[vcf-midatlantic] Keyboard keyswitches wanted

[Herb Johnson]

  Jonathan Gevaryahu wrote:

> Be wary of whoever you sell them to! It'd be a shame if these are wasted
> on a modern project, rather than for repairing something vintage...

The first sentence of my post, makes it clear my request is for a 
vintage keyboard repair. My Web domain speaks to my understanding of 
"vintage" and vintage repair.

As for modern use of vintage keyswitches. Don't get mad if I push back. 
There are people who want the feel and response of mechanical switches, 
because they are constant users of keyboards. Repetitive injury is an 
issue with constant keyboard use. My wife is an example - this is 
close-to-home, friend. It can also be a matter of taste.

Certainly, with a scarce vintage resource, I'd prefer it be used for 
restoration and not for trivial purpose. Less scarce, less an issue.

But the large numbers of the Web, means various groups of people will 
gather for various purposes, over which I don't have control. The 
statistics of my experience is, few of my customers are looking for 
modern use, most are restoring original equipment.

And I cannot deny the value of a site like deskthority, in identifying 
and describing - in far more detail than I would - keyboards and 
keyswitches. Their Web resource is an asset for vintage computing 
preservation. I can't control various people's motives for producing, or 
consuming, such work. Or consuming my work, for that matter, past a 
certain point.

I certainly prefer the preservation of vintage computing equipment to 
its dismantling or scrapping; or for trivial-to-me use. But parts come 
from somewhere, and not every vintage item can be restored and preserved.

I have no simple answer.

You are welcome to discuss how YOU enforce or weigh, the priorities you 
suggest I consider. And how YOU triage equipment for repair vs. parts vs 
use. It's been a issue for decades, in various ways. My Web site 
represents my decades of work. I'm not unique.

 > I know of someone who is looking for some of these same exact
 > switches to fix a broken symbolics keyboard...contact me...

You are welcome to tell the person you know, to contact me privately, 
with particulars. I will deal with them directly, or pass them to my 
"client", if something becomes available. There's apparently wide 
variety in this model of keyswitch; so details matter. But I'm not 
likely to find any Symbolics keyboards, and I'd preserve them as they 
are extraordinarily rare.

And so far, everyone I've stumbled over on this particular parts 
request, mentions "deskthority". They are a venue as well,with posted 
email discussions.

Herb Johnson

-- 
Herbert R. Johnson,  New Jersey USA
http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net