New Unicomp Kentucky Wildcats Model M - $250

[1391406]

I don't necessarily consider this a 'great find' due to the price, but this is the most appropriate place to post it. It's an open box item, but the keyboard is new. I'd love to have one, mainly for the blue / white key caps, but not at that price.

[iloveucla]

That was just $59 in few years back.......

[Vanilla]

Hmmm maybe some respective university bookstores still have some of these in the backroom or basement...

[ed_avis]

Unicomp were selling these off cheap on their website not long ago.

[fohat.digs]

The were in the bargain bin at $59 for quite a while. About a year, year and a half ago, I finally decided to buy one, and Zach told me that they had just sold the last one less than 24 hours earlier ......

[CPTBadAss]

I tried contacting Unicomp a few months ago about the caps or this board. They still have some of the blank caps in this color scheme but no more printed ones . And I'm not spending $250 on this. My hunt continues

[dorkvader]

I tried contacting Unicomp a few months ago about the caps or this board. They still have some of the blank caps in this color scheme but no more printed ones . And I'm not spending $250 on this. My hunt continues

They can just make new ones in that colour blue any time they want, I believe.

[iloveucla]

I tried contacting Unicomp a few months ago about the caps or this board. They still have some of the blank caps in this color scheme but no more printed ones . And I'm not spending $250 on this. My hunt continues

They can just make new ones in that colour blue any time they want, I believe.

I think that will hit $100 shipped for today....

[Daspartic]

Unicomp were selling these off cheap on their website not long ago.

Lol, yeah i remember seeing this in their "bargain rack" for cheap.

[hasu]

My Kentucky saver. I must say this, so good.

[1391406]

My Kentucky saver. I must say this, so good.

Show Image

Of all the blue and white key caps on the Kentucky Wildcats board, the F-row would've likely been the set I tossed in the trash. I guess some people actually want the word Kentucky splashed across their keys.

[1391406]

I just got off the phone with a really nice guy from Unicomp and he said the reason they don't offer the Kentucky Wildcats key cap set is because they're pad printed, which doesn't measure up to their quality standards.

[dorkvader]

I just got off the phone with a really nice guy from Unicomp and he said the reason they don't offer the Kentucky Wildcats key cap set is because they're pad printed, which doesn't measure up to their quality standards.

The issues with pad-print keycaps for buckling spring keyboards are well documented. I just wish it were possible for companies (like unicomp) to develop a better process and use that.

[esoomenona]

I just got off the phone with a really nice guy from Unicomp and he said the reason they don't offer the Kentucky Wildcats key cap set is because they're pad printed, which doesn't measure up to their quality standards.

The issues with pad-print keycaps for buckling spring keyboards are well documented. I just wish it were possible for companies (like unicomp) to develop a better process and use that.

I wonder if it would be possible for QWERKeys UV printing equipment to accommodate BS caps. We could order sets of colored caps and have them print the white legends (as well as other colors and custom images) onto them. Someone should take my idea and run it through them. Out.

[Halverson]

I just got off the phone with a really nice guy from Unicomp and he said the reason they don't offer the Kentucky Wildcats key cap set is because they're pad printed, which doesn't measure up to their quality standards.

The issues with pad-print keycaps for buckling spring keyboards are well documented. I just wish it were possible for companies (like unicomp) to develop a better process and use that.

I wonder if it would be possible for QWERKeys UV printing equipment to accommodate BS caps. We could order sets of colored caps and have them print the white legends (as well as other colors and custom images) onto them. Someone should take my idea and run it through them. Out.

mooooooooooooooose

[Wildcard]

Also I'm just putting this out there as I own a wildcat board. The blue modifiers are not all the same color, so to say just the pad printing is a quality issue is an understatement. I still really like the board and I plan on using the caps on my Kishsaver eventually, but it's a little annoying.

I'll be picking up blank blue 1x keys for the function row as I don't want to modify the existing F row.

[Vanilla]

Also I'm just putting this out there as I own a wildcat board. The blue modifiers are not all the same color, so to say just the pad printing is a quality issue is an understatement. I still really like the board and I plan on using the caps on my Kishsaver eventually, but it's a little annoying.

I'll be picking up blank blue 1x keys for the function row as I don't want to modify the existing F row.

I can vouch for this.

I once ordered 4 different printed red Esc keys. They were ALL different.

[dorkvader]

Also I'm just putting this out there as I own a wildcat board. The blue modifiers are not all the same color, so to say just the pad printing is a quality issue is an understatement. I still really like the board and I plan on using the caps on my Kishsaver eventually, but it's a little annoying.

I'll be picking up blank blue 1x keys for the function row as I don't want to modify the existing F row.

I can vouch for this.

