BackgroundBack in 2009 I was looking around for a new keyboard. The Razer Lycosa I had was giving me sore fingers during long typing sessions and what I'd heard about the new SteelSeries mechanical keyboard reminded me of the old IBM boards I'd used years ago in high school.
I discovered Geekhack, and shortly thereafter bought one of the early Choc Mini boards from eBay which has served me faithfully ever since. I wasn't crazy about its lack of tactility, but it was definitely more comfortable to type on than the Lycosa's scissor switches.
However in recent years even the Mini's Cherry Red switches have begun giving me trouble particularly early in the mornings when my fingers are stiff.
Decision to buy HHKBThis board has been on my radar ever since I discovered GH. Its almost impossible not to become acquainted with its' reputation soon after visiting the site, "legend status" would be a fair description. Like everyone else I was curious about Topre switches and hoped they'd be more comfortable to bottom out on than the Cherry switches, something I rarely seem to avoid doing.
I had a very hard time deciding between the Happy Hacking Keyboard Pro 2, Realforce 87U and Leopold FC660C. The Novatouch was never in the picture as the opinions I'd read suggested it is inferior to the RF87U in every way but MX compatibility, something that isn't a big deal to me as I have no collection of keycaps. When I factored in the cost of a decent set of PBT caps the Novatouch came to a similar price to the Realforce board which didn't seem worth it.
The FC660C was initially my favored choice as I didn't want a board larger than my existing Mini, and unlike the HHKB it has dedicated arrow keys - which I use frequently. However I read its' keycaps weren't terribly impressive, and didn't find its' looks appealing. I wouldn't usually fuss over keyboard appearances but when outlaying such a large amount it seems reasonable to expect one's choice to tick all boxes.
The 87U was also appealing but its physical size -large even for TKL compared with a Filco- was something I didn't like as was the steel plate it shared with the FC660C which I feared would make bottoming out less forgiving on the fingers. Also, variable weighting struck me as an odd concept.
My main HHKB gripe was unexpectedly the layout and lack of dedicated arrow keys. Along with the price of course, but I didn't mind paying extra for a board if I knew it would become one I'd use for many years. So in the end I took the risk on the HHKB's unconventional layout and bought one from an ebay seller for $270 including delivery. Expensive but I didn't want to buy direct from Japan through a proxy.
Initial HHKB impressionsWithout sugar coating it the HHKB disappointed me upon arrival. I read others had felt similarly but didn't expect it to happen to me. At first touch the board felt incredibly light and plasticky. Which is not to say it is cheaply made, but it lacks the heft we associate with quality. I asked myself why I'd spent such a huge amount on what felt like a toy.
More disturbing was the feeling of the switches themselves. If you listen to much of the hype around Geekhack, you could be mistaken for thinking that typing on Topre switches is the equivalent of receiving oral pleasure from Miranda Kerr while gazing at a perfect sunset on your private yacht. Unfortunately my initial impression of the switches was they felt remarkable similar to run-of-the-mill rubber domes and the difference didn't justify the price tag.
Also, and you might think this funny, the board struck me as overly small. Which is one of the reasons why I wanted it in the first place, but there is something psychologically satisfying about receiving a large item and using its' size to justify the cost in one's mind which the HHKB was missing. The human brain is a funny thing but the HHKB's small size and lack of bling seemed to contribute to that initial underwhelming feeling.
To make matters worse the new layout was difficult to cope with. Learning not only to adjust to the function layer but also the different positions of Control, Backspace & Delete -three keys I use regularly- really slowed me down in those first few days and led to many mistakes. The arrow cluster felt unwieldy and not at all intuitive.
One thing that bucked this trend was the sound. Since I use the HHKB atop a fairly thick Puretrak Talent mousepad the sound is nicely muted and pleasing to the ear. The spacebar in particular is an absolute joy to listen to. The Return key isn't bad either, but there something really magical about that spacebar.
Three weeks laterIn those first few days I rued my decision and wondered how much I would lose selling the HHKB and buying an FC660C, but having read similar accounts from other HHKB owners it seemed prudent to hold off for a few weeks before acting rashly. It also helped that I'm fairly stubborn and knew selling the HHKB would mean admitting to myself I'd made a mistake.
So I persisted, and as you can guess things have become easier. Using Backspace is now an automatic process, Delete is giving me no issues and I've adjusted to the position of Control, though I do confuse it with left Shift from time to time. There's little doubt in my mind this is a superior position for Control and I'm grateful to have made the mental adjustment as I plan to map it to this location on all future boards I own. The arrow cluster has been something I've adjusted to quite slowly, but in the past week my arrow-related errors have dropped considerately. I still prefer dedicated arrow keys, but feel I can live with this solution.
The feel of the switches themselves has really grown on me. I'm not sure if they needed breaking in or I did, but there is a consistent feeling to each key that is extremely predictable and satisfying. The tactility is just about perfect, not too harsh but strong enough to know exactly when a key's been pressed. I would prefer a lower actuation force as my fingers do still get sore, but although 30g might be ideal I wouldn't say 45g is overly stiff to type on.
So how would I rate the HHKB in general? Its a very nice keyboard and one I don't regret purchasing. It looks great, sounds great, has an incredibly compact layout that is extremely efficient, and the switches are much nicer to type on than the Cherry Reds of the Choc Mini. The case feels extremely solid despite the lack of weight and the keycaps whilst smooth have enough surface texture to avoid finger slipping and do not rattle.
It is an excellent product I can recommend without hesitation but does it measure up to the hype? I'm not sure it does. Very nice keyboard it may be, but after reading some impressions from Geekhack users one could be forgiven for thinking the HHKB is the cure for cancer. Its the kind of hype no keyboard could measure up to, and another reminder of the manner in which things can get blown out of proportion on the internet. Audiophiles experience a similar phenomenon as I'm sure do collectors in other hobbies.
To conclude I am not quite sold on the HHKB being the "ultimate keyboard", or that owning the "ultimate keyboard" would change my life significantly, but it is an excellent keyboard I hope to enjoy using for many years and can recommend to others who don't mind coping with the adjustment period.
