[IC] GMK Taro (Tentative GB Date: 1/26/18)

[pwade3]

News!

Updates below: proxies, packaging, and possible novelties, oh my!

Tentative GB Date: January 26, 2018

Make sure to peep the tie-ins section below! 


Hello and Happy New Year everyone, it's my pleasure to finally present something I've been working on for quite a while now behind the scenes: GMK Taro.




Yes, this is a preview of what we're hoping the packaging will look like, big shoutout to outragedpudding for doing an amazing job and zambumon for a nice render to show off!

About the Set

The theme is simple enough: taro bubble tea. I was drinking some one day and thinking about how much I liked the color and it dawned on me that it might make for a pretty good looking keyset. The purple tones were nice but I thought it needed something more, so I went with cyan and yellow accents, which represent the crazy-colored straws that most boba places have.

This set will be cherry profile, produced by GMK, using good old doubleshot ABS. The purple colors will be custom, hex codes of #8E71A2 and #170B19, the cyan and yellow are TU2 and CV from GMK.

The group buy itself will be run by Alex of Panc.co.


Kits

We've got 3 kits: Base, Spacebar, and Novelties, I've moved the fancy kit renders below, but here's our GMK renders, just so everyone knows what we've got lined up with them.






Our tentative pricing is as follows:
        Base (at 250 moq): $155
        Spacebars (at 100/150/250 moq): $30/$28/$24
        Novelties (at 250 moq): $20
 

Shipping will be $10 Conus. We are currently ironing out proxies, if you are interested in proxying, feel free to contact either of us.

Confirmed Proxies
EU: Mykeyboard.eu
China: zFrontier


As far as the GB itself goes, we're hoping to shoot for the end of this month if the interest is there. If you have any thoughts/feedback regarding the set/kit please feel free to offer it below, I'm by no means an expert.

Tie ins


I'm also proud to say that we've got some very awesome people collaborating with us to offer even more Taro goodies, with hopefully more to be announced.

GAF



For starters, one lucky purchaser of GMK Taro will win a Boba Burbs Garbo Puss, created by GAF. This colorway was produced using the hex codes for the set, so while it may not wind up being a 100% match to the finished product, it should be an amazing addition to any board using Taro.

Keyforge

I'm happy to announce another tie in, this one brought to you by Keyforge. He's going to be conducting a raffle for Taro-themed caps for GB participants when we open the GB! He'll be conducting the sale in his typical format otherwise.

Unfortunately we won't have pictures, but that's because he's going to be waiting to make the caps till we have samples and production colors confirmed so that the colors can be as well-matched as possible!

More Renders!

More

Last but not least, a special thanks to so many people for helping me get to this point. Alexatpanc for being open to taking this project on. Livingspeedbump for offering some very helpful advice to a complete newbie. Kudos and Koala of keykollectiv for supporting this in a way I never could have anticipated. Keyforge for similarly unanticipated support. Oblotzky and Zambumon for the renders. Outragedpudding for doing amazing work with all the artwork and novelty designs. Lightningxi, jacobsmirror, thegreaticedrake, gajible, shinz0, shell058, i_need_a_bath, kelly, and countless other friends and purple lovers who encouraged me to keep at this to hopefully have it see the light of day.

[pwade3]

reserved

[LightningXI]

Of course, I'm interested in this set.

Happy New Year!

BOBA IS LOVE. BOBA IS LIFE.

Taro in hot pot is also fantastic.

[ArchDill]

Oooh.. I like this set!

[MikeTheTiger]

I love me some purple!!

[Puddsy]

neat

[Jhors2]

Love me some Taro as well.  I'm in.

[KaosJ]

There is any EU proxy? 

[ns90]

Definitely the nicest purple keyset. I'm totally in for this.

[pwade3]

There is any EU proxy?

We're in progress of finding one! Definitely want to find the best way to get this set to EU friends. 

[Kellybear]

Looking good! :3

[KaosJ]

There is any EU proxy?

We're in progress of finding one! Definitely want to find the best way to get this set to EU friends. 

Nice, i think you know already but mykeyboard and candykeys are pretty good for this! 

Also maybe other proxies will be needed (maybe China/etc..), hard to hit the 250MoQ otherwise 

[pwade3]

There is any EU proxy?

We're in progress of finding one! Definitely want to find the best way to get this set to EU friends. 

Nice, i think you know already but mykeyboard and candykeys are pretty good for this! 

Also maybe other proxies will be needed (maybe China/etc..), hard to hit the 250MoQ otherwise 

Agreed! We'll be doing everything we can to help hit MoQ.

[Shell058]

So excited for this! Split space 4 lyfe

[poolside]

Nice set, I'm interested as well. Uniform F-row and 1.5u R4 CapsLock are great 

[pwade3]

Nice set, I'm interested as well. Uniform F-row and 1.5u R4 CapsLock are great 

Yeah, the 1.5u CapsLock was something I'm personally really exited to include!

Swapping control to caps position while using 7u bottom row always makes me sad due to having 2 control keys on the left, so I was really happy to hear that it was something that GMK offers.

[pikku-allu]

So excited for this! Split space 4 lyfe

Yeah, except it doesn't fully support the most common split spacebar configuration. That's why adding a blank 1.25u key to the spacebars kit would be a great addition.

At least all of the boards below, and many more, incorporate a 1.25u blank in their split spacebar design.
    BananaSplit60: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=89896.0
    EXENT: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=87213.0
    TX-CP: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=83572.0
    YAS62: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=87511.0
    TGR-910: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86047.0
    M65-A: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86756.0
    TINA: https://kbdfans.cn/products/tina-keyboard-60?variant=38954516941
    DZ60: https://kbdfans.myshopify.com/products/dz60-60-pcb?variant=40971616717

That would be full split spacebar support for all of these boards with the addition of only a single blank, or a couple of blanks for both the colors. I don't understand why it's a thing not to include those when almost all the split spacebar boards require them for full coverage.

Also, a weird 1u backspace that only weird people apparently like to use would be nice as well.

[pwade3]

So excited for this! Split space 4 lyfe

Yeah, except it doesn't fully support the most common split spacebar configuration. That's why adding a blank 1.25u key to the spacebars kit would be a great addition.

