Alps Appreciation Thread

[E3E]

Love the video Chyros. SKCM Lime/green is very Now that all the supply has done, it seems you and Docutech's are the only source now for these switches. They sound lovely with Alps dyesubs, similar to my SGI w/ SKCM Orange but you can notice a distinct difference. I have always wanted a Wang but they seem to be far and few between on ebay, and normally the prices are quite high.

And to continue the Alps SKCM Lime love, here are the two typing videos I've made for two of my Docutechs (the earliest and latest model):

The sound is a little low. D:

They've got great dyesub caps and the case is one of my favorites. It's also very slim for a vintage Alps keyboard, aside from its wide bezel.

[Mattr567]

I have a surprise of my own. (E3E don't spoil it) A rare Focus board is coming in off craigslist

Your going to love it Chyros, knowing your love for Focus stuff

Oooh, colour me excited . I love Focus stuff!

Well here we are Chryos, the unveil. The board that surprised even me! This board is the Focus FK-727, the 747's brother. Both to my knowledge extremely rare. 84 key AT/XT, 9 NKRO. Now, this board isn't SKCM Blue like I expected, or Alps at all. Its Omron B3G-S. Cyan to be exact. The date on the PCB is 11/2/87, my oldest by far. My Zenith Z-150 might have been older but idk the date on it, didn't say anywhere. Keycaps arent DS, but amazing pad printed ones, have a very similar feel to Alps dyesubs. The board itself is pretty small actually.

The switches are light, on par with SKCL Green if not a little heavier. They feel more hollow than SKCM Blue, and are on par with SKCM White in that regard. They remind me a ton of the Model M. The way they go down, with that distinct 'two step' procedure if you will. Unique AF It uses Alps stabs for everything but the spacebar which uses a clone of Cherry's style. Top notch stability especially for a 10U. Take away: A shorter travel and lighter Buckling Spring like switch that is pretty awesome! To me Omron copied SKCM Amber and SKCM Blue, the colors match and does the type of switch. Both Ambers have a big bump + click, and both Blue/Cyan are light, smooth and clicky. This add's to the mystery of SKCM Amber a bit.

The FK-555 could come with Cyan's as well, but only source I see for it is Sandy, whose site is in Japanese. Nobody here own's a Omron Focus from my research. The FK-747 is mentioned once in a 'identify the keyboard' thread' on Deskthority and the 727 has literally nothing on it. Wonder how many of these are left in the world.

The guy on craigslist never cleaned it even though it looks like it was cleaned. There is some gunk on the sides of the keycaps as evidence. So to me this board was barely used. Absolutely no dirt on the plate or inside. It does need a retrobright but for being so old its not bad at all. At first it didn't work with the lights flashing, but after replugging it a couple times and using a different 5 PIN < PS/2 adapter it worked.

The U key doesn't work, and Num 1 and 2 chatter. Chryos, since you have some experience with B3G-S, can you help out with repairing the switches?

And here are the pic's:

[StormyMonday]

That's an attractive little board, with very interesting switches.

I like it!   

[klennkellon]

I modded some SKCM Whites into Linears. I also lubed them with 100% silicone lubricant. The lubing was a little inconsistent but I think it should even out with time. They kind of remind me of the "whistling" sound that dental banded Topre make, but still have that distinctive ALPS "Thock".


Typing Sound demonstration: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1ERUZpaM6V6MGN4akMzbHROa

Sound Demonstration: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1ERUZpaM6V6SzhGODIwZHQ1UVE

Comparison with a Model M, just for fun: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1ERUZpaM6V6enBMMFJ6QzRENjQ

You may still hear some clicking in the video, as I haven't done all of the keys (like period, comma, shift, etc).


BTW that's dried blood on my fingers, not cheetos.

[jacobolus]

The U key doesn't work, and Num 1 and 2 chatter.

Your best bet is to just desolder those switches and swap them with some from a less important part of the board. While doing the swap you can try to disassemble, clean, and reassemble them, but it might not fix the problem.

