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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: 40yroldnerd on Wed, 09 November 2016, 19:10:28

Title: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: 40yroldnerd on Wed, 09 November 2016, 19:10:28
I was wondering who makes the thickest,heaviest, just all around highest quality caps?

Are SA Caps pretty thick and quality? DSA, GMK, etc, etc

So far I've tried OEM on my poker 3, TaiHao, And now I just got a custom colored set of WASD caps I just installed.  So far, the TaiHao seem the best so far.

What say ye??
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: zslane on Wed, 09 November 2016, 19:33:30
I think you have to separate assessment into two categories: cylindrical and spherical.

When it comes to spherical keycaps the question is moot: there is only SA/DSA and so SP wins by default.

When it comes to cylindrical keycaps, it seems that GMK makes the best overall new keycap sets around.

The Tai Hoa sets available for Alps mount are thin and fairly low-quality. Can't speak to their MX caps. WASD caps are the thinnest and lowest-quality keycaps available from a custom shop that I know of (and have used).
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: 40yroldnerd on Wed, 09 November 2016, 20:34:46
Thanks, that's why I made this thread. The WASD caps are crap, can't expect much though for 45 bucks I guess.

I want the keycaps that were on the old retro keyboards I used in school.  Quality caps.  I just am waiting for some SA's to come around to buy/order.  I am guessing that's what I am after.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: jaffers on Wed, 09 November 2016, 21:25:39
Cherry profile ABS? Currently GMK

Cherry profile PBT? Currently Gatorade dyesubs are pretty top notch

Most people will tell you OG cherry dyesubs and ABS are king but I think that's cause of the oG nostalgia dust that coats old things. Better than heroin man let me tell you

Who the **** even cares about BSP anymore, are they even live?
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Puddsy on Wed, 09 November 2016, 22:32:03
Cherry profile ABS? Currently GMK

Cherry profile PBT? Currently Gatorade dyesubs are pretty top notch

Most people will tell you OG cherry dyesubs and ABS are king but I think that's cause of the oG nostalgia dust that coats old things. Better than heroin man let me tell you

Who the **** even cares about BSP anymore, are they even live?

BSP is alive.

My suspicion is that because there are lots of new people who don't know how to type on blanks, combined with the decline in winkeyless layout in mass produced keyboards, has made them rather irrelevant.

I'd still buy a set if I could get one in less than 6 months, though.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: hurst on Thu, 10 November 2016, 10:40:46
Does anyone make PBT SA Keycaps?
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 10 November 2016, 10:42:46
Does anyone make PBT SA Keycaps?

Signature plastics has released 2 sets recently they are all Row 3 however as they are testing the waters before going full profile.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Nafs_asp on Tue, 22 November 2016, 23:44:23
Cherry profile ABS? Currently GMK

Cherry profile PBT? Currently Gatorade dyesubs are pretty top notch

Most people will tell you OG cherry dyesubs and ABS are king but I think that's cause of the oG nostalgia dust that coats old things. Better than heroin man let me tell you

Who the **** even cares about BSP anymore, are they even live?

BSP is alive.

My suspicion is that because there are lots of new people who don't know how to type on blanks, combined with the decline in winkeyless layout in mass produced keyboards, has made them rather irrelevant.

I'd still buy a set if I could get one in less than 6 months, though.

I wish BSP (or whatever the company that runs them is called) still did dye subs. I emailed them about it a week or so ago and they sent me some sample pictures of their caps, they look great, but only available as blanks (or you could arrange to have someone else dye sub them)
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: zslane on Wed, 23 November 2016, 12:12:18
Does anyone make PBT SA Keycaps?

Signature plastics has released 2 sets recently they are all Row 3 however as they are testing the waters before going full profile.

Judging from recent conversations I've had with Melissa over at SP, they are working on acquiring/making the necessary components to produce the other rows, but it will take some time.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Photekq on Wed, 23 November 2016, 12:23:38
Most people will tell you OG cherry dyesubs and ABS are king but I think that's cause of the oG nostalgia dust that coats old things. Better than heroin man let me tell you
Nah it's because they're actually the best.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Binge on Wed, 23 November 2016, 14:38:58
Most people will tell you OG cherry dyesubs and ABS are king but I think that's cause of the oG nostalgia dust that coats old things. Better than heroin man let me tell you
Nah it's because they're actually the best.

