Blush Linear

From the designer: 

Background:
Sick of thin, cheap sounding and feeling switches, I wanted to provide something different to a lot of the newer linears on the market, specifically those manufactured by Durock/JWK. With this in mind, I had two primary goals with this switch - to provide full and even housing collisions while maintaining that level of smoothness that enthusiasts have come to expect in recent years. After multiple rounds of prototyping, the Blush linear switch is ready to be run in its final form.

For the top housing, while prototypes were made with both polycarbonate (PC) and nylon plastic, polycarbonate was chosen over nylon to provide a better overall typing feel. Nylon leads to the switch feeling ‘flat’ and sounding dull and introduces slightly more scratch to the keystroke - similar to that of stock MX Blacks. Polycarbonate was determined to be the better choice because of the higher level of smoothness it provides, as well as the poppier sound signature.

Dual-stage springs are generally longer than normal springs, which tend to be around 15mm in length. The springs used in the Blush linear switch are 20mm in length, which is significantly longer than standard 15mm springs. Because of the extra length, the spring is pre-compressed in the switch, making it heavier at the start of the keystroke, which also leads to a snappier return, providing more feedback when typing. Not only does this deliver a more satisfying typing experience, but it also helps towards combating the slight thinness in feel that polycarbonate top housings can introduce - by topping out with greater force.

The stem is made of POM and has a pole that’s longer than normal linear switches. The extra length improves the sound of the switch and causes a sharper, hard-hitting bottom out. Just like the dual-stage spring, the longer stem also helps to increase typing feedback and provides a more satisfying and ‘full’ feeling.
Nylon is a great all-rounder material for bottom housings, which is why it’s seen in many switches. It has high wear resistance and is relatively hard, which is necessary to keep the switch working well even when abused during long gaming sessions.

Manufacturer
The switch is manufactured by Aflion, as denoted by the branding on the top housing. While being a relatively new manufacturer, the quality of their switches is exceptional. Over the last few months, samples from various manufacturers have been tested to find the one most suited to provide the level of quality I was seeking. After seeing what Aflion had to offer, I was immediately very impressed and chose to work with them closely to bring my vision into a product that I was happy with. Aflion’s switches tend to have thicker housings, similar to those of Tecsee, while coming at a cheaper price point. The thicker housings provide a more solid and premium typing feel, in line with the design goals of the switch.


Switches are sold in packs of 10.

Quantity 1 = 10 switches.

Specifications:

• Linear
• Top Housing: Polycarbonate
• Bottom Housing: Nylon
• Stem: POM long stem
• 58g bottom-out force
• Dual-stage stainless steel spring
• 3.3mm travel
• 5 Pin (PCB mount)
• Unlubed from factory
• Manufactured by Aflion
• Designed by ^prince

Sound Test: 

International Vendors:

• NA - You're here!
• CA - AlphaKeys
  
• EU - MyKeyboard
  
• UK - proto[Typist]
  
• SK - Swagkeys
  
• VN - UniqMeck
  
• AUS - All Caps
  
• CN/ROW - TBD