Omrons aren’t too hard to take apart and put back together (you might have to desolder first), but they’re somewhat chattery out of the box. Not as effective a contact design as SKCM switches.

Omron wasn’t the only company to copy the blue color for light clicky switches: NEC, SMK, and Cherry also all made blue-slider light clicky switches after Alps had.

How do you like the switches? Jesse Vincent (aka obra, of keyboard.io) thought cyan B3G-S switches felt “almost like clicky linears”. They’re loud, but not very tactile at all. Personally I found them sorta interesting, but I don’t think I’d want to type on them for extended periods.

[jacobolus]

I have always wanted a Wang but they seem to be far and few between on ebay, and normally the prices are quite high.

Bob Tibbets will sell you a new one with “bamboo” black switches for $125 + shipping, if you really want one. http://www.northgate-keyboard-repair.com

[chyros]

Love the video Chyros. SKCM Lime/green is very Now that all the supply has done, it seems you and Docutech's are the only source now for these switches. They sound lovely with Alps dyesubs, similar to my SGI w/ SKCM Orange but you can notice a distinct difference. I have always wanted a Wang but they seem to be far and few between on ebay, and normally the prices are quite high.

Thanks for posting that link, I completely forgot to myself xD .

Here's another two pictures I made along the way:

[chyros]

I have a surprise of my own. (E3E don't spoil it) A rare Focus board is coming in off craigslist

Your going to love it Chyros, knowing your love for Focus stuff

Oooh, colour me excited . I love Focus stuff!

Well here we are Chryos, the unveil. The board that surprised even me! This board is the Focus FK-727, the 747's brother. Both to my knowledge extremely rare. 84 key AT/XT, 9 NKRO. Now, this board isn't SKCM Blue like I expected, or Alps at all. Its Omron B3G-S. Cyan to be exact. The date on the PCB is 11/2/87, my oldest by far. My Zenith Z-150 might have been older but idk the date on it, didn't say anywhere. Keycaps arent DS, but amazing pad printed ones, have a very similar feel to Alps dyesubs. The board itself is pretty small actually.

The switches are light, on par with SKCL Green if not a little heavier. They feel more hollow than SKCM Blue, and are on par with SKCM White in that regard. They remind me a ton of the Model M. The way they go down, with that distinct 'two step' procedure if you will. Unique AF It uses Alps stabs for everything but the spacebar which uses a clone of Cherry's style. Top notch stability especially for a 10U. Take away: A shorter travel and lighter Buckling Spring like switch that is pretty awesome! To me Omron copied SKCM Amber and SKCM Blue, the colors match and does the type of switch. Both Ambers have a big bump + click, and both Blue/Cyan are light, smooth and clicky. This add's to the mystery of SKCM Amber a bit.

The FK-555 could come with Cyan's as well, but only source I see for it is Sandy, whose site is in Japanese. Nobody here own's a Omron Focus from my research. The FK-747 is mentioned once in a 'identify the keyboard' thread' on Deskthority and the 727 has literally nothing on it. Wonder how many of these are left in the world.

The guy on craigslist never cleaned it even though it looks like it was cleaned. There is some gunk on the sides of the keycaps as evidence. So to me this board was barely used. Absolutely no dirt on the plate or inside. It does need a retrobright but for being so old its not bad at all. At first it didn't work with the lights flashing, but after replugging it a couple times and using a different 5 PIN < PS/2 adapter it worked.

The U key doesn't work, and Num 1 and 2 chatter. Chryos, since you have some experience with B3G-S, can you help out with repairing the switches?

And here are the pic's:

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Awesome! A very nice board indeed :D . It's definitely a looker - did Focus ever make a board that wasn't just gorgeous?! It looks just like the 747 btw, do you know of any discrete differences yet?

