Kailh Jade competition (very tactile switches)?

FlyingPotato_is_taken · February 10

Since half a decade has passed since I last went shopping for tactile switches, is there any competition to Kailh Jade?

force curve of Kailh jade: https://chart-studio.plotly.com/~haata/417/novelkeys-box-jade/#/

I'm looking for a very tactile switch with decent, but not extreme actuation force (similar to Jade). One of the downsides I experienced with Kailh Navy keyboard (heavier Jade) was the very noticeable noise.

More Spencer · February 10

Cherry MX Browns

GarlicDeliverySystem · February 10

5 hours ago, FlyingPotato_is_taken said:

Since half a decade has passed since I last went shopping for tactile switches, is there any competition to Kailh Jade?

The Jade isn't a tactile switch, it is a clicky switch. So you won't find a tactile switch with a similar force curve as that would require the click mechanism to be present.

Tactile switches have this more S-shaped curve, since they don't "break" when going over the tactile bump, but get an extra push from the steeper slide on the stem pushing on the contact of the switch. Like how the looped metal piece on the side pushes on the angled surface on the side of the stem. That creates extra force working with or against the main spring, depending on the angle/slope of the slide.

By contrast, on the blue switches the slider gets flung down by the loop spring on the side once the tactile point is reached, creating the click and turning the rest of the travel into a basically a linear switch. Kaihl Jades have a different mechanism for this afaik, using a metal wire that snaps back. Same effect though.

Top is a Cherry style blue switch. Note how the white part detaches with slide, allowing the contact between the two metal parts on the left to be made immediately, while the rest of stem now travels in a linear motion.

By comparison, Kailh switches have this metal bar for the click (lower section in the housing), which gets pushed down and suddenly snaps back.

So, in order for a switch to be tactile and not loudly clicking, while also having the same force curve as the Jade, it would need a mechanism that can mimic this snapping action of the white sleeve in the animation of the blue switch or the metal wire/bar in the Jade. At the same time, it would need to mute the sound of these components completely.