It depends on what you do with the switches, after clipping them.
Clipping 5-pin switches down to 3-pin doesn't create any problems, unless you want to later use those switches in a plateless build.
If you're doing a plateless build, the extra two pins will help keep the switches aligned properly, which is normally handled by the plate, when using 3-pin switches.
I've seen some really horrible looking plateless builds, where the keys are all just aligned haphazardly to each other.
Thanks for the clarification. These switches are a complete assortment of switches, no duplicates. Once I find the ones I want, I'll buy a fresh batch and these will stay as testers/fidget gadget.
lenbeen t1_j1vpk3i wrote
nipping the 2 pins is fine, just be sure you aren't damaging the actual connecting metal pins, only the plastic bits