At least all of the boards below, and many more, incorporate a 1.25u blank in their split spacebar design.
    BananaSplit60: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=89896.0
    EXENT: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=87213.0
    TX-CP: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=83572.0
    YAS62: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=87511.0
    TGR-910: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86047.0
    M65-A: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86756.0
    TINA: https://kbdfans.cn/products/tina-keyboard-60?variant=38954516941
    DZ60: https://kbdfans.myshopify.com/products/dz60-60-pcb?variant=40971616717

That would be full split spacebar support for all of these boards with the addition of only a single blank, or a couple of blanks for both the colors. I don't understand why it's a thing not to include those when almost all the split spacebar boards require them for full coverage.

Also, a weird 1u backspace that only weird people apparently like to use would be nice as well.

Thanks much for this info, again, I'm by no means an expert, I just looked at some other spacebar kits and pretty much followed those examples. We'll have to take a look at this and see what we can do.

As far as 1u backspace, do you mean R1? If so, I'd think the R1 'Delete' key should suffice there? Yeah I get that there's a difference between backspace and delete, but still.

[KaosJ]

So excited for this! Split space 4 lyfe

Yeah, except it doesn't fully support the most common split spacebar configuration. That's why adding a blank 1.25u key to the spacebars kit would be a great addition.

At least all of the boards below, and many more, incorporate a 1.25u blank in their split spacebar design.
    BananaSplit60: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=89896.0
    EXENT: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=87213.0
    TX-CP: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=83572.0
    YAS62: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=87511.0
    TGR-910: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86047.0
    M65-A: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86756.0
    TINA: https://kbdfans.cn/products/tina-keyboard-60?variant=38954516941
    DZ60: https://kbdfans.myshopify.com/products/dz60-60-pcb?variant=40971616717

That would be full split spacebar support for all of these boards with the addition of only a single blank, or a couple of blanks for both the colors. I don't understand why it's a thing not to include those when almost all the split spacebar boards require them for full coverage.

Also, a weird 1u backspace that only weird people apparently like to use would be nice as well.

Thanks much for this info, again, I'm by no means an expert, I just looked at some other spacebar kits and pretty much followed those examples. We'll have to take a look at this and see what we can do.

As far as 1u backspace, do you mean R1? If so, I'd think the R1 'Delete' key should suffice there? Yeah I get that there's a difference between backspace and delete, but still.

I agree with the 1.25 blank, the split spacebar usually needs a 1.25 between the 2.25 and the 2.75. 

[pikku-allu]

Thanks much for this info, again, I'm by no means an expert, I just looked at some other spacebar kits and pretty much followed those examples. We'll have to take a look at this and see what we can do.

As far as 1u backspace, do you mean R1? If so, I'd think the R1 'Delete' key should suffice there? Yeah I get that there's a difference between backspace and delete, but still.

Thank you for your consideration. Everyone else's spacebar kits are just wrong.

Yes, I meant R1 for the 1u backspace. It's such a niche thing but I guess some people would like it, including me.

[Vadurr]

My dogs name is Taro. I guess I have to buy her this set now.

[Undrcontrl]

color me interested, at least

[ricrackem]

This looks amazing!

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[xondat]

Some recent GMK sets have looked great in renders but crap in person, hope this turns out well as I like the alphas.

You have the additional 2.25u shift labeled as 2.75u.

[audax989]

I'm liking that color scheme man.

[pwade3]

Some recent GMK sets have looked great in renders but crap in person, hope this turns out well as I like the alphas.

You have the additional 2.25u shift labeled as 2.75u.

I understand completely, I'm gonna be trying my hardest to ensure that no one feels disappointed by the colors of the final set.

Good shout on the shift, I'll be getting the label fixed 

[Calefiction]

Mmmmm~ Purple. End of the month can't come soon enough.

[Vulcan]

Is it possible to make SA profile for this set? It would be amaaazing

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[lydiainmint]

Following for interest.

[futurecrime]

Love it.

[Hokabuki]

Thanks much for this info, again, I'm by no means an expert, I just looked at some other spacebar kits and pretty much followed those examples. We'll have to take a look at this and see what we can do.

As far as 1u backspace, do you mean R1? If so, I'd think the R1 'Delete' key should suffice there? Yeah I get that there's a difference between backspace and delete, but still.

Thank you for your consideration. Everyone else's spacebar kits are just wrong.

Yes, I meant R1 for the 1u backspace. It's such a niche thing but I guess some people would like it, including me.

1u Backspace would be nice. However, I understand not making a lot of changes to the current set. ICs can end up going in circles for a long time if too many changes are made.

[xondat]

Also not sure if you're aware, but there is a collective here called TARO, and a lot of people in that buy have said they won't buy from TARO ever again.

My first thoughts was that it was by them, not something different like this. Not saying you should change the name, but it's something you should be aware of.

(or it's just me that thought this)

[MMKB]

Delicious! IMO the accent keys could better match the base set if the accent are darker. For instance, GMK Plum has a dark red arrow keys.

[Puddsy]

Also not sure if you're aware, but there is a collective here called TARO, and a lot of people in that buy have said they won't buy from TARO ever again.

My first thoughts was that it was by them, not something different like this. Not saying you should change the name, but it's something you should be aware of.

(or it's just me that thought this)

i think most people will make the connection between the color and the root if they take the three seconds it takes to look at the set

but you're not incorrect

[pixelpusher]

I had no idea what taro bubble tea was until I saw this set, but now I want some.  It looks delicious.

[Vulcan]

I had no idea what taro bubble tea was until I saw this set, but now I want some.  It looks delicious.

Try it..  its sweet.. but like vegetable sweet.. . Kinda hard to discribe

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[The_judge_168]

Nice looking set! Taro is definitely my go to flavor!

[Unforgivable]

I’m in! Looks so good I may jump in for 2!

And that awesome bear artisan looks amazing. Here’s hoping I’m lucky enough to win one!

[LightningXI]

I’m in! Looks so good I may jump in for 2!

And that awesome bear artisan looks amazing. Here’s hoping I’m lucky enough to win one!

