Sexy Mechanical Keyboard Thread

[E-curbi]

Not sure if my keyboard qualifies as sexy, whoa! Some gorgeous boards here.

It is very comfortable to the fingers and hands working - typing long hours. Also extremely quiet with the HHKB custom noise absorption pad that sticks to the bottom.

Please excuse the mixed printed non-printed PBT keycaps, the gf uses the PC about twice a week and could not find certain seldom used keys like the tilde, so had to order a printed set and mount them until she learns all the strokes.

Realize I could dress the board up in some really nice colors and caps, but it's for getting work done and I'm a boring person. lol


Update: These last 3 photos are like 8months old, so much has changed since then, yet they show the HHKB Pro 2 noise absorption pad that adheres your keyboard to your desktop and protective keyboard cover much better. Cool pics.

Also the keyboard (last pic) that began my career from an old comedy film titled "Her Alibi". The actor's keyboard from the late 1980s looks a lot like my current board, white-gray blank keycaps. lol

The 6th photo is work desk setup 2017. Still dope.

 

[micropage7]

Not sure if my keyboard qualifies as sexy, whoa! Some gorgeous boards here.

It is very comfortable to the fingers and hands working - typing long hours. Also extremely quiet with the HHKB custom noise absorption pad that sticks to the bottom.

Please excuse the mixed printed non-printed PBT keycaps, the gf uses the PC about twice a week and could not find certain seldom used keys like the tilde, so had to order a printed set and mount them until she learns all the strokes.

Realize I could dress the board up in some really nice colors and caps, but it's for getting work done and I'm a boring person. lol


Update: These last 3 photos are like 8months old, so much has changed since then, yet they show the HHKB Pro 2 noise absorption pad that adheres your keyboard to your desktop and protective keyboard cover much better. Cool pics.

Also the keyboard (last pic) that began my career from an old comedy film titled "Her Alibi". The actor's keyboard from the late 1980s looks a lot like my current board, white-gray blank keycaps. lol

The 6th photo is work desk setup 2017. Still dope.

very classic looks, like from 1990's
before RGB take over the world

 

[SamirD]

very classic looks, like from 1990's
before RGB take over the world

I got old school love too so I liked it a lot too. Too many people trying to make a Razer version of an HHKB when this one works great.

 

[E-curbi]

The HHKB Pro 2 Silent Type-S with the noise isolated keycaps is the best overall typing experience in my humble opinion. Add on the noise absorbing adhesive mat to the underside about $40 to make it even less audible and more pleasant for long hours of work.

Yea, I'm always on the lookout for a brand new HHKB Pro 3 to launch or even an HHKB BT in silent Type-S, I'd keep it wired though, have (2) Bluetooth wireless mice, and I understand the benefits of wireless operation, a wireless keyboard? Doesn't help me much. It just sits there stuck stable to my desk in one spot, wired vs wireless? LOL

Only Razer component I'm using is the Invicta mousing mat in white. It's an extremely wonderful surface superslick, superfast and smooth, more glide than I've ever experienced before, so less effort for getting work completed faster over long hours. I'd say if you use your PC to feed your family, the $59.99 cost is easily worth it, pays for itself.

 

[tabascosauz]

It's been almost two years since I last built a board, and those Klippe parts were looking awfully lonely having sat on the shelf for 7 months, so I decided to get back into the game. It sure is nice to live in a country where 60/40 leaded solder isn't banned, although I definitely need a better 120V station.

Case is the tried and true FMJ that's already seen three boards come and go. My main B.face has taken up residence in the Klippe case, having needed the extra support of the centre screw hole to buttress its flimsy aluminium plate. I did only have three screws remaining to use on this board, which poses no issue thanks to the stiffness of the brass plate.

So far, I've taken a liking to MX Silent Reds. They work phenomenally quietly in my M-10B and now this board. Now to find some better equipment and Healios to prepare for the arrival of my X60-R, which I've been waiting on for nearly 3 years.

 

[AsRock]

It's been almost two years since I last built a board, and those Klippe parts were looking awfully lonely having sat on the shelf for 7 months, so I decided to get back into the game. It sure is nice to live in a country where 60/40 leaded solder isn't banned, although I definitely need a better 120V station.

Case is the tried and true FMJ that's already seen three boards come and go. My main B.face has taken up residence in the Klippe case, having needed the extra support of the centre screw hole to buttress its flimsy aluminium plate. I did only have three screws remaining to use on this board, which poses no issue thanks to the stiffness of the brass plate.

