Cherry MX Black
Linear Cherry
The Cherry MX Black is the original 1984 MX linear, a firm 60g switch whose vintage "broken-in" examples are still hunted by enthusiasts for frankenswitch builds.
Cherry MX Black specs
| Type | Linear |
|---|---|
| Actuation force | 60g |
| Bottom-out force | n/a |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm |
| Stem | POM |
| Top housing | nylon |
| Bottom housing | nylon |
| Spring | single-stage |
| Factory lube | none |
| Pins | 5-pin |
| Typical price | $0.35 / switch |
| Sound profile | deep, muted |
| Released | 1984 |
Spec fields marked n/a are unpublished by the maker; we list only verifiable numbers rather than guesses.
Switches similar to the Cherry MX Black
Gateron Ink Black V2 Linear The Gateron Ink Black V2 is a premium 60g linear whose proprietary smoky INK housing made it the community's benchmark smooth linear for years. Kailh Box Black Linear The Kailh Box Black is the 60g heavy linear of the dustproof Box line, giving MX Black-style weighting with the shorter 3.6mm Box travel. Cherry MX Silent Black Silent linear The Cherry MX Silent Black is the 60g heavy version of Cherry's dampened linear, muting bottom-out and upstroke for typists who like MX Black weighting without the noise.
Which keyboards can use it?
Any hot-swap board with standard MX sockets accepts the Cherry MX Black (5-pin: check that your plate or PCB supports 5-pin, or clip the legs). Use the KeebScout database to shortlist hot-swap boards that fit your budget and size, or browse the keyboard database.