Some people still prefer blues, I might be slightly exaggerating. Not everyone wants a key as hard to press as a box jade but I love them.
When they did a survey of /r/mechanicalkeyboards the most common favorite is Brown, Blue was up there too.
/r/mechanicalkeyboards and /r/mechmarket area great place to go to further investigate the hobby. Be warned I can't be held responsible for anyone's wallet.
Are there any switches that come close to the feel and sound of buckling spring (aka Model M) switches?
I haven't been able to find anything like that; even the stiffest and clickiest and tactilest cherry key switches I've played with don't come close to the feel.
I'm not sure where Unicomp gets theirs - likely make them in-house would be my guess.
I currently own two original Model M keyboards, and one Unicomp Classic USB (it was given to me as part of my severance package from a former employer because nobody else wanted it after they downsized me - so they stuck it in the box of my things they shipped back to me).
But I can't find keycaps for any of those that are "all black" (which I'd like for my Unicomp - which is a black case design - but greyish keycaps).
So a "standard" switch, with keycaps - but with the same feel, etc as an original buckling spring switch - that's what I'm looking for (under-key blue glow to match my case effects would also be a nice thing - but baby steps).
I think there may be modern buckling spring key switches.
Most modern mechanical switches have their own sound. MX Blues and knockoffs sound like MX Blues, the Box Jades I described have a really really nice clicky noise and IMO the best tactile clicking feeling. You could try them next to a buckling spring keyboard and you may or may not like the buckling spring feeling and sound better.
I've used both vintage buckling springs and box jades and I like Box Jades better.
They sell switch testers with lots of different switches on them, if you want something really obscure like a modern buckling spring you might have to buy a few of the switches separately, but then you could test them alongside the others.
I learned to type on manual typewriters, so I like a _heavy_ switch... Box Navy Blue, Box jade, or sages are my current favorite. Cherry Green just wasn't tactile or clicky enough for me.