+10
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: nickheller on Wed, 23 November 2016, 14:47:11
Topre
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: YoshiCaps on Wed, 23 November 2016, 17:46:16
Probably cherry. Only reason is I have a cooler master board and its caps look absurd.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: xtrafrood on Wed, 23 November 2016, 19:40:52
Does anyone make PBT SA Keycaps?

Signature plastics has released 2 sets recently they are all Row 3 however as they are testing the waters before going full profile.

Judging from recent conversations I've had with Melissa over at SP, they are working on acquiring/making the necessary components to produce the other rows, but it will take some time.

I'm glad I saw this thread--this is good news
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Wylte on Thu, 24 November 2016, 05:54:16
Does anyone make PBT SA Keycaps?

Signature plastics has released 2 sets recently they are all Row 3 however as they are testing the waters before going full profile.

Judging from recent conversations I've had with Melissa over at SP, they are working on acquiring/making the necessary components to produce the other rows, but it will take some time.

I'm glad I saw this thread--this is good news
Agreed, will have to keep an eye out.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Minnie2 on Thu, 24 November 2016, 11:38:36
I though they are artisans or gmk!
of course,besides cherry..
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: yueliukeycaps on Fri, 25 November 2016, 03:22:20
holy oops is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 25 November 2016, 07:10:49
Cherry profile PBT? Currently Gatorade dyesubs are pretty top notch
You mean Gateron?

Leopold blank PBT > Gateron blank PBT. Both are thick but Leopold's has sharper edges and finer texture. The difference is very small though. Leopold's spout marks are on the bottom where as Gateron's are on the back.
That makes Leopold's look a bit more premium.

I have not tried Leopold printed caps as I have only seen them available in ANSI and I use ISO. Gateron's comes in more different shapes and options and have been available in different printed colours.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Neo.X on Fri, 25 November 2016, 14:34:42
BSP for dye sub; GMK/Cherry OG for ABS.

Never tried Cherry OG dye sub. Many people think they are the best of the best.

Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: noisyturtle on Fri, 25 November 2016, 17:27:38
OG Cherry is at least 80% hype - not worth the time, effort, or money
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: buckyballs on Sun, 11 December 2016, 21:37:21
If I am looking for gateron dyesubs where shall I go? The first page of google searches is all about group buys. I am wanting to buy within this month.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: nyunyu on Mon, 12 December 2016, 04:54:04
If I am looking for gateron dyesubs where shall I go? The first page of google searches is all about group buys. I am wanting to buy within this month.
Try searching for EnjoyPBT caps on TaoBao or some other chinese warehouses.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: ntw on Mon, 12 December 2016, 05:04:27
Most people will tell you OG cherry dyesubs and ABS are king but I think that's cause of the oG nostalgia dust that coats old things. Better than heroin man let me tell you
Nah it's because they're actually the best.

BSP
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Urbi on Sun, 18 December 2016, 10:30:26
IMO it's GMK.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: YoshiCaps on Sun, 18 December 2016, 11:11:33
IMO it's GMK.
GMK keycaps are ok, but thermaltake keycaps are craaaap
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: xtrafrood on Sun, 18 December 2016, 11:46:43
Iirc, Ducky and Taihao are some of the thickest PBT sets available. There are plenty of side by side micrometer comparisons in the wild. I want to say that an Asian manufacturer is producing tall spherical double shot (similar to SA) pbt keycaps but I'm not 100% about that; those might be dye sub.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: zslane on Sun, 18 December 2016, 11:55:24
Only dyesub/laser-etched right now. And that's true for both the manufacturer of the proposed "Elvish" keyset and Matt3o's M3 beamspring clone family. From what I gather, double-shotting PBT is still something of an unperfected process.
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: Findecanor on Sun, 18 December 2016, 12:36:20
Iirc, Ducky and Taihao are some of the thickest PBT sets available.
Older Ducky and Tai-hao PBT are thin. There are thick Tai-Hao caps now?
Title: Re: Who makes the highest quality keycaps?
Post by: xtrafrood on Sun, 18 December 2016, 12:54:58
Iirc, Ducky and Taihao are some of the thickest PBT sets available.
Older Ducky and Tai-hao PBT are thin. There are thick Tai-Hao caps now?

They're are plenty of side by side micrometer comparisons in the wild.