It's a cat! Sculpt name is Garbo Puss, and the maker of the sculpted keycap is GAF (Grimey As Fvck)

[Randalljai]

hold my beer............

[Unforgivable]

I’m in! Looks so good I may jump in for 2!

And that awesome bear artisan looks amazing. Here’s hoping I’m lucky enough to win one!

It's a cat! Sculpt name is Garbo Puss, and the maker of the sculpted keycap is GAF (Grimey As Fvck)

Thank you for the correction, Lightning! After looking it up, I’m even more amazed. GAF is seriously talented! Garbo is too cute, lol.

[Mearaz]

Very nice! definitely getting it.

[pwade3]

Also not sure if you're aware, but there is a collective here called TARO, and a lot of people in that buy have said they won't buy from TARO ever again.

My first thoughts was that it was by them, not something different like this. Not saying you should change the name, but it's something you should be aware of.

(or it's just me that thought this)

i think most people will make the connection between the color and the root if they take the three seconds it takes to look at the set

but you're not incorrect

Honestly, this was a bit of a concern I had, so I don't think it's off base to have that initial "is it these guys again?" response. But I wanted to keep the name simple and true to the theme, so that's why I went through with it.

My hoping is that the stylistic difference (Taro vs TARO) and just a second of looking at the set will let people realize the lack of affiliation.

[HendyZone]

This is delicious 

[jackedhardwarejunkie]

I'm in 100% that set is hawt!!

[Puddsy]

Also not sure if you're aware, but there is a collective here called TARO, and a lot of people in that buy have said they won't buy from TARO ever again.

My first thoughts was that it was by them, not something different like this. Not saying you should change the name, but it's something you should be aware of.

(or it's just me that thought this)

i think most people will make the connection between the color and the root if they take the three seconds it takes to look at the set

but you're not incorrect

Honestly, this was a bit of a concern I had, so I don't think it's off base to have that initial "is it these guys again?" response. But I wanted to keep the name simple and true to the theme, so that's why I went through with it.

My hoping is that the stylistic difference (Taro vs TARO) and just a second of looking at the set will let people realize the lack of affiliation.

This community is notoriously bad at boycotts anyway

[DanielT]

But one thing GH is not short of are busybodies and know-it-alls 

[sairex]

I’m interested! Looks great

[rore256]

Really awesome looking set. Will be my first time ordering a set, how can I get ready to order one once it comes out?

[amnesia0287]

When?

[futurecrime]

Really awesome looking set. Will be my first time ordering a set, how can I get ready to order one once it comes out?

Follow this IC and you'll see when it goes to the group buy stage. Also, save up about $150 or so.

[LightningXI]

Really awesome looking set. Will be my first time ordering a set, how can I get ready to order one once it comes out?

Don't forget your patience at home or elsewhere. Group buys can have delays as well. But GMK has shown promising results time and time again, and I believe in the proxies that the OP will pick.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

[pwade3]

Really awesome looking set. Will be my first time ordering a set, how can I get ready to order one once it comes out?

As lightning said, patience is a big key for a first timer, sometimes things aren't as fast as we may like, but I'm a firm believer in taking time to get things right rather than shipping out a set that people won't be happy with. But as he also indicated, GMK is a proven and reliable vendor, putting out quality stuff time and time again.

But really the only other preparation you need is to make sure you've got the money on hand for when the GB goes live.

As far as preparation goes, that's pretty much it. However, if you're really excited, tell people! Word of mouth is a big thing for group buys at this level, and we're gonna need it to hit 250 MoQ. (Minimum order quantity, since you're new )

When?

Not 100% sure yet, right now we're looking around the end of the month, trying to be mindful of other buys that may be happening so as to ensure plenty of people have the money available when we go live.

[futurecrime]

As far as preparation goes, that's pretty much it. However, if you're really excited, tell people! Word of mouth is a big thing for group buys at this level, and we're gonna need it to hit 250 MoQ. (Minimum order quantity, since you're new )

Maybe someone could make one of those sig pictures that links to the IC?

[le_wraith]

Def in for this ****. 

[rore256]

Really awesome looking set. Will be my first time ordering a set, how can I get ready to order one once it comes out?

Don't forget your patience at home or elsewhere. Group buys can have delays as well. But GMK has shown promising results time and time again, and I believe in the proxies that the OP will pick.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

What's a proxy in this scenario?

[pwade3]

Really awesome looking set. Will be my first time ordering a set, how can I get ready to order one once it comes out?

Don't forget your patience at home or elsewhere. Group buys can have delays as well. But GMK has shown promising results time and time again, and I believe in the proxies that the OP will pick.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

What's a proxy in this scenario?

A proxy in this situation is a vendor that we work with to make the set more easily available in non-US countries. E.g. an EU proxy, Chinese proxy, etc. depending on who we can find interested in making the set available.

The note about lightning having faith in us choosing appropriate proxies is that due to the nature of them being responsible for shipping for those countries, it represents another theoretical point of failure if chosen poorly.

[AlexAtPanc]

I'm a little biased but I'm a huge fan of this set. We are lining up quality proxies, pwade3 has been crushing it as far as community cooperation with the colorway, and GMK has been absolutely amazing as far as communication is concerned.



I am humbled that pwade3 has asked me to help make this set a reality. I'll be working diligently with him to ensure this set makes it to the finish line, and everyone is ecstatic with the results.

[LightningXI]

I'm a little biased but I'm a huge fan of this set. We are lining up quality proxies, pwade3 has been crushing it as far as community cooperation with the colorway, and GMK has been absolutely amazing as far as communication is concerned.

Show Image

I am humbled that pwade3 has asked me to help make this set a reality. I'll be working diligently with him to ensure this set makes it to the finish line, and everyone is ecstatic with the results.

Let's see the dank Panc logo on that GMK sleeve!

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

[Bi0]

 /interested

[AlexAtPanc]

I'm a little biased but I'm a huge fan of this set. We are lining up quality proxies, pwade3 has been crushing it as far as community cooperation with the colorway, and GMK has been absolutely amazing as far as communication is concerned.

Show Image

I am humbled that pwade3 has asked me to help make this set a reality. I'll be working diligently with him to ensure this set makes it to the finish line, and everyone is ecstatic with the results.

