Editing Alps SKCM Ivory

{{infobox dswitch
| image name        = Alps SKCM Cream Damped -- top.jpg
| manufacturer      = [[Alps Electric]]
| family            = [[Alps SKCL/SKCM series]]
| product code      = SKCMBB
| contact mechanism = [[Contact mechanism#Metal leaf|Metal leaf]]
| switch type       = Tactile, damped
| actuation force   =70 gf 
| switch mount      = [[Switch mount#Plate mount|Plate mount]]
| keycap mount      = [[Keycap mount#Alps mount|Alps mount]]
| discontinued      = 1994 or later
| supersedes        = 
| precedes          = [[Alps SKCM White Damped]]
}}

'''Alps SKCM Ivory''', or damped tactile Cream Alps / Damped Cream Alps (colloquially), is a [[damping|damped]] tactile switch in the [[Alps SKCL/SKCM series]]. It should not be mistaken for the earlier [[Alps SKCM Cream]], which was not damped. If the switch has no Alps logo on the top then it is likely to be the latter.

==Description==
Ivory Alps switches have small black rubber dampers fitted into grooves on either side of the slider; these quieten the switch by cushioning the impact of the slider against the inside of the switch both when bottoming out and on its return. The damper does not reach to the bottom of the slider, so the stops moulded into the base of the shell have been widened to accommodate.

Variants of the switch exist both with slits and without, with slits being the significantly more common variety. The model was followed by [[Alps SKCM White Damped|SKCM White Damped]], which differs in that the sliders are made from a different plastic and the switch weighting is slightly heavier, though is otherwise identical to Ivory without slits.

It appears that the tactile leaf was modified during its production run, with the hole removed, and small indentations introduced. Initally, they used either very similar, or exacly the same tactile leaves as [[Alps SKCM Salmon]]. They were replaced later by the kind most commonly found in [[Alps SKCM Black]] and [[Alps SKCM White Damped]] switches.

Early switches were lubricated.

==Variants==
Known variants include:

{| class="wikitable"
! Switchplate Color !! Switchplate Length !! Alps Logo !! Generation
|-
| White || Short || Logo || Pine (with slits)
|-
| White || Short || Logo || Bamboo (without slits)
|}

==Keyboards==
*Some [[Apple Extended Keyboard II]] (M3501/M0312)
*Some [[Apple Macintosh Portable]] keyboards (M5126)
*Most [[SGI Granite]]

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="250" heights="187">
File:Alps SKCM Cream Damped -- top.jpg|Top view
File:Sgi granite 203.jpg|Ivory Alps switch keyboard
File:Sgi granite 107.jpg|Ivory Alps switches
File:Alps SKCM Cream Damped -- original tactile leaf.jpg|Opened, with original tactile leaf removed
File:Alps.tw Type BA3 -- Alps cream.jpg|Detail, with later tactile leaf
File:Alps SKCM Cream Damped vs White -- slider stops.jpg|Slider stop comparison with [[Alps SKCM White|SKCM White]]
File:Damped sliders.jpg|Damped [[Matias switch|Matias]] and Alps sliders
File:Cream damped bamboo.jpg|Without slits
File:Salmon EarlyLateCreamComparison.JPG|Tactile leaves from an SKCM Salmon, Early SKCM Ivory, and Late SKCM Ivory switches. The leaf from the early one, and the leaf from the salmon appear to be the same.
</gallery>

==See also==

*[[Matias quiet click]] — an Alps clone that forms a cross between the SKCM Ivory and [[Alps SKBM Black|SKBM Black]].

[[Category:Alps SKCL/SKCM series]]
[[Category:Keyboard switches with Alps mount]]
[[Category:Metal contact switches]]
[[Category:Tactile switches]]
[[Category:Damped switches]]
[[Category:List of all keyboard switches]]