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Author Topic: FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE  (Read 9922 times)

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Offline lal

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FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« on: Fri, 04 September 2009, 11:14:16 »
Ordered the aforementioned Keyboard exactly one week ago from keyboardco.com.  Total price was about 72€ including VAT and shipping costs (Royal mail).  Everything went smooth.

Included is USB->PS/2 adapter and a red Escape key saying "Esc" as well as one saying "Filco".  Oh, and the typical thin clear plastic cover and the velcro-ish cable strip if you mind.

Easily excited people might wish for some more information about the status of their order.  I got one automatic order-confirmation email immediately and one with the invoice yesterday.  No tracking information for Royal mail deliveries it seems.

This is the "blemished" FKBN87Z/EB-Y with "white XM" ALPS style switches.  The only blemish I can see is that it obviously has been opened up by someone, there are some minor scratches on the lower case where the tabs must be located that hold it together.  They are only visible when turning it upside down.  I can see absolutely NO blemish on the top.

Will say more about what I think of the switches somewhere else.  I can fully recommend The Keyboard Company.  The Filco Tenkeyless is probably the coolest Keyboard in existence today.  Small as can be, no numpad, black(!), red Esc included and available with many different fine mechanical switches.  The Z/EB-Y (zabby?) is dirt cheap in comparison to anything else.
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BS: Customizer, Model Ms; Alps: CSK-2101, FK-2002, AT-101 (SGI & Dell), MCK-860, FKBN87Z/EB; Cherry: Poker X, FKBN87MC/EB, WY60, G80-3000, G84-4100, TDV 5010

Offline lal

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FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 04 September 2009, 12:11:28 »
Quote from: ripster;114768
Aren't those Red Esc keys for Cherry keys?  Or have they expanded their market to those lowly ALPS?


The latter it seems.
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BS: Customizer, Model Ms; Alps: CSK-2101, FK-2002, AT-101 (SGI & Dell), MCK-860, FKBN87Z/EB; Cherry: Poker X, FKBN87MC/EB, WY60, G80-3000, G84-4100, TDV 5010

Offline lal

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FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 05 September 2009, 05:36:01 »
Quote from: webwit;114754
I got a couple of these from Elitekeyboards for modding, [...]


Hey webwit, what's the plan?
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BS: Customizer, Model Ms; Alps: CSK-2101, FK-2002, AT-101 (SGI & Dell), MCK-860, FKBN87Z/EB; Cherry: Poker X, FKBN87MC/EB, WY60, G80-3000, G84-4100, TDV 5010

Offline jkkhop

  • Posts: 40
FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 05 September 2009, 06:08:24 »
When this company provides the black cherry tenkeyless filco, I'm immediately ordering one. Though I'm getting it from US if it takes too long.
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Offline lal

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FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 05 September 2009, 06:20:21 »
Mmh, I'd love to put some decent ALPS in it, too.  Problem is lack of time and skills and I have only one board with nearly unused blue ALPS and hesitate destroying it and probably the Filco as well as the switches in the process :)
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BS: Customizer, Model Ms; Alps: CSK-2101, FK-2002, AT-101 (SGI & Dell), MCK-860, FKBN87Z/EB; Cherry: Poker X, FKBN87MC/EB, WY60, G80-3000, G84-4100, TDV 5010

Offline danbee

  • Posts: 5
FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 05 September 2009, 09:36:30 »
Quote from: lal;114753
This is the "blemished" FKBN87Z/EB-Y with "white XM" ALPS style switches.  The only blemish I can see is that it obviously has been opened up by someone, there are some minor scratches on the lower case where the tabs must be located that hold it together.  They are only visible when turning it upside down.  I can see absolutely NO blemish on the top.


I ordered one too, which arrived earlier this week. Similarly unblemished.

Not sure what I think of the switches yet, they feel like quite hard work after coming from a Cherry blue MX board (G80-3000). I am loving the red escape key though :)
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Offline lal

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  • Posts: 360
FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 05 September 2009, 09:47:58 »
I decided to be honest to myself and forget that I just spent 70€ on crap switches.  The switches are crap.  Period.  The keyboard is fine though!  Just get the one with Fukka ALPS or any Cherry switch variant.
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BS: Customizer, Model Ms; Alps: CSK-2101, FK-2002, AT-101 (SGI & Dell), MCK-860, FKBN87Z/EB; Cherry: Poker X, FKBN87MC/EB, WY60, G80-3000, G84-4100, TDV 5010

Offline Rajagra

  • Posts: 1930
FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 05 September 2009, 22:00:58 »
Quote from: lal;115034
I decided to be honest to myself and forget that I just spent 70€ on crap switches.  The switches are crap.  Period.  The keyboard is fine though!  Just get the one with Fukka ALPS or any Cherry switch variant.


Try putting a little white lithium grease on the sliders. That improved my Dell AT102 keyboards a fair bit. Gets rid of the stiction that sometimes affects the keys.
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Offline lal

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  • Posts: 360
FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« Reply #8 on: Sun, 06 September 2009, 01:32:28 »
Quote from: Rajagra;115161
Try putting a little white lithium grease on the sliders. That improved my Dell AT102 keyboards a fair bit. Gets rid of the stiction that sometimes affects the keys.


Thanks for the tip.  I might try this when I have time, grease and a suitable tool to comfortably and quickly opening 87 switches :|

But somehow I doubt it would help a lot.  It feels as if the click leaf tension against the slider is too high and/or the hooks at the end providing the tactile bump are shaped in an unfortunate manner, resulting in too much resistance.  Maybe some click leaf modding could make them significantly more enjoyable...
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BS: Customizer, Model Ms; Alps: CSK-2101, FK-2002, AT-101 (SGI & Dell), MCK-860, FKBN87Z/EB; Cherry: Poker X, FKBN87MC/EB, WY60, G80-3000, G84-4100, TDV 5010

Offline urlwolf

  • Posts: 107
FKBN87Z/EB-Y arrived in DE
« Reply #9 on: Mon, 07 September 2009, 02:41:48 »
Ok, just got the keyboard. I can attest that the switches are crap. So easy to bottom out. Very clicky, but the click happens when you bottom out, so its not useful.

I only have rubber domes around other than this filco, but I'm going back to those in the meantime. Buyer beware. keyboardco.co.uk sounded like the perfect way to get a filco tenkeyless in EU, but I'd advise to wait until they have some with brown or blues.
i'd send it back, but at this price, it doesn't make economic sense if I have to pay shipping.
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keyboards: Cherry G80-3494- cherry reds | filco majestytouch - cherry browns | kinesis contour - cherry browns | cherry G80 - 1800 cherry blacks.
mice: filco touchpad | logitech G9x | wowpen joy | kensington orbit trackball | zalman fpsgun | intellimouse v1 | logitech rx1500
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