Let's see the dank Panc logo on that GMK sleeve!

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

Those spiffy renders don't deserve to be desecrated with my boring logo. They are best left unmarked :thumb:

[pwade3]

Hey everyone, just wanted to touch base this morning to let you guys know we've requested updated pricing/renders from GMK for a few things:

• Add 2x 1.25u blanks to the spacebar kit
• Add a 1u R3 'Hack' key to base (for full C70 support, among other uses)
• A few non-price-influencing tweaks to make our GMK renders in line with the non-GMK ones

Also, proxy talks are shaping up well so far, things are looking quite promising, but gotta iron out all the details before we can announce them officially.

Also also, a few fun things are underway to tie in to GMK Taro, again gotta iron out details, but believe me when I say it's worth getting excited about!

Thank you all so much for your feedback and expressing interest so far. 

P.s. We've also got some more renders, these ones by Zambumon! We'll be trickling these out to hopefully keep you folks interested 

[KaosJ]

Hey everyone, just wanted to touch base this morning to let you guys know we've requested updated pricing/renders from GMK for a few things:

• Add 2x 1.25u blanks to the spacebar kit
• Add a 1u R3 'Hack' key to base (for full C70 support, among other uses)
• A few non-price-influencing tweaks to make our GMK renders in line with the non-GMK ones

Also, proxy talks are shaping up well so far, things are looking quite promising, but gotta iron out all the details before we can announce them officially.

Also also, a few fun things are underway to tie in to GMK Taro, again gotta iron out details, but believe me when I say it's worth getting excited about!

Thank you all so much for your feedback and expressing interest so far. 

P.s. We've also got some more renders, these ones by Zambumon! We'll be trickling these out to hopefully keep you folks interested 

Man that's dope.   

I actually would like a slightly lighter purple on the modifiers, literally a dark eggplant (not a mix of brown and purple) but will be in anyway, sooo NICE!   

e.g. something like this or even darker, Cyan legends are my dream as well   

[pwade3]

Hey everyone, just wanted to touch base this morning to let you guys know we've requested updated pricing/renders from GMK for a few things:

• Add 2x 1.25u blanks to the spacebar kit
• Add a 1u R3 'Hack' key to base (for full C70 support, among other uses)
• A few non-price-influencing tweaks to make our GMK renders in line with the non-GMK ones

Also, proxy talks are shaping up well so far, things are looking quite promising, but gotta iron out all the details before we can announce them officially.

Also also, a few fun things are underway to tie in to GMK Taro, again gotta iron out details, but believe me when I say it's worth getting excited about!

Thank you all so much for your feedback and expressing interest so far. 

P.s. We've also got some more renders, these ones by Zambumon! We'll be trickling these out to hopefully keep you folks interested 

Man that's dope.   

I actually would like a slightly lighter purple on the modifiers, literally a dark eggplant (not a mix of brown and purple) but will be in anyway, sooo NICE!   

e.g. something like this or even darker, Cyan legends are my dream as well   

Show Image

I don't foresee me tweaking the mod purple too much, I think it's just gonna be a matter of working with GMK to get the colors in line with my vision.

As far as cyan legends, I like it (I love cyan), but I think it's kind of branching too far from the overall "theme", if that makes sense?

[jackedhardwarejunkie]

Hey everyone, just wanted to touch base this morning to let you guys know we've requested updated pricing/renders from GMK for a few things:

• Add 2x 1.25u blanks to the spacebar kit
• Add a 1u R3 'Hack' key to base (for full C70 support, among other uses)
• A few non-price-influencing tweaks to make our GMK renders in line with the non-GMK ones

Also, proxy talks are shaping up well so far, things are looking quite promising, but gotta iron out all the details before we can announce them officially.

Also also, a few fun things are underway to tie in to GMK Taro, again gotta iron out details, but believe me when I say it's worth getting excited about!

Thank you all so much for your feedback and expressing interest so far. 

P.s. We've also got some more renders, these ones by Zambumon! We'll be trickling these out to hopefully keep you folks interested 

Man that's dope.   

I actually would like a slightly lighter purple on the modifiers, literally a dark eggplant (not a mix of brown and purple) but will be in anyway, sooo NICE!   

e.g. something like this or even darker, Cyan legends are my dream as well   

Show Image

Omg I LOVE that!

[KaosJ]

Hey everyone, just wanted to touch base this morning to let you guys know we've requested updated pricing/renders from GMK for a few things:

• Add 2x 1.25u blanks to the spacebar kit
• Add a 1u R3 'Hack' key to base (for full C70 support, among other uses)
• A few non-price-influencing tweaks to make our GMK renders in line with the non-GMK ones

Also, proxy talks are shaping up well so far, things are looking quite promising, but gotta iron out all the details before we can announce them officially.

Also also, a few fun things are underway to tie in to GMK Taro, again gotta iron out details, but believe me when I say it's worth getting excited about!

Thank you all so much for your feedback and expressing interest so far. 

P.s. We've also got some more renders, these ones by Zambumon! We'll be trickling these out to hopefully keep you folks interested 

Man that's dope.   

I actually would like a slightly lighter purple on the modifiers, literally a dark eggplant (not a mix of brown and purple) but will be in anyway, sooo NICE!   

e.g. something like this or even darker, Cyan legends are my dream as well   

Show Image

I don't foresee me tweaking the mod purple too much, I think it's just gonna be a matter of working with GMK to get the colors in line with my vision.

As far as cyan legends, I like it (I love cyan), but I think it's kind of branching too far from the overall "theme", if that makes sense?

 

Well rendering them should be fast (talking about the cyan legends), you might try and see how it will look :D  I would like Cyan legends! (still in the initial theme imho)

[Rumblehotep]

Taro mods + Ocean Dolch alphas = GMK Skeletor Knights?

[futurecrime]

Are the alpha legends the same dark purple as the mods or are they black/grey?

[pwade3]

Are the alpha legends the same dark purple as the mods or are they black/grey?

Same dark purple!

[Shell058]

• Add 2x 1.25u blanks to the spacebar kit

Hooray! I usually just use a 1.25 from elsewhere in a kit (like a novelty or "code"), but this is a great option to have!