So far, I've taken a liking to MX Silent Reds. They work phenomenally quietly in my M-10B and now this board. Now to find some better equipment and Healios to prepare for the arrival of my X60-R, which I've been waiting on for nearly 3 years.

If you don't mind what's about cost to build one ?, like it for the nice space saving and the correctly made caps lock .

 

[tabascosauz]

If you don't mind what's about cost to build one ?, like it for the nice space saving and the correctly made caps lock .

Surprisingly, not much......but you get what you pay for, although your mileage may vary especially with switch choice. Just choose your components wisely.

1st board: ~$425 excluding caps. B.face PCB + alu plate + MX Red + Klippe. My joints were okay, but the alignment of the switches is poor due to the poor quality of the cheap plate I bought. I'm still using this board though, it's a real trooper. It currently resides in the Klippe case, so I factored in the price of that (minus the parts that came as a package).

2nd board: ~$230 excluding caps. GH60revC + alu plate + Gateron Yellow + Tex low profile case. I tried to see how cheap I could go without resorting to questionable Taobao GH60Satan kits. The GH60 rev. C board is available from techkeys.us for about $35, and is a good board. You do need to configure and flash the firmware though. My handiwork did improve significantly, but multiple switches became unusable within a year so I retired it. The Tex 60% case is of good quality (far better than most mainland Chinese alu cases, Tex is Taiwanese) and is a versatile choice for both builds and off-the-shelf boards like the Pok3r; the Tex cost about $120, not sure if it's still available today.

3rd board: ~$550 excluding caps. Mekanisk/NerD60 + brass plate + MX Silent Red + FMJ. Most of the cost comes from the FMJ, which cost me $350 back in 2016. As for the rest, they are pretty cheap due to coming as a package with the Klippe (which I gave to the B.face instead). I swore off Gateron because of the poor reliability of my second board and my later KBD75 (dead as well), and I needed a quiet board so Silent Reds work great. Dunno what the meta is regarding switches in 2019, but r/mk probably covers that.

If you really want to push the limits, there are probably still kits out there similar to the GH60 Satan (not related to the GH60revC) that'll be around $100 or less for the whole shebang. Bigger boards like TKL and full-size generally don't exist outside of really prohibitive group buys with prohibitive prices, but there are 65% and 75% kits out there.

 

[okidna]

So far, I've taken a liking to MX Silent Reds. They work phenomenally quietly in my M-10B and now this board. Now to find some better equipment and Healios to prepare for the arrival of my X60-R, which I've been waiting on for nearly 3 years.

I also like Cherry Silent switches, I currently use Silent Black stem in a Zealios housing with 72g spring on my KIRA EXS.
I use Zealios housing because I found that the default housing (Cherry RGB silent housing, milk bottom, clear top) were too scratchy and inconcsistent even when lubed. In a Zealios housing it's noticeably smoother (even when it's unlubed) and of course it lacks of Zeal signature high pitched clack because of the silent stem.

 

[tabascosauz]

I also like Cherry Silent switches, I currently use Silent Black stem in a Zealios housing with 72g spring on my KIRA EXS.
I use Zealios housing because I found that the default housing (Cherry RGB silent housing, milk bottom, clear top) were too scratchy and inconcsistent even when lubed. In a Zealios housing it's noticeably smoother (even when it's unlubed) and of course it lacks of Zeal signature high pitched clack because of the silent stem.

I might be the only one who doesn't mind MX scratchiness. Part of the MX charm, I guess, lol. And to be honest, I have a 3700 with vintage Blacks and there really isn't that much of a difference to new Blacks. It's a bit better on retooled MX, goes away the longer you use the board, and I've never had a MX switch die on me. Gateron, on the other hand......even with a spring and stem replacement and some lube, the sticky Yellows still ended up sticky in less than a month, and died shortly thereafter. Maybe the tolerances were too loose and gunk kept getting in, I dunno.

My Silents aren't the RGB type. They're just the usual black opaque housing that I bought in bulk. As for Zealios, apparently the Gateron housing has been retooled to be less wobbly (a notorious Gateron problem), but I can't remember if my 65g Zealios were of the old or new type. For that matter, I can't even remember when or why I bought the Zealios...they are smooth, but way too tactile for my liking and way too loud. Too heavy, too. I only use Reds now because they fit my RSI-ridden hands perfectly.

That EXS is a very nice board. Unfortunately, I'm too invested in 60% and G80 numpads to have any need for a bigger board anymore.

 

[tabascosauz]

X60R arrived Monday - built it today. My last build for the foreseeable future, and I've been waiting more than 2 years.

