The IBM Model M, released in 1985, is the most beloved vintage keyboard ever made — and thousands of enthusiasts still type on 40-year-old examples every day. The short answer to why: its buckling-spring switches deliver a crisp tactile snap and a deep, thunderous sound that no modern switch has fully replicated, all in a chassis built like industrial equipment.
What is a buckling-spring switch?
Each key sits over a small coiled spring. Press down, and the spring suddenly buckles sideways, snapping a tiny hammer into the contact below. That collapse is the whole trick: a single mechanism produces the tactile bump and the click at exactly the same instant, so every keypress feels decisive in a way modern clicky switches imitate but rarely match.
What’s the difference between the Model F and the Model M?
The Model F (1981) came first, with capacitive buckling springs — no physical contact at all, just a change in capacitance — and an even sharper, louder feel that many consider the pinnacle of key feel. The Model M (1985) simplified the design with a membrane sheet under the springs, making it cheaper to mass-produce. The M is the famous one; the F is the connoisseur’s pick.
Why do people still daily-drive keyboards from the 1980s?
Three reasons: feel, sound, and build. The feel is unmistakable — heavy, crisp, authoritative. The sound is a deep metallic ping-thock that modern “thock” chasers are really trying to recreate. And the build is absurd: steel backplates, thick PBT keycaps with dye-sublimated legends that never fade, cases you could bludgeon with. Model Ms routinely survive 30+ years of daily use.
Are IBM Model Ms still made?
IBM spun its keyboard division off to Lexmark in 1991, and the original tooling eventually landed with Unicomp in Kentucky, which still manufactures buckling-spring keyboards on it today. So yes — you can buy a brand-new buckling-spring board. But the vintage IBM-made examples, especially the rare ones, are what collectors chase.
Why is it called a cult?
Because the fandom behaves like one. People pay $300+ for the rare Space Saving Keyboard (the tenkeyless Model M), hunt industrial-gray variants, perform “bolt mods” to restore aging boards, and wire 1980s terminal boards to modern PCs with custom converters. It’s the keyboard equivalent of vintage watch collecting — except you can still daily-drive the artifact.
Curious how switches shape feel and sound?
The Model M sits at the extreme end of a spectrum every keyboard lives on. Our guide to linear vs tactile vs clicky switches breaks down how modern MX-style switches compare — and if you want to feel the difference yourself, everything you need for a first build is at typetide.shop.