[futurecrime]

Are the alpha legends the same dark purple as the mods or are they black/grey?

Same dark purple!

Cool, I couldn't quite tell on the pictures. This set looks amazing man, really great work. I'm in fo sho.

[RoostyPls]

Interested

[AlexAtPanc]

Taro mods + Ocean Dolch alphas = GMK Skeletor Knights?

Skeletor mods + Taro alphas = GMK Bubble Skull?

[KorbenDallas]

This set definitely has my interest, if my monies are right and all the stars align going into GB I’d be down for it! Great job 

[braidn]

Love everything about this set. It should pair well with Skeletor and Hyperfuse sets, the setup seems amazing and the renders are spot on. Definitely a possibility for early 2018

[ctzn_voyager]

Interested.

[AlexAtPanc]

Gon' be lit!

[KaosJ]

Gon' be lit!

Show Image

Yeee boiiii
Not a fan of yellow but these cyan arrows are just gucci

[KeLorean]

Love it. Cyan accent is perfect. I don't like the yellow accent. Compatible looks great. Price is Right. I agree with what Huey from top clack said about the backspace arrow key also needs the text. It looks a bit odd without it

Sent from my Z971 using Tapatalk

[pwade3]

Love it. Cyan accent is perfect. I don't like the yellow accent. Compatible looks great. Price is Right. I agree with what Huey from top clack said about the backspace arrow key also needs the text. It looks a bit odd without it

Sent from my Z971 using Tapatalk

So basically, this is kind of a personal preference.

GMK offers a few different HHKB backspace options:

• line arrow as shown in this set (and others like personal favorite Sky Dolch)
• "Back Space" which goes on two lines which I'm not partial to the looks of
• "Delete" which is functionally inaccurate
• the boxy arrow present in Hyperfuse and other sets, which is a legend I just have no personal fondness for, to say the least.

So while I can sympathize with those who think that a text legend aligns better with the rest of the set, I'm just not partial to the text legends available.

Not that I don't appreciate the thoughts by any means, but this is one thing I just don't see myself changing, I hope my explanation was thorough enough!

[amnesia0287]

Love it. Cyan accent is perfect. I don't like the yellow accent. Compatible looks great. Price is Right. I agree with what Huey from top clack said about the backspace arrow key also needs the text. It looks a bit odd without it

Sent from my Z971 using Tapatalk

So basically, this is kind of a personal preference.

GMK offers a few different HHKB backspace options:

• line arrow as shown in this set (and others like personal favorite Sky Dolch)
• "Back Space" which goes on two lines which I'm not partial to the looks of
• "Delete" which is functionally inaccurate
• the boxy arrow present in Hyperfuse and other sets, which is a legend I just have no personal fondness for, to say the least.

So while I can sympathize with those who think that a text legend aligns better with the rest of the set, I'm just not partial to the text legends available.

Not that I don't appreciate the thoughts by any means, but this is one thing I just don't see myself changing, I hope my explanation was thorough enough!

Laser has a single line "Backspace" r2 key. So it should exist by the time this is produced if it doesn't already. That said I have no intention of ever using split BS, so I don't care in the slightest about this choice.

[poolside]

Gon' be lit!

Show Image

These yellow accents add a nice pop to the set  :cool:
They are not as bright in the keyset mockup and the other renders though, and therefore look better to me.

[jb1830]

Definitely keeping my eye out for this GB. Great looking set.

[Oblotzky]

Laser has a single line "Backspace" r2 key. So it should exist by the time this is produced if it doesn't already. That said I have no intention of ever using split BS, so I don't care in the slightest about this choice.

This, I think I even saw it already in live somewhere but I don't recall on what set.

[FoC_Tow]

Gon' be lit!

Show Image

Yellow makes it pop man.

Thought I could resist but that render got me <3

[pwade3]

Got some news added to the OP and brushed up the formatting a little bit. 

[Bunny]

This looks wonderful. I'm an admirer of purple sets, this tickles my fancy.

[Jhors2]

Are there any sample keys from this set?  Just curious how well the result is going to track with the renders.

[pwade3]

Are there any sample keys from this set?  Just curious how well the result is going to track with the renders.

The way GMK works, you unfortunately don't get any color samples until after payment is made.

It's an unfortunate nature of the beast, but I will be doing my best to make sure that the colors are satisfactory when that time comes.

[Jhors2]

Thanks!

[MMKB]

Are there any sample keys from this set?  Just curious how well the result is going to track with the renders.

The way GMK works, you unfortunately don't get any color samples until after payment is made.

It's an unfortunate nature of the beast, but I will be doing my best to make sure that the colors are satisfactory when that time comes.

If you also think that Taro looks best when it's not over saturated, we should inspect samples before production. IMO Plum could turn out even better if it's more muted.

[pwade3]

Are there any sample keys from this set?  Just curious how well the result is going to track with the renders.

The way GMK works, you unfortunately don't get any color samples until after payment is made.

It's an unfortunate nature of the beast, but I will be doing my best to make sure that the colors are satisfactory when that time comes.

If you also think that Taro looks best when it's not over saturated, we should inspect samples before production. IMO Plum could turn out even better if it's more muted.

Yes that's what I was getting at, there will be thorough inspection of the samples pre-production.

[soveryscary]

The set is so pretty! I really like the colors. Excited to see what Keyforge does with the colors!

[amnesia0287]

Are there any sample keys from this set?  Just curious how well the result is going to track with the renders.

The way GMK works, you unfortunately don't get any color samples until after payment is made.

It's an unfortunate nature of the beast, but I will be doing my best to make sure that the colors are satisfactory when that time comes.

If you also think that Taro looks best when it's not over saturated, we should inspect samples before production. IMO Plum could turn out even better if it's more muted.

Ehhh, i hope they don't make the colors muted. Then it would just be GMK Easter. I really like the more saturated colors personally.

[Max_P0]

That looks very nice.

[AlexAtPanc]

Are there any sample keys from this set?  Just curious how well the result is going to track with the renders.

The way GMK works, you unfortunately don't get any color samples until after payment is made.

It's an unfortunate nature of the beast, but I will be doing my best to make sure that the colors are satisfactory when that time comes.