As for the switches, we all know from Sandy's report of course that zero-gen Focus boards like the 555 appeared to come with either blue Alps or cyan Omnoms, but it's nice to see another one pop up because the switches are so rare... I'd love to give them a god sometime :D . Could you make a typing video of them? Apparently they sound different from ambers.

As for repairing them; I really don't know what's WRONG with these switches that they are so low-fidelity. Other people have reported their failing too, and since I made that review, a few more switches on my Chicony have died without even using them.

I shipped a whole bunch of faulty ones to Orihalcon who seemed to have found a way to fix them, ask him :) .

[Keycap]

Currently working on a SFF Alps board. Not a 60% custom build, it's a SFF board from the '90s. Ortek MKB-84SX.

I need to desolder all of the switches and work on the mounting plate. It's really rusted up. And the White Alps aren't terribly happy either. A few of the keycaps snapped off too, I hope superglue can save the day 

[E3E]

Just got a floating shelf to display keyboards on rotation in my room. Might add more of these sometime since I LOVE the look. I just wish there were more studs in the only wall where this works for my room.

So, the first board I displayed was my Hebrew-capped Tai Hao Fame TH-5539, but I didn't take any pictures of that.

I did take pictures of another favorite of mine:













It's my 1997 model, which I'd say is probably incredibly rare inside an already super small spectrum. It's got a US ISO layout. All of my others have long left shifts, but this one has a short one. I didn't even notice that detail until itzmeluigi pointed it out to me. 

I just had to snag that little Docutech pin off of eBay in order to rep what is pretty much my favorite keyboard other than my FAME.

[alienman82]

removed.

[E3E]

credit to me for finding the pin <3

100%! 

I love this pin. <3 Thank you, my good aliensir!

[alienman82]

removed.

[Venatorious]

Please E3E, my jealousy meter is off the charts...   

[kawasaki161]

I just found my first Alps board, a variant of the NTC KB-6251 to be exact. It feels pretty good, despite being one big pile of dust(and I think even a bit of mold). The only thing I don't like about it is that the caps are insanely tight. I really am afraid of breaking at least half of them while disassembling it for a nice clean up.

[chyros]

I just found my first Alps board, a variant of the NTC KB-6251 to be exact. It feels pretty good, despite being one big pile of dust(and I think even a bit of mold). The only thing I don't like about it is that the caps are insanely tight. I really am afraid of breaking at least half of them while disassembling it for a nice clean up.

It's OK, just use wire pullers and pull straight up, should be fine .

[Mattr567]

The U key doesn't work, and Num 1 and 2 chatter.

Your best bet is to just desolder those switches and swap them with some from a less important part of the board. While doing the swap you can try to disassemble, clean, and reassemble them, but it might not fix the problem.

Omrons aren’t too hard to take apart and put back together (you might have to desolder first), but they’re somewhat chattery out of the box. Not as effective a contact design as SKCM switches.

Omron wasn’t the only company to copy the blue color for light clicky switches: NEC, SMK, and Cherry also all made blue-slider light clicky switches after Alps had.

How do you like the switches? Jesse Vincent (aka obra, of keyboard.io) thought cyan B3G-S switches felt “almost like clicky linears”. They’re loud, but not very tactile at all. Personally I found them sorta interesting, but I don’t think I’d want to type on them for extended periods.

I do agree with his eval, they aren't very tactile indeed. You can still tell they are a tactile switch, but in comparison to others I can see what he is saying. Definitely don't type very fast on them. I am right now. I moved the dead U key to F9 (which sometimes registers) and the chatter keys to Scroll and F10. So now the board is usable! I will try to use it for a week.

I have a surprise of my own. (E3E don't spoil it) A rare Focus board is coming in off craigslist

Your going to love it Chyros, knowing your love for Focus stuff

Oooh, colour me excited . I love Focus stuff!