I used Tealios on this one; they were restocked only yesterday. Crisp and smooth - I'll keep them stock for now, they don't need lube like the Silent Reds do. Now to wrap my head around QMK...

 

[E-curbi]

We gotta breathe some life back into this awesome mechanical keyboard thread. lol

Looks like only tabascolovebrosauz has been keeping it alive. lol

Anyone? Anyone? Ferris Bueller Anyone? ok, I'll start.

Switched my input setup from white and light gray aesthetic since 2016 to black and gunmetal, Woohoo!

Why did I choose white and gray way back in 2016 anyways? Well, at the time had a standard HHKB Pro 2 in black. It was a bit noisy, so after 3years in service, I wanted to upgrade to the HHKB Pro 2 Type-S "silent key" switches sku, and PFU Fujitsu ONLY made the Type-S in white and gray and that's the way it remained actually since 2006, the only color you could get a Type-S was in the white and light gray with or without labeled keycaps.

Well that all changed on December 10th 2019, when PFU launched their new Hybrid Series.

Hybrid in white and black
Hybrid Type-S also in white and black. YAY!

So, I returned to a black keyboard yesterday after FedEx overnighted this beautiful keyboard below.

Before and After pics:

Yea, went ahead and picked up a Logitech Master MX 3 mouse in graphite and a Razer Invicta mousing mat in gunmetal and black to complete the aesthetic.

Could not get the keyboard to play nice with the EVGA Z390 Dark motherboard, went a bit crazy I did, pulled out all the usb devices thinking there may be a conflict, reinstalled Win10 and all the mobo basic drivers, lol ... then found the issue was the keyboard itself, had to reset back to USB-C connectivity from a previous bluetooth setting using the key combination Fn Cntl and 0. Why didn't I just read the instructions in the first place? Because I'm stupid.

There's lots of input codes for the keyboard, since it offers USB-C and wireless bluetooth pairing for up to (4) devices.

They began selling this new keyboard series in the US on Monday morning January 6th, 2020 at 10am PST (1pm EST) and I didn't hear about it until 9pm Monday night and ordered immediately.

PFU sold out of all four Type-S variants in only 3days. I guess there's lots of HHKB fans in North America.

The $40 introductory discount was pretty sweet since it's not an inexpensive keyboard at all.

 

[SamirD]

Nice! I liked the white setup as well.

 

[silentbogo]

We gotta breathe some life back into this awesome mechanical keyboard thread. lol

Yeah... it's been awhile
Can't find any spare time to make me a new board, cause my modded Zalman is getting even more "tired".
Not sure if I posted pics in Ghetto mods thread, but some keycaps already have broken stems, and are "semi-perma-glued" in place using my favorite phone/tablet LCD adhesive
Gateron browns are still holding up like champs, though, even after being drowned in coffee and washed with booze several times, relentlessly smashed during my Witcher 3 and Enderal playthroughs, and shamelessly abused with lengthy Quake Champions fragging sessions.

 

[tabascosauz]

@E-curbi my X60 rebuild is coming up; extra parts for that are imminent and shipped together with my new T60 case in Hyper Red for the Silent Red NerD60. My Instant60 was also finished with GHv4 lubed Gateron Ink Reds (quite nice), and they're also both wearing new keysets. I'll probably put it up in my thread when the time comes - this thread seems a little inactive as of late.

I had no idea there was a new HHKB out! You already know that I love the look of it and all MX Masters, so rock on! I've been needing a board that can do Bluetooth, but I'm just not sure about having another board around.

 

[E-curbi]

@E-curbi my X60 rebuild is coming up; extra parts for that are imminent and shipped together with my new T60 case in Hyper Red for the Silent Red NerD60. My Instant60 was also finished with GHv4 lubed Gateron Ink Reds (quite nice), and they're also both wearing new keysets. I'll probably put it up in my thread when the time comes - this thread seems a little inactive as of late.

I had no idea there was a new HHKB out! You already know that I love the look of it and all MX Masters, so rock on! I've been needing a board that can do Bluetooth, but I'm just not sure about having another board around.

The new Hybrid series were first available "Japan only" from December 10th last year. I do believe PFU first produced a Bluetooth HHKB back in 2016, but it wasn't very popular - had pairing and battery life issues, this new series is supposed to remedy those design faux pas.

