Kaihua Box Navy Switches (supersized click bar)

ohaimark · 10 Jan 2018, 04:21

Reasonably smooth, punch through the table downstroke feel, huge force drop on the upstroke. I like them, but they're not for everyone. Regardless, the sound is awesome.

Feel free to ask questions. It's late-ish here and I'm feeling lazy, so... Yeah. Easier for me to answer things piecemeal.

mike52787 · 10 Jan 2018, 04:27

0/10 not enough zealios

Elrick · 10 Jan 2018, 10:09

mike52787 wrote: 0/10 not enough zealios

I've got Zealios - worthless Crapola.

Placed an order for some Box Navy switches simply because I love their "Loudness" something every Model-M owner knows about. Every keyboard switch should be loud because that is what every keyboard should sound like 24/7 when used.

The Box Navy's is far more interesting and suits my preference to a Tee

.

seebart · 10 Jan 2018, 10:38

Elrick wrote: Every keyboard switch should be loud because that is what every keyboard should sound like 24/7 when used.

Ahh how I love your blunt statements Elrick...

- typed on a semi-quiet Topre.

daedalus · 12 Jan 2018, 00:12

Have some of these on the way for a TEX Yoda II build I will be doing, interested to see what they're like.

__red__ · 12 Jan 2018, 06:20

Elrick wrote: Every keyboard switch should be loud because that is what every keyboard should sound like 24/7 when used.

The first time Management came to my desk to talk to me about my loud keyboard the conversation went something like this:

Them: So, we've had complaints that your keyboard is loud and distracting.
Me: That's the sound of productivity.
Them: Well, your co-worker aren't used to it.
Me: They're not used to working with productive people, clearly.

It went downhill from there.

Elrick · 13 Jan 2018, 00:54

__red__ wrote: Them: So, we've had complaints that your keyboard is loud and distracting.
Me: That's the sound of productivity.
Them: Well, your co-worker aren't used to it.
Me: They're not used to working with productive people, clearly.

You need to attain management position immediately so as to never tolerate others, putting their interests ahead of yours.

In any company it's all about monthly profit gains, minimum theft and damage to company equipment. How you get there will be all up to you hence head office will always turn a blind eye to what you enjoy and promote within your own office space.

Has always been that way since I was a boy and nothing much has changed, even in the 21st century.

Techno Trousers · 16 Jan 2018, 01:40

Can you do a nickel test? I can't find force curves on these anywhere.

ohaimark · 16 Jan 2018, 01:53

Here's Haata's measurement.

Techno Trousers · 16 Jan 2018, 03:19

Thank you! I was looking under Kaihua, didn't see Novelkeys there. So that's kind of what I was expecting from a quoted 60g activation I saw. But then I saw somewhere else talking about 95g weight, which seemed insane.

That looks right up my alley, so I'll try to get these when they come into stock.

Techno Trousers · 16 Jan 2018, 06:41

Hmm... The plot thickens. That graph has been superceded by a very different one at the end of December. The new one shows a peak force of 80g just before the break.

https://plot.ly/~haata/415

Elrick · 16 Jan 2018, 09:11

Techno Trousers wrote: That looks right up my alley, so I'll try to get these when they come into stock.

The Box Navy rules, I need to sing this tune;

Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy

Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy

.

ohaimark · 16 Jan 2018, 13:45

Techno Trousers wrote: Hmm... The plot thickens. That graph has been superceded by a very different one at the end of December. The new one shows a peak force of 80g just before the break.

https://plot.ly/~haata/415

I posted the old graph -- the new one is more accurate. My fingers back that peak force up. Thankfully it isn't all that bad after using an M at the office for a while.

If you're looking for a more balanced switch, I recommend Kaihua Box Heavy Pale Blue. It doesn't have the same aggressive click of the Box Navys, nor the ridiculous tactility, but it definitely is better than other modern clicky options that I'm aware of.

Techno Trousers · 16 Jan 2018, 20:27

I'm thinking I might take a chance on the Jade, though I've read elsewhere that at least the initial batch had a very slow upstroke because the light spring couldn't overcome the resistance. Hmm.

ohaimark · 16 Jan 2018, 21:48

Yeah. I wouldn't do the Jade -- its spring is way too light. You're basically lifting your fingers up midstroke and waiting for the switch to catch up.