Well here we are Chryos, the unveil. The board that surprised even me! This board is the Focus FK-727, the 747's brother. Both to my knowledge extremely rare. 84 key AT/XT, 9 NKRO. Now, this board isn't SKCM Blue like I expected, or Alps at all. Its Omron B3G-S. Cyan to be exact. The date on the PCB is 11/2/87, my oldest by far. My Zenith Z-150 might have been older but idk the date on it, didn't say anywhere. Keycaps arent DS, but amazing pad printed ones, have a very similar feel to Alps dyesubs. The board itself is pretty small actually.

The switches are light, on par with SKCL Green if not a little heavier. They feel more hollow than SKCM Blue, and are on par with SKCM White in that regard. They remind me a ton of the Model M. The way they go down, with that distinct 'two step' procedure if you will. Unique AF It uses Alps stabs for everything but the spacebar which uses a clone of Cherry's style. Top notch stability especially for a 10U. Take away: A shorter travel and lighter Buckling Spring like switch that is pretty awesome! To me Omron copied SKCM Amber and SKCM Blue, the colors match and does the type of switch. Both Ambers have a big bump + click, and both Blue/Cyan are light, smooth and clicky. This add's to the mystery of SKCM Amber a bit.

The FK-555 could come with Cyan's as well, but only source I see for it is Sandy, whose site is in Japanese. Nobody here own's a Omron Focus from my research. The FK-747 is mentioned once in a 'identify the keyboard' thread' on Deskthority and the 727 has literally nothing on it. Wonder how many of these are left in the world.

The guy on craigslist never cleaned it even though it looks like it was cleaned. There is some gunk on the sides of the keycaps as evidence. So to me this board was barely used. Absolutely no dirt on the plate or inside. It does need a retrobright but for being so old its not bad at all. At first it didn't work with the lights flashing, but after replugging it a couple times and using a different 5 PIN < PS/2 adapter it worked.

The U key doesn't work, and Num 1 and 2 chatter. Chryos, since you have some experience with B3G-S, can you help out with repairing the switches?

And here are the pic's:

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Awesome! A very nice board indeed :D . It's definitely a looker - did Focus ever make a board that wasn't just gorgeous?! It looks just like the 747 btw, do you know of any discrete differences yet?

As for the switches, we all know from Sandy's report of course that zero-gen Focus boards like the 555 appeared to come with either blue Alps or cyan Omnoms, but it's nice to see another one pop up because the switches are so rare... I'd love to give them a god sometime :D . Could you make a typing video of them? Apparently they sound different from ambers.

As for repairing them; I really don't know what's WRONG with these switches that they are so low-fidelity. Other people have reported their failing too, and since I made that review, a few more switches on my Chicony have died without even using them.

I shipped a whole bunch of faulty ones to Orihalcon who seemed to have found a way to fix them, ask him :) .

Yea, it really is a pretty board. Small for what it is as well compared to a Zenith. I don't know of any differences as of yet. We don't know much about the 747 so it's kinda hard to tell. I figure 727 = Omron and 747 = Alps though. Do you think I should keep this board? I am going to use for a week and see how it goes.

Here ya go! They are a bit deeper than what is depicted in the video but it is pretty accurate.

[ipreferpie]

So I'm lucky enough to score several SKCM Blues and SKCM Browns. I'm new to ALPS but have been doing some research and looking to put together a custom build with the upcoming VE.A, some ALPS to MX adapters and DSA PBT caps. If I generally have enojoyed 65g Zealios, 55g Silenced Topre and 62g Aristotle/Zealio hybrids, does anyone have a good suggestion which ones to use? I know tactile is quite different from clicky, but I'm worried that browns are stiff (I'm not a fan of MX Clears due to stiffness). Or should I consider SKCM Oranges instead? Thanks very much! 

[need]

So I'm lucky enough to score several SKCM Blues and SKCM Browns. I'm new to ALPS but have been doing some research and looking to put together a custom build with the upcoming VE.A, some ALPS to MX adapters and DSA PBT caps. If I generally have enojoyed 65g Zealios, 55g Silenced Topre and 62g Aristotle/Zealio hybrids, does anyone have a good suggestion which ones to use? I know tactile is quite different from clicky, but I'm worried that browns are stiff (I'm not a fan of MX Clears due to stiffness). Or should I consider SKCM Oranges instead? Thanks very much! 

