Author Topic: Hi my name is Fredrik and I have a problem  (Read 1123 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Clarencehehe

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 2
Hi my name is Fredrik and I have a problem
« on: Sun, 17 October 2021, 17:57:55 »
Hey guys! My name is Fredrik and I’m a 27 year old engineer from Norway and I’m losing control.

I first got pulled into the rabbit hole when I was innocently browsing for a new gaming keyboard in early August, as you do I typed ‘best gaming keyboard 2021 tier list’ into the YouTube search box and hit enter on my horribly scratchy, 4 year old corsair K something. In this particular tier list above S tier was a tier just called ‘customs’, which piqued my interest, but not enough to stop me from buying a fullsize steelseries apex pro, which is a pretty good board all things considered. I should have been happy with my purchase, I should have been happy with the fact that I finally replaced my terrible Corsair with a much better board, but I wasn’t.

Something, somewhere inside me knew there was an even greener pasture. As the steelseries board shipped closer, my mind departed further as I took my first steps into the custom keyboard void. One of the first entry-level boards I had in mind was the Keychron Q1, baby steps. But in mid August, having to wait until October seemed too much to ask, so young, so innocent. But I decide to order one anyways, I can daily drive my new steelseries apex pro until then right? Right?? Wrong. I was so wrong.

I happened to find a certain high end custom keyboard designer in Norway, Mekanisk, and as it turns out, from time to time, Mekanisk has high end custom mechanical keyboards in stock (exclusively for Norway I think). Far more expensive than the Keychron Q1 and far more expensive than I ever imagined spending on a keyboard mere days earlier. I instantly felt a wave of nationalism rush over me. I felt it was my duty as a Norwegian to support this project. So I did what any other red-blooded Norwegian would do, I typed in my personal details using my brand new steelseries apex pro and hit order. Without thinking I opened another tab and cancelled my preorder of the Keychron Q1. I'm becoming more impulsive. My black fjell R5 arrived a few days later and thankfully my girlfriend was out of town the next weekend so she didn't have to witness what turned out to be my most significant climax in months. After spending a dozen frustrating hours of learning how to lube switches, stabs, and soldering, through blood, sweat and tears, my first custom was complete. And aside from an overlubed spacebar, it was glorious. I threw on some kbdfans simple green and thought to myself, this is my end-game.

I bring it to work the next day, my co-workers are at a loss for words, partly I imagine, because they had never felt anything like it, and partly because they could never understand the time and money I had spent on it. But I didn’t care what they thought, I didn't care what anyone thought. I wanted to object and tell them "yEs buT AlSO No dOeS yoUr SpaCE bAr SouND tHIs gOoD?", but I stopped myself. I contained my frustration and I tried to feign a sort of embarrassment at how silly my new obsession was, but I fear I didn't come across as genuine, I always have been a terrible liar. After all I had just built the best keyboard I never knew existed, which was all the justification I needed. I would like to say thats where the story ends, I would like to say my black fjell r5 and I rode into the sunset, happily ever after. But of course this isn’t a fairy tale, of course it can’t be that simple.

There was still an itch that needed scratching somewhere deep inside of me. My thoughts would always wander back to customs. I dreamt of GMK sets with international characters and ISO support, I was on monkeytype on my lunch break. I felt it take me over, and I welcomed it. It didn't take long for me to decide I wanted a keyboard for work as well, so I wouldn’t develop back problems dragging my heavy, black fjell r5 back and forth to the office, so I order the mode sixtyfive, e-white aluminium with copper backpiece and plate to match. Sadly, it didnt stop there either, I group buy GMK pharaoh, I feel myself slipping, I group buy GMK dmg 3, the slope becomes slippier, I preorder GMK botanical 2, the slope becomes even slippier. I order an alice type keyboard because I convinced myself an Alice layout is more ergonomic but deep down I know that's far from the only reason. It's because Alice is beautiful, and it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that. The slope continues to slip even further. Before I knew it, I had ordered more GMK than I knew what to do with. I still don't know what to do, but Q4 2022 (given no delays) is so far away in time, I'll figure the details out by then, right? Come to think of it, I dont even know if I'll be living in the same apartment in Q4 2022.

The notes in my iPhone is filled with orders because I've lost track long ago, my youtube recommendations may as well not show me anything other than keyboard videos, because I don't watch anything else. My soul is being sold piece by piece to the church of GMK. I stopped keeping track of how much money I’ve spent, not because I don’t care and not because I’m rich, but because I’m scared. It doesnt count if nobody is keeping score right? I no longer know who is in control, my once strong economic sense or my animalistic desire. I never considered myself a materialist but I realize that was only because I never before had a reason to be. It's almost as if this isn't about keyboards anymore, it's about being better than everyone else. There is no catharsis in this story and more importantly there is no end-game. There is only the next thock and the next clack.

Anyways, in all seriousness, I wanna give a shoutout to Mekanisk, Glarses, Hamaji Neo, Squashy Boy, Shoobs, Taeha, and many more, and the rest of the customs community. You guys are all amazing and in all honesty I really am falling in love with this hobby. I am here to stay.

And for anyone new who happens to be reading this, who hasn't yet placed their first order, I'm not telling you to skip the entry level boards like I did. This is just my experience. There is nothing wrong with entry level, I just haven't tried them so I can't speak for or against them. But there is one piece of advice that I want to give, and that is stand by your decisions. If you do decide to spend too much money like myself and probably the majority of the other users in this forum, don't let that fact detract from or lessen your joy. You've already spent the money, the damage is already done, so don't let it bother you too much. I'm not telling you to become mindless consumers, find YOUR balance between money spent and thock/clack wherever that might be and always order with care.

Regards Fredrik
« Last Edit: Mon, 18 October 2021, 03:18:23 by Clarencehehe »