You should definitely look into Box Heavy Pale Blues instead.

Techno Trousers · 16 Jan 2018, 23:27

The Box Heavy Pale Blues have the same small click bar as the box whites, though, right? Just a heavier spring?

ohaimark · 16 Jan 2018, 23:57

Yep. But they feel more refined overall due to the reduced upstroke tactility. Peek at Haata's graph of them vs. Box Whites and you'll see what I mean.

Techno Trousers · 17 Jan 2018, 00:10

Yeah, the initial hump to get the bar started over the stem bump looks smoother for sure. I'll give the box pale blues a shot. Thanks for all the advice!

I wonder how it would be if someone made a "medium" thickness click bar. I think tactility that exactly split the difference between box pale blue and box navy would be just about perfect on paper. Maybe comparable to a lighter membrane buckling spring.

Elrick · 19 Jan 2018, 11:16

Techno Trousers wrote: The Box Heavy Pale Blues have the same small click bar as the box whites, though, right? Just a heavier spring?

Just received my box "Pale Blues" from MassDrop and guess what, they're not Pale Blue.

Either it's my eyes or maybe I can't tell the difference but I see a Bluey-Grey colour instead. It's not dark like the Navy's I bought but those so-called Pale Blue pieces, that they show on the internet are fake.

Have to get one of my minions to see this colour, just in case my eye balls are shot from being in the outback nearly all my life.

seebart · 19 Jan 2018, 11:58

So where are all you buying these?

Findecanor · 19 Jan 2018, 14:10

The graph above said "NovelKeys". I suppose they are NovelKeys exclusive then. Out of stock, now...
https://www.novelkeys.xyz/product/novel ... ck-clicks/

Menuhin · 19 Jan 2018, 16:04

Kbdfans seems to have everything that are currently hot and currently trending (and made in China):

https://kbdfans.cn/collections/swtich/p ... -navy-jade

seebart · 19 Jan 2018, 16:08

Right, thanks guys. I'd love to try these.

http://www.kailh.com/en/Products/Ks/BOXS/

Techno Trousers · 19 Jan 2018, 22:23

I ordered mine from Kbdfans. Elrick, are yours actually counterfeit, or is it a case that the picture didn't accurately depict the color? Do they have that medium weight and strong click at actuation?

seebart · 19 Jan 2018, 22:32

I found this offer at KPrepublic Store...FAKE?

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/produc ... 7667QsRCAp

codemonkeymike · 19 Jan 2018, 22:54

seebart wrote: I found this offer at KPrepublic Store...FAKE?

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/produc ... 7667QsRCAp

Probably not fake, but if it were a box navy or jade switch I would be concerned.

Elrick · 20 Jan 2018, 00:03

Techno Trousers wrote: I ordered mine from Kbdfans. Elrick, are yours actually counterfeit, or is it a case that the picture didn't accurately depict the color? Do they have that medium weight and strong click at actuation?

If they're FAKE then MassDrop will need to do a major REFUND on these.

Although the Click is sublime and if you love clicky switches, these so-called "Pale Blues" will be loved as much as any Alps based keyboard.

Not trying to put down any Alps based keyboard here but if ALL the manufacturers start putting these switches into all of their keyboards, what a lovely sound it would make

.

Techno Trousers · 20 Jan 2018, 00:14

I do love clicky switches (first loves were the Model M and Alps SKCM white, way back when both were in production). I'm really looking forward to loading up a keyboard with these pale blues.

codemonkeymike · 20 Jan 2018, 02:34

Elrick, The pale blues and navy blues have the same spring, but he navy blues have a thicker click bar. You have the pale blues as massdrop has not sold the navy blues

mgsickler · 23 Jan 2018, 21:59

Elrick wrote:
Techno Trousers wrote: The Box Heavy Pale Blues have the same small click bar as the box whites, though, right? Just a heavier spring?
Just received my box "Pale Blues" from MassDrop and guess what, they're not Pale Blue.

Either it's my eyes or maybe I can't tell the difference but I see a Bluey-Grey colour instead. It's not dark like the Navy's I bought but those so-called Pale Blue pieces, that they show on the internet are fake.

Have to get one of my minions to see this colour, just in case my eye balls are shot from being in the outback nearly all my life.

I took care of the Massdrop shipping/sorting of my Heavy BOX Switches, so they definitely are real and not fake.