If you've scored them, can't you just try them out yourself and see how it feels??

[alienman82]

removed.

[E3E]

So I'm lucky enough to score several SKCM Blues and SKCM Browns. I'm new to ALPS but have been doing some research and looking to put together a custom build with the upcoming VE.A, some ALPS to MX adapters and DSA PBT caps. If I generally have enojoyed 65g Zealios, 55g Silenced Topre and 62g Aristotle/Zealio hybrids, does anyone have a good suggestion which ones to use? I know tactile is quite different from clicky, but I'm worried that browns are stiff (I'm not a fan of MX Clears due to stiffness). Or should I consider SKCM Oranges instead? Thanks very much! 

Like others have said,I think it's best to try them yourself, good sir. Our perspectives can only offer so much insight. Zealios and SKCM Brown or SKCM Lime/Tactile Green feel nothing alike. They feel more like Topre. Salmon Alps feel more like Zealios and Orange Alps are cut from the same tree.

[ipreferpie]

So I'm lucky enough to score several SKCM Blues and SKCM Browns. I'm new to ALPS but have been doing some research and looking to put together a custom build with the upcoming VE.A, some ALPS to MX adapters and DSA PBT caps. If I generally have enojoyed 65g Zealios, 55g Silenced Topre and 62g Aristotle/Zealio hybrids, does anyone have a good suggestion which ones to use? I know tactile is quite different from clicky, but I'm worried that browns are stiff (I'm not a fan of MX Clears due to stiffness). Or should I consider SKCM Oranges instead? Thanks very much! 

Like others have said,I think it's best to try them yourself, good sir. Our perspectives can only offer so much insight. Zealios and SKCM Brown or SKCM Lime/Tactile Green feel nothing alike. They feel more like Topre. Salmon Alps feel more like Zealios and Orange Alps are cut from the same tree.

Thanks very much! I guess I'll place them on some test boards and see how they feel before I make a decision. The feel on a board would be much more accurate than testing them standalone. For the SKCM Brown, do you feel they're more like 45g or 55g Topre to you?

[guster11]

Anyone good with the sliding height adjustment mechanism from the AEK2's?

Both of my AEK2's have issues with the sliding tab that adjusts height. They both only move a click or two til no amount of force can get them to move. Everything else about the mechanism seems to work, I just have no idea how to get the slider to work as it should.

[fohat.digs]

I just have no idea how to get the slider to work as it should.

Open the case and help the piece along from the inside?

Apple is the poster child for the good, the bad, and the ugly. That mechanism is *really* bad.

[CPTBadAss]

Since we're all throwing in typing videos, I wanted to play too. Here's a really old video.

Just got a floating shelf to display keyboards on rotation in my room. Might add more of these sometime since I LOVE the look. I just wish there were more studs in the only wall where this works for my room.

So, the first board I displayed was my Hebrew-capped Tai Hao Fame TH-5539, but I didn't take any pictures of that.

I did take pictures of another favorite of mine:

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It's my 1997 model, which I'd say is probably incredibly rare inside an already super small spectrum. It's got a US ISO layout. All of my others have long left shifts, but this one has a short one. I didn't even notice that detail until itzmeluigi pointed it out to me. 

I just had to snag that little Docutech pin off of eBay in order to rep what is pretty much my favorite keyboard other than my FAME.

**** THAT BOARD AND THE PIN IS SO HOT.

I'm building a brown skcm board soon.  I think they feel more poppy then oranges.  Stiffness isn't an issue for me but it may make your hands tired

I'm still settling for tactile brown alps

bbrown alps bb

Dude....we get it. You post 3 times a page you're building a board with SKCM Browns.

[alienman82]

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[alienman82]

removed.

[itzmeluigi]

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Woah that is awesome, those gray caps look so good. Did the plate/switches align with the default PCB positions or did you have to drill out new ones?

