Introduction

The previous keyboard build featuring MOMOKA had all the components arrive after this build series was already in the works. Kailh had gotten in touch a few months ago when the Canary switches had just been released, and I had planned to do a single switch build at the time, but then a few unexpected things came up, which led to where we are months later, and it suddenly became a full-fledged exploration series including Kailh's new Master Series of switches. Buckle up, this one is a doozy of a build that hit a snafu midway folks may want to be aware of.


This might take the cake for the most individual pieces used in a keyboard build article ever. From left to right, Kailh has five switches represented above—Red Bean Pudding, Fried Egg, Canary, Polla, and White Owl. If these names sound remotely intriguing, you should definitely check them out. The four switches aside from the Canary are what comprise Kailh's Master Series, and I had decided these need a full-size kit. Enter Epomaker with the GK108 kit and—in my innocence at the time—the new Epomaker Skyloong silicone keycap set. These had been provided as a smaller version for Kickstarter backers of the impressive AK84S keyboard, and I was all the more curious about how a full set would fare on a standard-sized kit. But you may have seen Akko's logo above, and there's good reason for it, as you will find out over the course of these hopefully entertaining/educational keyboard builds. Thanks to Kailh, Epomaker, and, inadvertently, Akko for helping make this happen!

Epomaker Skyloong GK108 Kit

The Skyloong GK108 kit I have here appears to be a newer model, with the first-party packaging making it evident, rather than the simpler gray of the Epomaker we saw before on other such kits. The Skyloong mascot makes a re-appearance, with blue and yellow colors that take up the entirety of the product box. The company name is really all you see on the front; it is the sticker on the side that confirms the actual product inside. Two double flaps on the side keep the contents in place in transit, opening which we see the keyboard kit surrounded by more cardboard for further protection.


The included quick-start guide comes in both English and Mandarin and goes over the base layer of the GK108. It is self-explanatory on this full-size form factor kit, although it also informs us about three available layers that are saved onboard for added functionality. There is even software support with the GK6XPlus drivers, and you get an ad with photos of other Epomaker/Skyloong products. There is a second piece of paperwork, this time directly over the keyboard inside the plastic wrap, which is more of a cautionary note going over how to install the switches properly. The other accessories include a detachable USB Type-A to Type-C cable braided in black and a combo metal wire keycap puller/switch remover. I have no idea why some kits get the latter while others come with separate tools that are less effective.


As the name suggests, the GK108 is a full-size 108-key keyboard kit in the ANSI layout, measuring 400 x 139 mm and available in black or white. I have the black variant, and the color is carried over to the ABS plastic case, with the white version having a black Skyloong sticker instead. That is incidentally the only visible branding in use and again a clear sign that Skyloong (the factory) is boldly using its own brand rather than relying on Epomaker branding. Either color option uses the same white steel plate, which will help with RGB lighting. The case is a two-piece design, with the top separated into various compartments to split up the different keys.


Flipping the kit around, we see the usual certification sticker on the back and four long rubber pads adding friction against the resting surface. There are two sets of feet at the top, which can be raised for a total of three available elevation steps. These feet have fairly substantial rubber pads as well, which is nice to see. There are also three cable-routing channels, which is a feature I would at the very least like to see on all plastic case keyboards moving forward.


Following up on that, we see the actual Type-C port in an inset, centrally placed such that some aftermarket cables may struggle to fit in. The stock cable is decent enough, in a black, braided sleeve and terminated in two gold-plated connectors for oxidation resistance. Once inserted, the cable can be routed away from the mouse for both left and right-handed users, as well as the default of straight up and away. A full-size USB Type-A port is required on the source, and with the 5 V/380 mA rating, USB 2.0 will suffice for power and data alike.


The plate is powdercoated white on a steel base and only held in place with some screws. This allows for modding the plate color or even switching to a different plate should you be enterprising enough. Foam support under the space bar key dampens the keystroke there, and this is also the best time to take a look at the 5-pin hot-swap switch socket. It increases compatibility with Cherry MX-style mechanical switches, be it the 3-pin or 5-pin variety. Plate-mounted stabilizers with plenty of lube are used. While I didn't remove any or felt the need to re-lube, the amount applied is nearly excessive.

At this point, it was evident that the GK108 shared a lot of DNA with the recently covered GK87 kit, so much so that I decided to save time and not disassemble it further. I'll refer you to this page for more on what's powering the kit while noting that there is also a hybrid Bluetooth version, the GK108S, with a 1900 mAh battery and Bluetooth 5.1 transceiver inside.

Epomaker Skyloong Silicone Keycaps

About six months ago, I had my first experience with silicone keycaps. It was effectively a pre-order gift with the Kickstarter-backed Epomaker AK84S and came as an 84-keycaps set that intrigued me. Clearly it also intrigued others since Skyloong decided to make a full set for aftermarket use, and in the same three color combinations as before. Packaging for the retail silicone keycap set is identical to the one for the 84-key set, except of course longer and thicker as there are more keycaps inside. A sticker on the side confirms I have the black/gray/red set, a take on the Dolch theme. A plastic window gives us a sneak peek at what is inside, with side flaps opening up to help take the contents out. This time around, three plastic blisters hold the keycaps, and each layer has individual sections to hold them.


The keycaps are split by sections of use, with the top layer containing 61 keycaps for a typical 60% keyboard, including with Esc replacing tilde (~). The colors are certainly DSA Dolch inspired, although there's more red, and in a brighter shade from what I remember. Layer two contains the rest of the keycaps needed to fill a full-size keyboard, but only for a 104-key unit in the US ANSI layout. Layer three simply has some color and size replacements to meet the needs of a few different form factors, including the 80% 84-key AK84S, but the GK108 will obviously find this set wanting for the four extra keys above the numpad. There are 140 keycaps in total thus, and be aware of the size and units provided lest you be caught off guard. We also find a nice metal wire keycap puller to assist with keycap replacement.


The composition of these keycaps is quite unique to anything else I have reviewed, with doubleshot injection molded medical-grade silicone in two tones for a darker base and lighter legends. There are three base colors in the form of gray, black, and red. The legends are white on the first two bases, and black on the red base. General secondary legends are above the primary ones, and we also see how these are effectively covers going over a harder blue ABS plastic base with notches to secure the fit. The base is identical across all of these, and it is the silicone that is sculpted differently that provides different contouring for the rows on the keyboard. This results in a fairly unique keycap profile we will examine more on the next page, but Epomaker/Skyloong refers to it as "GK2." It goes without saying, but these are completely opaque.