lately:
- Mode Obscuras are pretty nice as well
- Wuque Studios Morandi is also another nice grab, when you can find them.
- Geon Blacks (a.k.a. Black Zakus)
For tactiles:
- Gazzew Boba U4T (a.k.a the G.O.A.T)
- Parallel Pewters (better browns)
- Neapolitan Ice Creams (a factory Zyko frankenswitch)
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I can send you some North Pole 2.0’s to test out, if you’d like.
I heard that they are either removing the dampener or making the air port larger on the next iteration, but am drawing a blank on where I heard or read that from…
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Been enjoying the Durock Sea Glass switches which I’ve covered here. They’re really airy and wispy. Their smoothness is different from switches where you know it’s from the lubing; credits (at least in part) to the unique material blend of these Sea Glass switches.
Also, their colors remind me of candy… forbidden snack
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Yes, the dampener is now gone. That’s the biggest difference between the North Pole 2.0 and the New North Pole 2.0. To my understanding, there’s not going to be a new iteration beyond the New North Pole 2.0—at least not in the near future.
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That’s where it was!!! Your YouTube video!
Thanks for the refresher and review!
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Yes, JWICK T1s seem to have overtaken Durock T1s.
For precisely the reason you mention: you have to work on them both for best results, so might as well go for the one that costs 50%.
It’s good to know that Durock switches can still achieve that ‘skating’ feel! Too bad about the general decline in their brand. I really thought Taro Ball was a great switch, back in the day.
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Pre-ordered the PBTFans Vior base kit.
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