I once ordered 4 different printed red Esc keys. They were ALL different.

well, unicomp's dyesubs are always a little different across sets. THis was in theory fixed with their new machine, but we'll see. The pad print issue is separate, though.

Here's a very rare IBM with printed RGB kit
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-1391401-VINTAGE-CLICKY-COMPUTER-KEYBOARD-MODEL-M-WHITE-1984-/251594587473?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a9434bd51

[sacratoy]

Also I'm just putting this out there as I own a wildcat board. The blue modifiers are not all the same color, so to say just the pad printing is a quality issue is an understatement. I still really like the board and I plan on using the caps on my Kishsaver eventually, but it's a little annoying.

I'll be picking up blank blue 1x keys for the function row as I don't want to modify the existing F row.

I can vouch for this.

I once ordered 4 different printed red Esc keys. They were ALL different.

well, unicomp's dyesubs are always a little different across sets. THis was in theory fixed with their new machine, but we'll see. The pad print issue is separate, though.

Here's a very rare IBM with printed RGB kit
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-1391401-VINTAGE-CLICKY-COMPUTER-KEYBOARD-MODEL-M-WHITE-1984-/251594587473?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a9434bd51

How good a price is that for the Model M with RGB keys? I get free shipping with the item.

[fohat.digs]

How good a price is that for the Model M with RGB keys? I get free shipping with the item.

Entirely reasonable, if just a bit on the high side.

Those RGB keys are $12 + shipping per set, so with that factored in the keyboard is at about $50.

If you were patient you might do slightly better, but if you want the RGB keys anyway, just do it.
 

[1391406]

Doesn't Unicomp already offer single unit pad printed keys? I'm not sure what the qualitative difference is between that and the Kentucky Wildcats pad printed caps.

[Wildcard]

Doesn't Unicomp already offer single unit pad printed keys? I'm not sure what the qualitative difference is between that and the Kentucky Wildcats pad printed caps.

They don't do pad printing anymore I guess. I can only order blank blue keys. Also Unicomp won't make the blue modifiers anymore so there's that too.

[1391406]

Doesn't Unicomp already offer single unit pad printed keys? I'm not sure what the qualitative difference is between that and the Kentucky Wildcats pad printed caps.

They don't do pad printing anymore I guess. I can only order blank blue keys. Also Unicomp won't make the blue modifiers anymore so there's that too.

The link I posted is for custom printed keys, which I assumed were pad printed. There's this link for blank caps.

[dorkvader]

How good a price is that for the Model M with RGB keys? I get free shipping with the item.

Entirely reasonable, if just a bit on the high side.

Those RGB keys are $12 + shipping per set, so with that factored in the keyboard is at about $50.

If you were patient you might do slightly better, but if you want the RGB keys anyway, just do it.
 

What is significant about these keys is that unicomp doesn't offer pad print anymore, and hasn't for a while. Original IBM padprint is quite rare (check the number on clickykeyboards; there's just a few). I would have snapped this up already had I the funds.

But I'm probably one of the very few IBM keycap collectors.

[E TwentyNine]

Doesn't Unicomp already offer single unit pad printed keys? I'm not sure what the qualitative difference is between that and the Kentucky Wildcats pad printed caps.

They don't do pad printing anymore I guess. I can only order blank blue keys. Also Unicomp won't make the blue modifiers anymore so there's that too.

The link I posted is for custom printed keys, which I assumed were pad printed. There's this link for blank caps.

Custom printed keys are still dyesub.

[Wildcard]

Doesn't Unicomp already offer single unit pad printed keys? I'm not sure what the qualitative difference is between that and the Kentucky Wildcats pad printed caps.

They don't do pad printing anymore I guess. I can only order blank blue keys. Also Unicomp won't make the blue modifiers anymore so there's that too.

The link I posted is for custom printed keys, which I assumed were pad printed. There's this link for blank caps.

Yep they still do dyesub, but not pad printing (ex. white pad printing on these blue keys)

[fohat.digs]

Yep they still do dyesub, but not pad printing (ex. white pad printing on these blue keys)

Dye sub is not a problem if it is black.

But getting light legends onto dark keys is always the problem unless they are doubleshot.

[Wildcard]

Too bad we couldn't get them to try black dye sub on black keys

[fohat.digs]

Too bad we couldn't get them to try black dye sub on black keys

I've got a bunch of those. It is called dyeing printed keys black!

[False_Dmitry_II]

Yep, I've done that too. You can even get navy blue dark enough that you can no longer see any letters at all.

[dorkvader]

Too bad we couldn't get them to try black dye sub on black keys

Unlike topre, the unicomp "black" keys are so dark you can't see anything. I recommend dying your keycaps black if you want the topre effect.