IBM Model M Buckling Spring
ClickyThe typist's legend since 1985. A coil spring buckles mid-press and slaps a hammer onto a membrane. The buckle IS the click, the tactility, and the actuation, all in one perfectly synchronized event.
Sound & feel
The IBM Model M's buckling spring is the most honest feedback mechanism ever put in a mass-market keyboard. Partway through the press, the coil spring under the keycap buckles sideways and its pivoting hammer strikes a membrane, and that single physical event is simultaneously the tactile drop-off, the click, and the electrical actuation. Unlike MX clickies, the sound can never lie about whether the key registered.
The voice is unmistakable: a loud, full "clack-click" ringing through the plastic-and-steel chassis, the soundtrack of 1980s and 90s offices everywhere. At roughly 65-70g it demands real finger commitment, which devotees insist is precisely why their typing is more accurate on it.
Millions of Model Ms survive, many still in daily service four decades on, and Unicomp continues the lineage with new production. If the simulator has one switch that non-hobbyists will recognize by ear, it is this one.
Sound on this page is synthesized from the switch's published specs and community-documented character: an honest simulation, not a recording. We're progressively replacing simulations with our own studio recordings. How our sounds are made
Compare it
- IBM Model M Buckling Spring vs IBM Model F Buckling Spring , or jump to IBM Model F Buckling Spring
- IBM Model M Buckling Spring vs Unicomp New Model M , or jump to Unicomp New Model M
- IBM Model M Buckling Spring vs Alps SKCM Blue , or jump to Alps SKCM Blue
- IBM Model M Buckling Spring vs Kailh BOX Navy , or jump to Kailh BOX Navy
Frequently asked questions
What does the IBM Model M Buckling Spring sound like?
loud full clack-click with steel-chassis ring. Use the player on this page to hear simulated press and release sounds derived from its real specifications.
Is the IBM Model M Buckling Spring good for gaming or typing?
Clicky switches like this are typing-first: the click is satisfying but loud for shared spaces and voice chat. For quiet environments, look at silent tactiles instead.
How heavy is the IBM Model M Buckling Spring?
67g actuation. Note that IBM officially rates actuation force. Brands differ, so check the basis when comparing switches.