Realforce 87UW 55g Unboxing/Mini-review

[tofu28]

Hey everyone,

This is my first sizable post on Geekhack, as I'm usually found on the MechanicalKeyboards Subreddit. Over the past few days, I've had the pleasure of receiving a Realforce 87UW 55g uniform weighted keyboard. Since the experience has been so great, I have decided to share this unboxing.

The Box

In total, the package took around eight days to arrive. I ordered it through Amazon Japan and got it shipped to the Tenso warehouse (three days). From there, Tenso processed the package and shipped it out (two days). The package then arrived in US customs in San Francisco and shipped to my house (three days). While the package was in customs, I did some research on the process and found that many people have experienced long waits due to the customs process. Instead of the alleged one to two weeks, the keyboard cleared customs in just one day.


Although the Amazon Japan box got a bit bruised during the shipping process, the actual Realforce box came through unharmed due to a sufficient amount of packing paper.



"Good feeling of oneness with cup rubber."

This feeling of oneness with cup rubber (Topre electrostatic capacitive keyswitches) was what drew me to this keyboard in the first place. I have never tried a keyboard with Topre switches before, so this purchse was a leap of faith.

The Keyboard

I was really drawn to the understated and professional aesthetic of the white and grey Realforce.

Contents of the Box

Included in the box are the keyboard, a metal keypuller (don't use this), a manual, and alternative Ctrl and Caps Lock keycaps.

The addition of interchangeable Ctrl and Caps Lock keycaps were another factor into my purchase of the Realforce. On all my previous keyboards, I have switched these two keys, but never the actual keycaps. It is nice to have these included as it is incredibly hard to find Caps and Ctrl keys for different rows and sizes, even for Cherry type stems.

Conclusion

In my opinion, these keyswitches and the keyboard as a whole live up to the hype. I have never before felt such a sublime typing experience. Each key feels punchy with just enough feedback. What bothered me about most cherry type tactile switches was the bump on the upstroke. I felt that the bump inhibited a quick return to the un-depressed position. On the other hand, the cup rubber of the Topre switches result in quick and springy upstroke. I think that this quality is my favorite of these switches.  I was worried that the 55g weight would be a bit heavy for me, but after typing I found that the keyswitches are light enough to be fast while heavy enough to prevent accidental presses. Like the aesthetic of the keyboard, the sound is also understated. Low pitched "thock" noises come from each keypress, loud enough to be enjoyed, but quiet enough to not bother others. I would liken the noise to dozens of tiny men with heavy boots dancing on a wooden stage that is covered by about a centimeter of carpet. In conclusion, this keyboard provides one of the best out of the box typing experiences I have ever witnessed.

[Elrick]

I would liken the noise to dozens of tiny men with heavy boots dancing on a wooden stage that is covered by about a centimeter of carpet. In conclusion, this keyboard provides one of the best out of the box typing experiences I have ever witnessed.

Suspect you're of the younger generation here, hence this first Thorpie seems to be the BEST example you will ever experience.

As you get older and amass more keyboards in your life then there is no such thing as the BEST anymore, it just remains as ONE of the higher quality keyboards that you've used in your life thus far.

[SamirD]

Nice review!  Looks a lot more professional than I thought it would.  No one in an office would even suspect...

[tofu28]

Nice review!  Looks a lot more professional than I thought it would.  No one in an office would even suspect...

Yeah, I especially like how the looks are reminiscent to the IBM Model M and other keyboards of the era due to the light beige and grey color scheme and the large area at the top of the board.

[SamirD]

Nice review!  Looks a lot more professional than I thought it would.  No one in an office would even suspect...

Yeah, I especially like how the looks are reminiscent to the IBM Model M and other keyboards of the era due to the light beige and grey color scheme and the large area at the top of the board.

I use that space above quite often for business cards, notes, and more.  In fact, now that I think about it--on the M that is actually a copy holder.  When the monitor is at a higher level than the keyboard, you can put a piece of paper in the narrow gap in between the blank space and the top of the keyboard and it holds a piece of paper that lays on the bottom of monitor.  We used to use this method all the time for typing from another document or handwritten notes back in the late 1990s.

[snarfarlarkus]

I would liken the noise to dozens of tiny men with heavy boots dancing on a wooden stage that is covered by about a centimeter of carpet. In conclusion, this keyboard provides one of the best out of the box typing experiences I have ever witnessed.

Suspect you're of the younger generation here, hence this first Thorpie seems to be the BEST example you will ever experience.

As you get older and amass more keyboards in your life then there is no such thing as the BEST anymore, it just remains as ONE of the higher quality keyboards that you've used in your life thus far.

^ This. So true. There is no end game keyboard. There no 'best' keyboard. Theres just a keyboard you enjoy most thus far. For me though, 87U 55g is amongst my least favoured keyboards. Capacitive BS is pure bliss on my fingers.