[alienman82]

removed.

[mike52787]

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Woah that is awesome, those gray caps look so good. Did the plate/switches align with the default PCB positions or did you have to drill out new ones?

The pcb hasn't arrived yet, but I suspect I'll need to mod it for the spacebar at least

Where are you getting the pcb? My typewriter has the same layout and I want to do the same with it.

[Mattr567]

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Are those caps and plate from that Sharp typewriter? Wow that looks great! Gotta get myself a Sharp typewriter like yours and make one myself! Must be pretty cheap too compared to other customs.

[mike52787]

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Are those caps and plate from that Sharp typewriter? Wow that looks great! Gotta get myself a Sharp typewriter like yours and make one myself! Must be pretty cheap too compared to other customs.

yeah those are the original caps, just like mine. They are really nice alps doubleshots

[alienman82]

removed.

[guster11]

I just have no idea how to get the slider to work as it should.

Open the case and help the piece along from the inside?

Apple is the poster child for the good, the bad, and the ugly. That mechanism is *really* bad.

Haha that's the only way I can get it to work currently. Its a really stupid design, but its typical 90's apple product. It's only a single screw to open it so I nay just leave it at that

[klennkellon]

Man I'm jealous of all your guys boards.

I'd love a TKL board with Orange ALPS. I can't stand to game on clicky switches but don't like to type on linear switches.

[itzmeluigi]

Just got my IBM 5576-002 today, its in perfect condition. Alps plate spring is awesome

[alienman82]

removed.

[Mattr567]

Just got my IBM 5576-002 today, its in perfect condition. Alps plate spring is awesome

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Wow nice!

[klennkellon]

I have been doing some experimenting, and the spring from Matias Click switches and the click leafs work with my complicated White ALPS.

I'll have to see if the Matias slider works with the original ALPS springs, but it does at least work the other way around.

[fohat.digs]

I'd love a TKL board with Orange ALPS. I can't stand to game on clicky switches but don't like to type on linear switches.

I thought that somebody was selling a Ducky 1087XM here recently. I got one of those and an Apple AEK and built what you described. I used as many of the Apple keycaps as possible, which was about 80% of the board.

[E3E]

**** THAT BOARD AND THE PIN IS SO HOT.

Firstly, let me just say thanks.    They're my favorite Alps boards along with my FAME.

Secondly,

Since we're all throwing in typing videos, I wanted to play too. Here's a really old video.

This typing video of blue Alps on your Kingsaver is what inspired me to get into Alps in the first place. After this, I looked into Alps and was really intrigued by their design and look, so thus my quest began!

So, coming full-circle now, here's my typing video on the Kingsaver's spiritual successor:

[Blaise170]

Haha, interesting how this all worked out. I eventually decided to sell my Chicony 5161 which you bought from me. A few months later at a keyboard meetup I tried out his Kingsaver and decided to get back into the Alps scene. And now I'm still trying to find a full metal Alps build. Perhaps I will use the Filco Zero I have now, I just wish I had a source of Alps JIS caps since the stock caps are pretty terrible.

[chyros]

Here ya go! They are a bit deeper than what is depicted in the video but it is pretty accurate.

Interesting! They sound like ambers, but distinctly different from what I can tell, too - the amber Omnoms have a more "leafy" sound if that makes sense. And the cyans sound like they're quieter, too.

Just got my IBM 5576-002 today, its in perfect condition. Alps plate spring is awesome

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Gorgeous. Beautiful board, and in amazing condition! Looking forward to trying Alps plate spring myself!

[CPTBadAss]

Just got my IBM 5576-002 today, its in perfect condition. Alps plate spring is awesome

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Stupid thread....my list of things that are Alps related to try is growing bigger and bigger these days .

SKCM Neon Green, SKCM Amber, and this are now at the top.

[alienman82]

removed.

