Sakura Keyboard Refresh 2026

Got a bit bored and pulled my Bakeneko 65 keyboard out of storage with the idea rotating it in with my Mode 65 — except I found my RSI flaring up again after typing on it for a day. I guess I really am a sub-45g switch person now.

So: a search for lighter switches. I ended up looking at Huano, a newer (to me) switch company that has a number of lighter-weight options. Perhaps in an unconscious echo of the cherry blossoms outside, I ended up choosing the Sakura (V2) linear — 35g actuation/45g bottom-out, making it one of the lightest switches out there.

The Huanos were very tight in the board — they took a bit of force to get them into the PCB, and I ended up bending the prongs of two of the switches.

In addition to the switch swap I dusted off my Polycaps Octopus set to go all-in on the purple keyboard vibes.

The new switches are really light, and a little bit scratchier than the Keylin switches in my Mode 65. Overall it’s a bit clackier/poppier than my Mode — I wish the whole board sounded a little bit deeper, but overall it’s an interesting change from the Mode. I plan to rotate keyboards every two weeks.

More photos on Flickr.