Where to buy small flat rotary encoders like those in mice?

Other Hardware Sensors
1

I'm working on a wrist wearable, and I would like it to have a scroll wheel similar to the one on the Sansa e200 mp3 player:

https://www.google.com/search?q=sansa+e200&client=firefox-b-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXq5y0rtrXAhXnxFQKHSa5ARwQ_AUICygC&biw=1916&bih=971

I think I can use a rotary encoder like those you would find in a mouse. This is very close to what I'm looking for:

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20171125103339&SearchText=mouse+rotary+encoder

However, those all appear to be the same. I'm going to be mounting it on a PCB and it would be nice to choose the best one from a few different options.

Most of the encoders I've found have long metal shafts. Is it generally possible to remove those and replace them with something flat?

2

You could try Mouser, Digi-Key, Allied, Jameco.

3

No shaft:
https://www.digikey.com/products/en/sensors-transducers/encoders/507?k=rotary+encoder&k=&pkeyword=rotary+encoder&pv1989=0&pv545=170&FV=ffe001fb&mnonly=0&ColumnSort=0&page=1&quantity=0&ptm=0&fid=0&pageSize=25
And some of these have a pretty short shaft
https://www.digikey.com/products/en/sensors-transducers/encoders/507?k=rotary+encoder&k=&pkeyword=rotary+encoder&pv1989=0&pv545=145&FV=ffe001fb&mnonly=0&ColumnSort=0&page=1&stock=1&quantity=0&ptm=0&fid=0&pageSize=25