Cherry, the original manufacturer of mechanical switches, continues to tap into the mechanical keyboard community for new product ideas. Its new Cherry MX Black Clear-Top mechanical switch is a nod to enthusiasts who would like to turn their modern nutcracker into an old-school terminal keyboard with super-smooth typing.
80s roots
Prior to Cherry’s Thursday announcement of plans for the MX Black Clear-Top, the switch was known to hobbyists as the Nixie switch. In the 1980s, Cherry switched to the German office equipment manufacturer Nixdorf Computer AG. The German switch maker was tasked with creating a version of their MX Black linear switch with a “milky”top case, actuation force of 63.5g rather than 60g, and “a relatively rare solution at the time where a diode is built into the switch.”for n-key rollover,” explains Cherry in the announcement.
The line switch was eventually used primarily in Nixdorf CT06-CT07/2 M Softkeys designed for terminals, servers and minicomputers.
However, Siemens’ acquisition of Nixdorf in 1990 effectively ended production of keyboards and the black-and-white switches they contained.
Rare to find
This has made the Nixie switch quite a rarity for keyboard lovers, as you have to get your hands on one of those old terminal keyboards to find one. Switch keyboard sightings have generated widespread interest as they have become so hard to find (just check out this post on the Geekhack forum for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts with over 5200 reads).
As such, resellers tend to charge quite a bit of money. Redditors have pointed to Nixie switches that cost between $3 and $5 each, and in 2018 we even saw someone trying to sell them for €7.6 each. By comparison, right now you can buy a Cherry MX Black switch for $0.69 each.
What is special about this switch?
But what good is typing with this switcher? The switch, formerly known as the Nixie, is similar to the MX Black switch, but requires more actuation force and has a brighter appearance. Each linear switch has 4mm travel and 2mm pre-travel; however, MX Black Clear-Top switches require more force to start depressing (40g versus 30g for MX Black switches).
As with many mechanical switches, the obsession is based on a reportedly delightful smoothness and what Cherry called “decent acoustics”.
Switch reviewer ThereminGoat described the Nixie switch as “absolutely”smoother than “most”Cherry switches.
They also said that the switch makes “a hard, muffled and deep bottom noise, while the top noise is slightly thinner and shifted towards a higher sound.”Curious ears can check out Chyrosran22’s review of the Nixdorf CT06-CT07/2 M softkeys on YouTube (among others) to learn more.
With such an almost mythical reputation, you might wonder why Cherry decided to rename Nixie to a name with much less imagination.
Cherry stated that it renamed the Nixie switch to reflect the “improvements”it made. The switch looks the same as before, but Cherry will sell it with Krytox GLP 205 Grade 0 lube inside for “actuation with less friction and optimized acoustics without negatively impacting typing feel”or durability claims. It is a popular lubricant, especially for linear derailleurs such as MX Black Clear-Top.
It might be a smart investment, as ThereminGoat said the Nixies “were not free from the ground up”and aren’t as impressively smooth compared to some of today’s switches, which of course include a lot more than the Cherry brand options.
For those who prefer a different type of lubrication or do it themselves, Cherry is also releasing a non-lubricated version of the MX Black Clear-Top.
Also, some (but not Cherry) might say that the switch’s descriptive name is more in line with other Cherry switches (MX Black, MX Red, MX Brown, etc.).
The new name also hints at the Switch’s connection to the MX Black.
Overall, Cherry claims the switch is an improvement over the 80s design because it’s made using modern manufacturing techniques, which provides a 50 million actuation guarantee. It goes without saying that switches assembled from a ten-year-old keyboard you found in a thrift store or on eBay don’t have comparable durability claims.
Cherry said the MX Black Clear-Top mechanical switches will be available from “all authorized distributors worldwide”in early 2023.
Switch is Cherry’s second release that was recently inspired by the community. Last month, the company announced the Cherry MX Ergo Clear, based on the so-called Frankenswitch (a mechanical switch that combines parts of different switches) that an enthusiast shared in a 2011 forum post.