FWIW The yellow and cyan are both colors used in GMK Skeletor. I think they are great additions and are nice and vivid!

If you also think that Taro looks best when it's not over saturated, we should inspect samples before production. IMO Plum could turn out even better if it's more muted.

Ehhh, i hope they don't make the colors muted. Then it would just be GMK Easter. I really like the more saturated colors personally.

The colors here (TU2 and CV) are present in Skeletor, among other sets. I know I'm biased, but I think they will be nice and vivid, and a great compliment to the custom purples!

[Unforgivable]

Renders are making me want the set even more now! Purple goodness for everyone! 

[AlexAtPanc]

Renders are making me want the set even more now! Purple goodness for everyone! 

Purp for the masses!

[sncbraxsc2]

This looks wonderful. I'm an admirer of purple sets, this tickles my fancy.

+1 bro

[tragedyfoundus]

My wallet is begging me to stop but I just can't. I thought I was just buying GMK Camping but now I have to get this. Especially if it means if I have a chance to win a keycap from GAF!

[switchnollie]

Nice, I've been looking for a purple & black set

[pwade3]

Nice, I've been looking for a purple & black set

Hey Switch, glad you like it, but to be 100% clear it is a dark purple, not black!

Hope that doesn't sway your opinion. 

[Sugna]

Nice, I've been looking for a purple & black set

Hey Switch, glad you like it, but to be 100% clear it is a dark purple, not black!

Hope that doesn't sway your opinion. 

  It's dark purple??!?!?!?
Thanks for making me want to buy it even more!!!!!

[pwade3]

Happy friday folks, here's a nice render to get ya through the day. 

 

No news atm, but Alex and I are working diligently to make this GB as awesome as possible.

[futurecrime]

Happy friday folks, here's a nice render to get ya through the day. 

  (Attachment Link)

No news atm, but Alex and I are working diligently to make this GB as awesome as possible.

Yep, still looks dope af.  EU proxy pretty please. x

[dangboy]

100% in on this, from the moment I saw the cw.
Much hype.

[switchnollie]

Nice, I've been looking for a purple & black set

Hey Switch, glad you like it, but to be 100% clear it is a dark purple, not black!

Hope that doesn't sway your opinion. 

ohh nice

id actually prefer that since it's not as dark then.
should still match what i'd like to use with it too

[pwade3]

OP updated, but I'll sum it up here as well:

Mykeyboard and zFrontier are confirmed proxies!

Outragedpudding has designed an amazing sleeve for the set!

He also designed an awesome novelty that we're currently talking to GMK about what the best approach here is!

[futurecrime]

EU proxy praise the lord. 🙌

Still in love with this set.

[poolside]

OP updated, but I'll sum it up here as well:

Mykeyboard and zFrontier are confirmed proxies!

Outragedpudding has designed an amazing sleeve for the set!

He also designed an awesome novelty that we're currently talking to GMK about what the best approach here is!

Show Image

Show Image

Juicy GB incoming 

No straw in the novelty?

[tanvir175]

Nice, I've been looking for a purple & black set

Hey Switch, glad you like it, but to be 100% clear it is a dark purple, not black!

Hope that doesn't sway your opinion. 

You got me slightly moist, especially with the render followed up <3

[Unforgivable]

OP updated, but I'll sum it up here as well:

Mykeyboard and zFrontier are confirmed proxies!

Outragedpudding has designed an amazing sleeve for the set!

He also designed an awesome novelty that we're currently talking to GMK about what the best approach here is!

Show Image

Show Image

Yes!!!!!!!!

[playtech1]

This looks great!

Really love that you have UK compatibility without us Brits needing to also buy a shed-load of European letters!  (Nothing wrong with Euro letters of course, they are just a bit pricey in bulk!)

[fatpolomanjr]

I made this comment on reddit, but I wouldn't stress it too much if the IC check has been around this long with no ortholinear fans speaking up yet. It is more a general request for future gmk sets:

"I know it's probably too late now, but IMHO GMK Laser had a pretty good way of offering an ortho kit: make a lot of it part of the base kit and make the rest of the keys available in the novelties kit. Most people get the novelties if they really like the set.

Currently there are very few keys missing for full ortho compatibility, like 1u shift, esc, enter, tab, lower, raise, backspace. Those last three keys can be novelties (e.g. one more R4 boba cup for lower!). All that's left is a 2u and 2x1u spacebars as part of the spacebar kit."

[amnesia0287]

I made this comment on reddit, but I wouldn't stress it too much if the IC check has been around this long with no ortholinear fans speaking up yet. It is more a general request for future gmk sets:

"I know it's probably too late now, but IMHO GMK Laser had a pretty good way of offering an ortho kit: make a lot of it part of the base kit and make the rest of the keys available in the novelties kit. Most people get the novelties if they really like the set.

Currently there are very few keys missing for full ortho compatibility, like 1u shift, esc, enter, tab, lower, raise, backspace. Those last three keys can be novelties (e.g. one more R4 boba cup for lower!)

All that's left is a 2u and 2x1u spacebars as part of the spacebar kit."

That's at least $10 (prob $15-20) more in keys tho. Especially at lower moq. MD sales aren't really comparable to anywhere else. The MD novelties made it from $75 (100 moq) to $35 (1500 moq). Especially on a kit like laser, they can afford to add a few more keys.

It's hard to justify with a less hyped kit like this given how tough it is in general for custom color kits to hit moq. If anything, I'd say offer vertical strips of blanks, like R1,R1,R2,R3,R4,R4 sets. I'd totally buy 1-2 just to have some blanks, but then people with orthos and other odd layouts could buy multiple to cover their boards. I imagine you would even see some people buying enough to cover an entire ortho.

[fatpolomanjr]

Yeah adding $20 to the cost per base set would be too much. Not to mention there aren't too many olkb fans that want to pay full price for a GMK set when all they want are a few keys.

[Hokabuki]

I made this comment on reddit, but I wouldn't stress it too much if the IC check has been around this long with no ortholinear fans speaking up yet. It is more a general request for future gmk sets:

"I know it's probably too late now, but IMHO GMK Laser had a pretty good way of offering an ortho kit: make a lot of it part of the base kit and make the rest of the keys available in the novelties kit. Most people get the novelties if they really like the set.

