Building a Keyboard 7: Kailh Master Switches, GK108 kit, Silicone + PBT Keycaps

[VSG]

Kailh has been on a roll off late with switches targeting keyboard enthusiasts, and we now examine five more from the brand. These are the Red Bean Pudding, Fried Egg, Canary, Polia, and White Owl switches, all of which get assembled on a Skyloong GK108 kit and paired with silicone and PBT keycaps.

Show full review

 

[TheUn4seen]

Those silicone keycaps really got me interested. Their sound seems to be right up my alley, with lower sound and faster decay than ABS and PBT. Too bad they don't have translucent legends but you can't have everything. Now I just need to find a perfect switch (very tactile but silent, around 45gf) and my recent obsession with keyboards can conclude - to my wife's relief, since we both work from home and Akko blue switches are distracting even from the next room. Thank you for this seris of articles.

 

[VSG]

Those silicone keycaps really got me interested. Their sound seems to be right up my alley, with lower sound and faster decay than ABS and PBT. Too bad they don't have translucent legends but you can't have everything. Now I just need to find a perfect switch (very tactile but silent, around 45gf) and my recent obsession with keyboards can conclude - to my wife's relief, since we both work from home and Akko blue switches are distracting even from the next room. Thank you for this seris of articles.

Yeah, with the right type of switches (as in, most of them), they dampen the sound significantly.

 

[Chomiq]

"Membrane keebs suck, mechanical ftw" and then slaps on silicone keycaps...

Here I was thinking that Kailh learned their lesson with stems on V1 box switches and now they're pulling this thing with those light guide posts. It's just asking for trouble.

 

[VSG]

"Membrane keebs suck, mechanical ftw" and then slaps on silicone keycaps...

Here I was thinking that Kailh learned their lesson with stems on V1 box switches and now they're pulling this thing with those light guide posts. It's just asking for trouble.

You still get the feedback mechanisms with the switches no matter what keycaps you use. But anyone being elitist about mechanical keyboards is in the wrong place.

 

[Octopuss]

Wake me up when someone comes up with low profile switches.

 

[VSG]

Wake me up when someone comes up with low profile switches.

There are plenty of low profile mechanical switches already, including from Cherry, Kailh, and Gateron, among others.

 

[Octopuss]

The only such keyboard I am aware of (haven't checked for months or more though) is from Corsair, but they flat out refuse to release such with brown switches, so... meh.

 

[VSG]

The only such keyboard I am aware of (haven't checked for months or more though) is from Corsair, but they flat out refuse to release such with brown switches, so... meh.

CORSAIR uses Cherry switches mostly, and Cherry only has the MX Red as a low profile option. You will need to look outside of Cherry, or even just get a kit like the one in this article and purchase Kailh Choc or Gateron Low Profile switches separately with the keycaps of your choice. There are also some pre-built options, such as this Epomaker NT68 Low Profile I reviewed recently which comes with Gateron Low Profile Brown (or others), for example: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/epomaker-nt68-low-profile-keyboard/

 

[AlexGost]

Wow! This is one of the best articles I've read here. Thank you!
It is amazing that you can make your own keyboard that easy and then show it to your friends.
As a person that builds his own rigs I really appreciate this article about DYI keyboard.

 

[amarthar]

The only such keyboard I am aware of (haven't checked for months or more though) is from Corsair, but they flat out refuse to release such with brown switches, so... meh.

Keychron K1, K3, K5 or K7,
Tecware Phantom L,
Logitech G815 or G915

All of the above are low profile mechanical, and all of them have an option for tactile switches.

And all of the above are not really new releases...

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

This looks like the perfect keeb kit (especially with bluetooth for an extra $10).
Sadly, they don't seem to offer it in my required British layout

 

[Octopuss]

Looks like I am shit out of luck if I'm interested in localised keycaps anyway.

 

[VSG]

Looks like I am shit out of luck if I'm interested in localised keycaps anyway.

Well most keycaps are interchangeable between the MX stem design, so if you do find a set even from the likes of CORSAIR/Razer etc, it should still work. More important is making sure the kit is compliant to your language choice, or at least can be mapped as such. If not, your best bet would be to go with a mainstream brand keyboard that comes in your local language.

 

[amarthar]

This looks like the perfect keeb kit (especially with bluetooth for an extra $10).
Sadly, they don't seem to offer it in my required British layout

If by "British layout" you mean ISO layout then no. If you mean ANSI with some of the keys rearranged then that's done in software as all keys can be programmed for whatever you want, you just need an appropriate keycap set.

 

[Octopuss]

Well most keycaps are interchangeable between the MX stem design, so if you do find a set even from the likes of CORSAIR/Razer etc, it should still work. More important is making sure the kit is compliant to your language choice, or at least can be mapped as such. If not, your best bet would be to go with a mainstream brand keyboard that comes in your local language.

Yes but a mechanical keyboard already cost obscene amounts of money. Extra set of custom caps would probably make the whole thing equal a less powerful standalone PC.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

If by "British layout" you mean ISO layout then no. If you mean ANSI with some of the keys rearranged then that's done in software as all keys can be programmed for whatever you want, you just need an appropriate keycap set.

I did mean ISO.

 

[amarthar]

I did mean ISO.

ISO is evil. Especially because of the short left Shift key.