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[IC] Touchstone - new colorways + southpaw planned!

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upas:



Please fill out the Touchstone interest check form here

Index:

* Concept & Inspiration
* Colorways
* Specifications
* Sale Plans

Concept & Inspiration:

From James: Touchstone was created from a simple idea: to strip away excess and let form, material, and proportion speak for themselves. I wanted to channel my interest in architecture and art into something tangible, translating those influences into the language of keyboards. In those fields every line and surface is intentional, shaped to feel comfortable and familiar without distraction, and I wanted to carry this approach through to the medium of keyboards. In spite of the bold shapes, the design language is rooted in restraint, aiming for honesty rather than novelty.

The physical design of the keyboard draws material inspiration from modernist and minimalist sculpture, particularly the structured clarity of Carl Andre and the spatial sensitivity of David Rabinowitch. Their focus on geometry, mass, and surface guided the relationship between metal, texture, and light within the piece. The “Mono” edition came first, built around a stark, clinical palette that defined the tone of the project from the outset. But as the design neared completion, the “Primary” colourway naturally emerged as the clean, geometric layout of the board’s underside aligned perfectly with the principles of the De Stijl movement. Piet Mondrian’s “Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow” felt like an inevitable reference at that point; you’d never guess it wasn’t the original inspiration.

With Touchstone we’ve taken those same ideas of structure and material honesty and translated them into a functional object, treating the keyboard not as a gadget but as a piece of design worth contemplating in its own right.





Colorways:




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Specifications:

Typing Angle: 7°
Effective Front Height: 20mm
Layout: Full-size, 108 keys+. Both WK & WKL (we only have WKL prototypes).
Mounting Style: Top-mounted, with separate PCBs and plates for the TKL & numpad sections.
Medium:  Brass and aluminum on aluminum (Primary), Steel and aluminum on aluminum (Mono)
Weight: 5.8lbs/2633g (Unbuilt), 7lbs/3117g (Built)



That's a lotta bits



Sale Plans:

* We plan to sell the Touchstone in early 2026.
* The two colorways on show will be the only two available.
* Cost is estimated to be under $600 at 100 MOQ. More info on that when we have it.
* We have had some requests for a southpaw version. We can look into this depending on cost and interest so please let us know what you want in the IC form!

Please fill out the Touchstone interest check form here

upas:
11/08

Here is an exploded view of the board showing all parts and layers. Sharing it here for anyone following the project who wants a clearer look at the internal structure.




12/03

We have spent the last couple of weeks going through all the IC form replies, and the feedback has been genuinely useful.
There were many great suggestions, so we have been working through them and making changes where they make sense. The goal is still the same,
we just want Touchstone to be the best version of itself.

Originally the plan was very straightforward with two fixed SKUs, however it turns out most people wanted a little bit more flexibility, especially with
the color accents, so we have opened things up a little. The Primary colourway now lets you pick which primary colour you want for the rear top case
piece. This keeps the overall look consistent but gives you some room to personalise things (if you aren't a fan of pokéballs).

There were also more requests for a southpaw option than we expected. Normally it would be too late in the process to really implement any changes
and test before the GB launches, but in this case the changes are pretty manageable. We are getting a set of extra prototype parts made to check fit
and function, probably just in a raw finish to keep things simple. If everything works as expected, southpaw will be available in all colours, and of
course in both WK and WKL.

We will share more once the new prototypes arrive, but for now please enjoy these dubious photo edits to give you a rough idea of what to expect for
the alternate Primary colorway options.

HubertThemad:
I love you

Also GLWIC I will buy

Edit: That was meant for James. I mean Upas you still get love but I was fooled thinking James posted this lol

goodnaruk:
I'm definitely feeling it! I would probably acutually purchase a mono, but the primary is the show stopper.

upas:

--- Quote from: HubertThemad on Tue, 04 November 2025, 15:09:22 ---I love you

Also GLWIC I will buy

Edit: That was meant for James. I mean Upas you still get love but I was fooled thinking James posted this lol

--- End quote ---

Well, tbf, James did write the IC seeing as he's the one who designed the board haha.
FWIW - I think it turned out amazing, and am actually really excited for this IC.

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