[jacobolus]

Lookout for the IBM P70 if you want to try plate mount.  I'm not sure about the interface, as it was part of a laptop or PC, but they're ansi plate mount alps nonetheless.

P70 / P75 are PCB-mounted “plate spring” switches, not plate-mounted switches.

The problem with the IBM luggables is that they have the flimsiest case construction imaginable for the keyboard, because they were trying to save space and weight. The switches are PCB-mounted, and then a tiny bit of rigidity is provided by some metal strips running lengthwise across the board. The flimsy plastic case is held together by plastic clips in a really-annoying-to-take-apart way, that encourages you to just break the case off if you want to open it up.

They also have very thin PBT keycaps on all the 1u keys and ctrl/alt keys that in my opinion aren’t very pleasant (the larger modifier keys are nice thick PBT).

On the upside, because these keyboards were part of a luggable, which became mostly obsolete within a few years after production, the switches are typically in great condition, because they often weren’t ever exposed to the air. You can sometimes find one with a broken computer part selling relatively cheap on ebay or wherever. For example, http://www.ebay.com/itm/131799992685?orig_cvip=true ($75 shipped) http://www.ebay.com/itm/252312593142?orig_cvip=true ($50 shipped)

If you replace the keycaps with some thicker ones, and take the case entirely off and just set the bare PCB on top of a wooden board, the whole thing feels and sounds a lot nicer to type on.

Desoldering the switches from these is incredibly annoying. Each switch has 4 leads (as you might expect for a PCB-mounted switch), and all four are bent down hard on the back of the PCB. To desolder requires sucking the solder out and then carefully unbending each lead. Takes about 4–5x longer than desoldering a typical SKCM keyboard.

[jacobolus]

So I'm lucky enough to score several SKCM Blues and SKCM Browns. [...] If I generally have enojoyed 65g Zealios, 55g Silenced Topre and 62g Aristotle/Zealio hybrids, does anyone have a good suggestion which ones to use? I know tactile is quite different from clicky, but I'm worried that browns are stiff (I'm not a fan of MX Clears due to stiffness). Or should I consider SKCM Oranges instead?

55g Topre is also a very stiff switch. Personally I find brown Alps, 55g Topre, and MX clear to all be too stiff for my taste, and I don’t particularly enjoy the “rounded” force curve of Topre, brown/lime Alps, or Burroughs torsion spring switches. YMMV.

Good condition orange and blue Alps switches are both really fantastic switches if you want something lightly–crisply tactile, two of the most enjoyable typing experiences. You can’t go wrong with either of those. The blue ones in particular are IMO the most “elegant” sounding clicky switch you can find. If you want something a bit snappier, then white Alps switches and SMK clicky switches are also great.

[romevi]

Dang. I think 55g Topre is actually too light. 

Slightly off topic, but if I find the above true and think that 65g Zealios are way too light, will 78g Zealios be too much?

Also, Orange Alps are just about perfect; what's the bottoming out force on those?

[chyros]

55 g on a relative scale is not stiff at all xD . Sure it might be too stiff for some people, but many switches are stiffer than that, sometimes considerably more so . Most Alps switches are fairly stiff.

[smarmar]

Just got a floating shelf to display keyboards on rotation in my room. Might add more of these sometime since I LOVE the look. I just wish there were more studs in the only wall where this works for my room.

So, the first board I displayed was my Hebrew-capped Tai Hao Fame TH-5539, but I didn't take any pictures of that.

I did take pictures of another favorite of mine:

Show Image

Show Image

Show Image

Show Image

Show Image

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It's my 1997 model, which I'd say is probably incredibly rare inside an already super small spectrum. It's got a US ISO layout. All of my others have long left shifts, but this one has a short one. I didn't even notice that detail until itzmeluigi pointed it out to me. 

I just had to snag that little Docutech pin off of eBay in order to rep what is pretty much my favorite keyboard other than my FAME.

Gods, that is one beauty of a keyboard! And that matching mouse!  There's something about vintage electronics that makes me absolutely swoon!