The Robins offer a very attractive aesthetic and slightly deeper pitch than the KS8 Gateron Yellows
Today we’re taking a look at the Gateron Robin switch, a collaboration between EVE and Gateron. My friend Robin thought it would be cool to have Robin switches, Robin’s Robin switches, so we placed a joint order on iLumkb. It works out a bit cheaper when you split shipping and import fees.
Much like the Gateron Merlot is a recolour of the KS3 mold, the Robins look like a KS8 Gateron Yellow recolour, using the same materials with a nylon bottom, POM stem and polycarbonate top. The only difference is that we have a gold-plated spring that is a little bit shorter in length. The colourway is based on the teal tones of a Robin’s egg, and I must say this is a stunning design! Much of Gateron Yellow’s popularity can be ascribed to its smooth stock performance, and as expected the Robins had a similar feeling—and this is without any factory lube. Unfortunately the spring still sounds crunchy and pingy, and at the very least I would recommend applying some lube to the springs to eliminate that pesky ping. I’ve finally managed to get my hands on Krytox 205g0 so I’m very eager to lube these switches. While the Robins feel good stock, the sound profile is overshadowed by the metallic ping. Personally I would not use these stock.
The stem and housing wobble is comparable to the KS8 Gateron Yellow, so there is a moderate amount of stem wobble, which is more pronounced in the North/South direction. The housing is pretty tight, and you don’t really need films here unless you’re looking to change the sound profile. Overall the wobble shouldn’t be perceptible with keycaps.
Looking at the price, they’re not quite as budget-friendly as Gateron Yellow, going for around $0.48 per switch on most websites. Gateron Yellows can be had for as low as $0.20 per switch, so that’s less than half the price.
With a bottom out force of 62g, the Robins feel very similar to the Gateron Yellows, although they are also available with a spring weight of 67g. One thing I liked about these switches is that they seem to have a deeper pitch, and I think that’s due to the opaque housing. After applying lube I was thoroughly impressed: the switches felt exceptionally smooth and for me the acoustics are superior to Gateron Yellow.
I feel like the Robins offer a very attractive aesthetic and a slightly deeper sound with its opaque housing. Whether or not that justifies paying more than double the price of Gateron Yellow is debatable, but I really enjoyed the teal colourway combined with the deeper pitch.
headtr1p 