Currently there are very few keys missing for full ortho compatibility, like 1u shift, esc, enter, tab, lower, raise, backspace. Those last three keys can be novelties (e.g. one more R4 boba cup for lower!)

All that's left is a 2u and 2x1u spacebars as part of the spacebar kit."

That's at least $10 (prob $15-20) more in keys tho. Especially at lower moq. MD sales aren't really comparable to anywhere else. The MD novelties made it from $75 (100 moq) to $35 (1500 moq). Especially on a kit like laser, they can afford to add a few more keys.

It's hard to justify with a less hyped kit like this given how tough it is in general for custom color kits to hit moq. If anything, I'd say offer vertical strips of blanks, like R1,R1,R2,R3,R4,R4 sets. I'd totally buy 1-2 just to have some blanks, but then people with orthos and other odd layouts could buy multiple to cover their boards. I imagine you would even see some people buying enough to cover an entire ortho.

Blanks would be a good option for ortho users. Even with an ortho kit with legends,  it’s difficult to satisfy everyone’s needs with so many different layout preferences and being cherry profile. For example, there might be a request to have an ESC key for each row.

[amnesia0287]

I made this comment on reddit, but I wouldn't stress it too much if the IC check has been around this long with no ortholinear fans speaking up yet. It is more a general request for future gmk sets:

"I know it's probably too late now, but IMHO GMK Laser had a pretty good way of offering an ortho kit: make a lot of it part of the base kit and make the rest of the keys available in the novelties kit. Most people get the novelties if they really like the set.

Currently there are very few keys missing for full ortho compatibility, like 1u shift, esc, enter, tab, lower, raise, backspace. Those last three keys can be novelties (e.g. one more R4 boba cup for lower!)

All that's left is a 2u and 2x1u spacebars as part of the spacebar kit."

That's at least $10 (prob $15-20) more in keys tho. Especially at lower moq. MD sales aren't really comparable to anywhere else. The MD novelties made it from $75 (100 moq) to $35 (1500 moq). Especially on a kit like laser, they can afford to add a few more keys.

It's hard to justify with a less hyped kit like this given how tough it is in general for custom color kits to hit moq. If anything, I'd say offer vertical strips of blanks, like R1,R1,R2,R3,R4,R4 sets. I'd totally buy 1-2 just to have some blanks, but then people with orthos and other odd layouts could buy multiple to cover their boards. I imagine you would even see some people buying enough to cover an entire ortho.

Blanks would be a good option for ortho users. Even with an ortho kit with legends,  it’s difficult to satisfy everyone’s needs with so many different layout preferences and being cherry profile. For example, there might be a request to have an ESC key for each row.

The main reason i think blanks are a good idea are they are cheaper and because there are people like me who don't use orthos that would still buy a few sets of blanks and help get to moq. An ortho kit would struggle.

[tanvir175]

I made this comment on reddit, but I wouldn't stress it too much if the IC check has been around this long with no ortholinear fans speaking up yet. It is more a general request for future gmk sets:

"I know it's probably too late now, but IMHO GMK Laser had a pretty good way of offering an ortho kit: make a lot of it part of the base kit and make the rest of the keys available in the novelties kit. Most people get the novelties if they really like the set.

Currently there are very few keys missing for full ortho compatibility, like 1u shift, esc, enter, tab, lower, raise, backspace. Those last three keys can be novelties (e.g. one more R4 boba cup for lower!)

All that's left is a 2u and 2x1u spacebars as part of the spacebar kit."

That's at least $10 (prob $15-20) more in keys tho. Especially at lower moq. MD sales aren't really comparable to anywhere else. The MD novelties made it from $75 (100 moq) to $35 (1500 moq). Especially on a kit like laser, they can afford to add a few more keys.

It's hard to justify with a less hyped kit like this given how tough it is in general for custom color kits to hit moq. If anything, I'd say offer vertical strips of blanks, like R1,R1,R2,R3,R4,R4 sets. I'd totally buy 1-2 just to have some blanks, but then people with orthos and other odd layouts could buy multiple to cover their boards. I imagine you would even see some people buying enough to cover an entire ortho.

Blanks would be a good option for ortho users. Even with an ortho kit with legends,  it’s difficult to satisfy everyone’s needs with so many different layout preferences and being cherry profile. For example, there might be a request to have an ESC key for each row.

The main reason i think blanks are a good idea are they are cheaper and because there are people like me who don't use orthos that would still buy a few sets of blanks and help get to moq. An ortho kit would struggle.

Agreed. Also, on a 40% ortho specifically, I love using blanks. People are already "WTF-ing" at me for using a 40% so the added no legend keycaps blows their mind even more.

[smelons]

Spacebar kit has 1.75u. Are those supposed to be 1.25u or are those just not displayed in the spacebar kit yet?

[dangboy]

+1 on blanks.
Would definitely be in for 1 or 2 packs of blanks in this cw

[pwade3]

Spacebar kit has 1.75u. Are those supposed to be 1.25u or are those just not displayed in the spacebar kit yet?

That will be updated soon, we've got a few kit updates from GMK that will be going into the OP as soon as we're ready.


Now as far as the current discussion of blanks, ortho, etc:

Basically, I opted to go with a level of coverage for smaller boards where you may not have proper legends, but the profiles should work. There's enough 1u keys to cover a planck, as well as a 2u R4 key (although it's not convex, but still).

Honestly, this is kind of where I find myself thinking "I'm not going to try to please everyone". This set has a pretty good amount of compatibility, at what I think is a pretty good price. Trying to add enough keys to make the compatibility much better is going to press into a price range that I simply don't want it at. I hope that isn't taken harshly, as I understand completely wanting proper legends, or even blanks, but I just don't see the benefits outweighing the costs here.

We're also trying to get out ducks in a row to hopefully be ready for GB on Friday, so trying to make kit changes and get adjusted price quotes is pretty cumbersome.

[Randalljai]

The set is so pretty! I really like the colors. Excited to see what Keyforge does with the colors!

with you on that!

