Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish Keyboard

VSG · Nov 30, 2022

Drop partners with Middle-earth Enterprises to bring out official The Lord of the Rings inspired keyboards. Today we examine the Elvish keyboard, featuring custom artwork and keycaps on a matching keyboard case, using Drop's popular Holy Panda X switches to make for a treat to the Tolkien fanbase.

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mechtech · Nov 30, 2022

But is it personally signed by Elrond?

SOAREVERSOR · Nov 30, 2022

Jokes and mocking aside Drop tends to get some good keycap sets.

Vayra86 · Nov 30, 2022

Imagine the Quality Assurance department for this product.

"You shall not pass!!"

cellar door · Nov 30, 2022

The list of dislikes on this one is legit...

Space Lynx · Nov 30, 2022

Can you actually learn Elvish and type in Elvish this way I wonder... that would be neat if so. If I remember right, Tolkien did make it a fully functioning langauge?

VSG · Nov 30, 2022

Space Lynx said:
Can you actually learn Elvish and type in Elvish this way I wonder... that would be neat if so. If I remember right, Tolkien did make it a fully functioning langauge?

Yes, it's a fully functioning language and this keyboard can be used to type in it with some programs. I've mentioned it in page 1.

Space Lynx · Nov 30, 2022

VSG said:
Yes, it's a fully functioning language and this keyboard can be used to type in it with some programs. I've mentioned it in page 1.

I always skip to conclusion page on almost all reviews, sorry! The Pros/Cons charts are always the go to for me on reviews.

Selaya · Nov 30, 2022

well.
too bad its tkl, ig.

VSG · Nov 30, 2022

Selaya said:
well.
too bad its tkl, ig.

You could always purchase the keycaps separately and put them on the keyboard of your choosing.

Selaya · Nov 30, 2022

good thinking

hmmmmmm

Footman · Nov 30, 2022

Great review. Switches are right up my street I love the tactile switched. Currently using the Tecsee Purple Panda, shame the switches are soldered. This is a deal breaker for me, oh and the fact I don't speak Elvish!
Now we would be having a different conversation if this was a Klingon keyboard, lol....

AusWolf · Nov 30, 2022

This would be so awesome! :cool:

Only if I could read elvish.

Veseleil · Nov 30, 2022

Yeey. Finally I can properly chat with my elven friends.

mechtech · Nov 30, 2022

Veseleil said:
Yeey. Finally I can properly chat with my elven friends.

Hope they make a Klingon keyboard soon.

AusWolf · Dec 1, 2022

mechtech said:
Hope they make a Klingon keyboard soon.

If they do, they should base it on original Star Trek klingons, or from The Next Generation, and not the alternate timeline, or Disco or any other postmodern crap.

AsRock · Dec 1, 2022

Vayra86 said:
Imagine the Quality Assurance department for this product.

"You shall not pass!!"

Tech Support

Diversity for the keyboard, it's still a keyboard just a broken one, all warranty's void.

Bwaze · Dec 1, 2022

Well written!

Lots of reviews and user comments mix up the Tengwar script and Elvish languages (Quenya, Sindarin)...

And I don't think many buyers even consider writing in Tengwar with this keyboard. It's just as an empty keyboard to them, with some cool devices that don't distract, and they have the normal US layout memorised, and use it as that.

There are many better ways of writing Tengwar than with a dedicated keyboard. There are transcribing tools on the net, and in form of programs and apps - writing in Tengwar means memorising lots of rules about uses of different characters (it's not just 1:1 letter replacement, even when writing English), tehta (wovel sign) placement, those transcribers help with that. And of course, you can always grab a calligraphy pen.

And neither Quenya nor Sindarin are "fully functioning languages". They don't have extensive dictionaries, they are even missing large parts of their grammars. So every time you're not just reusing sentences Tolkien already wrote you're forced to invent and speculate. That's why for instance David Salo called the language used in LotR movies "neo-Sindarin".

AusWolf · Dec 1, 2022

Bwaze said:
Well written!

Lots of reviews and user comments mix up the Tengwar script and Elvish languages (Quenya, Sindarin)...

And I don't think many buyers even consider writing in Tengwar with this keyboard. It's just as an empty keyboard to them, with some cool devices that don't distract, and they have the normal US layout memorised, and use it as that.

There are many better ways of writing Tengwar than with a dedicated keyboard. There are transcribing tools on the net, and in form of programs and apps - writing in Tengwar means memorising lots of rules about uses of different characters (it's not just 1:1 letter replacement, even when writing English), tehta (wovel sign) placement, those transcribers help with that. And of course, you can always grab a calligraphy pen.

And neither Quenya nor Sindarin are "fully functioning languages". They don't have extensive dictionaries, they are even missing large parts of their grammars. So every time you're not just reusing sentences Tolkien already wrote you're forced to invent and speculate. That's why for instance David Salo called the language used in LotR movies "neo-Sindarin".

I learned more about LotR lore from your post than one ever could from The Hobbit movies and Amazon's TV series (the one that shall not be named) combined. :respect:

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Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish Keyboard

VSG

Editor, Reviews & News

mechtech

SOAREVERSOR

Vayra86

cellar door

Space Lynx

Astronaut

VSG

Editor, Reviews & News

Space Lynx

Astronaut

Selaya

VSG

Editor, Reviews & News

Selaya

Footman

AusWolf

Veseleil

mechtech

AusWolf

AsRock

TPU addict

Bwaze

AusWolf