After one week of hard use, I'm in love, the domes are tight, the tactile bump is sharp and much more well defined than the last series the Pro 2. Switches seem lighter than 45grams, not sure why, and it's definitely a Speed Part. I like super-efficient Speed Parts. Doesn't photograph well at all, the black on black legends - difficult to see, luckily I'm used to the blank keycaps of my last HHKB, so not a problem. Also, my last hhkb came with a 1yr warranty, this board from PFU Fujitsu USA direct has a 2yr advanced replacement warranty, so yay.

Video below of the December 10th PFU HHKB meetup volume 3, in Japan is very cool.

One last little tidbit, the new Hybrid Series does not arrive with a USB-C cable in the box. In these photos below, I'm using the data/charging usb-c cable that came with the Logitech MX Master 3 mouse. It looks pretty ok lol.

Oops, one last thing, there's remapping software that works extremely well, you could remap the entire board from Qwerty to Dvorak using the blank keycaps would make an ideal Dvorak speedboard.

And this new series, the spacebar is made from PBT like the keycaps, not ABS like the Pro 2 series, another plus.

 

[silentbogo]

Finally got an upgrade, and quite unexpected one.
My old modded Zalman finally gave up, so I took it to the office for future surgery and ordered a new board.
Always wanted a low-profile mech keyboard, but local options are very slim (pun intended).
So, my eye fell on Modecom Volcano Blade.
It was the least likely candidate, cause I had bad experience with Modecom re-branded crap for the past 10+ years and it uses Kailh Choc switches, which I had no familiarity with (and bad rep for Kailh overall). But to my surprise it was the most popular(and one of the cheapest) mech keyboards in our region, and had hundreds of 5-star reviews.... So, I took a chance and... holy s#$t!
It's tiny even by TKL standards, very slim, aluminium frame, monochrome backlight(which is a blessing for me), and switches are nearly twice as quiet as my old Gateron Blue with o-rings.

It's only my first day with this board, but comparatively it already screams "quality".
Plus, its price tag is just a tad shy of $60.

 

[SamirD]

It was the least likely candidate, cause I had bad experience with Modecom re-branded crap for the past 10+ years and it uses Kailh Choc switches, which I had no familiarity with (and bad rep for Kailh overall). It's tiny even by TKL standards, very slim, aluminium frame, monochrome backlight(which is a blessing for me), and switches are nearly twice as quiet as my old Gateron Blue with o-rings.

Nice! How do they feel? Nice tactility?

 

[Decryptor009]

I have this one.

Redragon USA

redragonusa.com

 

[silentbogo]

Nice! How do they feel? Nice tactility?

Yes. It's perfect. Clicky, nice tactile feedback. Key travel is about 3mm and actuates at ~1.5mm.
Spec says it's 70g, but subjectively they feel softer than Gateron Brown or Blue. There is an audible click, but it's even quieter than my piece of crap Logitech G603 mouse buttons.
I can finally work at night without waking the whole neighborhood )))

 

[E-curbi]

I have this one.

Redragon USA

redragonusa.com

Looks nice man.

 

[SamirD]

Yes. It's perfect. Clicky, nice tactile feedback. Key travel is about 3mm and actuates at ~1.5mm.
Spec says it's 70g, but subjectively they feel softer than Gateron Brown or Blue. There is an audible click, but it's even quieter than my piece of crap Logitech G603 mouse buttons.
I can finally work at night without waking the whole neighborhood )))

Wow, sounds wonderful. I've been attached to clicky types since I've been on a Model M since I learned how to type back in high school, but my hands do like the snap of a good tactile switch--I just haven't gotten a board with them yet.

 

[sneekypeet]

Was looking for another club and seen this thread needing more images, so....

HyperX Alloy Origins Core (Aqua Tactile Switches) with white Pudding Keycaps. Nothing overly special, but amazing to look at!

 

[AsRock]

Was looking for another club and seen this thread needing more images, so....
View attachment 161702

HyperX Alloy Origins Core (Aqua Tactile Switches) with white Pudding Keycaps. Nothing overly special, but amazing to look at!

I think they are on to some thing with that look. Do they have one with a numpad too ?.

 

[sneekypeet]

I think they are on to some thing with that look. Do they have one with a numpad too ?.

This maybe? https://www.hyperxgaming.com/unitedstates/us/keyboards/alloy-origins-mechanical-gaming-keyboard Same family, unsure of switch choices. You will need a key cap set also.

Here is their new baby, more what you are looking for all wrapped up together. https://www.hyperxgaming.com/united...perx-alloy-elite-2-mechanical-gaming-keyboard

 

[AsRock]

Sadly the keys are not programmable (, although those caps are awesome though and not over done RGB for a change.