[AlexAtPanc]

Not that anybody asked me, but if you want to talk about trying to hit the sweet spot on kit compat, size and price, imo pwade3 has really broken a sweat to make sure there is something for everyone. While he's right that you can't please all the people all the time, this is a good base set with a great price that offers a lot. Add in all the proxies we have lined up, and the extra items that are surrounding the GB, I anticipate this keyset roll-out being extremely well-oiled.

Still have great communication with GMK and the other players in this process, so expect great news around the corner!

[pwade3]

Hey everyone, updated the OP with our official GMK renders, not quite as pretty, but I wanted everyone to see what's official.

In case y'all missed it, there's an awesome little novelty kit that really ties the theme together!

[Shell058]

Love the novelties, this set just gets better and better!

[BlackInk]

can we get some novelties for enter key?

[pwade3]

can we get some novelties for enter key?

Short answer, unfortunately not.

Long answer, I didn't really want a gigantic novelty kit that some sets have. Not that those are bad or anything, I just wanted something small that tied into the theme of the set but would still be pretty affordable.

Additionally, this would be a not inconsequential amount of work, we'd have to take the time to get a design done, pass it onto GMK, and wait for renders and pricing updates. We're pushing to be able to go live this Friday, and that sort of process would be in direct opposition to that goal.

[fatpolomanjr]

Really happy about the two R4 boba cup novelties. Lower and Raise baby!

[pwade3]

Really happy about the two R4 boba cup novelties. Lower and Raise baby!

I know it's not the perfect ortho addition, but I'm glad you like it 

Also cool for 7u spacebar peeps.

[Unforgivable]

Hey everyone, updated the OP with our official GMK renders, not quite as pretty, but I wanted everyone to see what's official.

In case y'all missed it, there's an awesome little novelty kit that really ties the theme together!

Show Image

I’m happy with these. I can use them instead of those ‘Code’ keycaps! Fantastic idea.  :thumb:

[The_judge_168]

Glad the boba cup novelties made it, excited for this to drop!

[futurecrime]

I'm ready. Gimme that purp.

[chaseyeh0721]

Hi, can you make 1.25U FN as R4 to support Leopold FC980M? Thanks.

[dangboy]

Gimme that damn purp. Super hype

[Puddsy]

Hi, can you make 1.25U FN as R4 to support Leopold FC980M? Thanks.

yeah i have no idea why that one is r3, no layout i can think of (40%?) uses an fn key in r3

[tylernm]

Bring on the purp!  These look great

[Ricinco]

yeah i have no idea why that one is r3, no layout i can think of (40%?) uses an fn key in r3

Pretty sure it's for the minivan, GMK 80s kid has the same r3 fn.

[AlexAtPanc]

yeah i have no idea why that one is r3, no layout i can think of (40%?) uses an fn key in r3

Pretty sure it's for the minivan, GMK 80s kid has the same r3 fn.

Below are layouts that utilize an r3 1.25u key:



Unsure if you are referring to the strict Function purpose, but since there is a group of users who do not use Tab in that location, using Fn seems like a good middle ground.

[eksuen]

I use Fn in the Tab location on my Minivan. The key is Tab if I tap it and Fn if I hold it.

[MMKB]

yeah i have no idea why that one is r3, no layout i can think of (40%?) uses an fn key in r3

Pretty sure it's for the minivan, GMK 80s kid has the same r3 fn.

Below are layouts that utilize an r3 1.25u key:

Show Image

Unsure if you are referring to the strict Function purpose, but since there is a group of users who do not use Tab in that location, using Fn seems like a good middle ground.

 :thumb: I didn't even notice it. 1.25u row 3 Fn should be great news for 40%. Mine uses a row 4 1.25u modifier which is slightly higher.

[KeLorean]

just waiting patiently....

[futurecrime]

Live:

http://www.panc.co/gmk-taro-group-buy-page.html

EU Proxy: https://mykeyboard.eu/catalogue/category/group-buys/gmk-taro_40/

[pwade3]

Live:

http://www.panc.co/gmk-taro-group-buy-page.html

EU Proxy: https://mykeyboard.eu/catalogue/category/group-buys/gmk-taro_40/

Thanks for the post, only reason I hadn't yet is cause I was waiting for the GH thread to get approved. Didn't want to potentially be subverting rules.

[futurecrime]

Live:

http://www.panc.co/gmk-taro-group-buy-page.html

EU Proxy: https://mykeyboard.eu/catalogue/category/group-buys/gmk-taro_40/

Thanks for the post, only reason I hadn't yet is cause I was waiting for the GH thread to get approved. Didn't want to potentially be subverting rules.

I figured you were waiting for approval. Dunno if I broke a rule but I'm on holiday drunk in France so I. Don't. Care.

In for base and spaces. Prayin for dat Garbo yo. ✌️

[donut_sauce]

Will there be a spreadsheet to see our order or an email confirmation before it closes?

[pwade3]

Will there be a spreadsheet to see our order or an email confirmation before it closes?

Hmm probably no on the spreadsheet since we're using real names, but email confirmation will likely be possible.

[umalip]

So, I’m new to GH, and new to forum group buys (familiar with massdrop). How do I participate on this GB?  And what is the price?  150 for the set?  25 for the novelties?  So total 175?, plus 10 shipping for me in Texas, and what does “moq” stand for?

[pwade3]

So, I’m new to GH, and new to forum group buys (familiar with massdrop). How do I participate on this GB?  And what is the price?  150 for the set?  25 for the novelties?  So total 175?, plus 10 shipping for me in Texas, and what does “moq” stand for?

So this is a little bit different from buys on massdrop.

So there's a form on panc.co that was linked above, you'll fill that out, then on February 16th at the end of the group buy period, we'll be sending out invoices via PayPal.

You're right that it will be $175 before shipping, but technically the base kit is $155 while novelties are $20.

MOQ stands for minimum order quantity, meaning the smallest number of kits that need to be sold in order for GMK to produce them.

[donut_sauce]

Will there be a spreadsheet to see our order or an email confirmation before it closes?

Hmm probably no on the spreadsheet since we're using real names, but email confirmation will likely be possible.

Email would be great. Just want to make sure y’all got my order.

[Photoelectric]

GB thread approved!
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=93732

Please continue the GB discussion there.