Accidental Addiction

[TheFresko]

I'm another of many who found the hobby on accident. I've had a Logitech G710+ for a few years now. It's been a pretty keyboard, for the most part. The only cons being the incredibly low quality keycaps (Multiple broken posts), and cracks between plastics that are impossible to clean. The tabs on the wrist wrest also broke recently, but I dont see that as TOO unexpected after 3 years.

My fiancee noticed how Ive replaced broken keys with the G-macro keycaps, and the duck tape keeping my wrist wrest on, and asked what keyboard Id want for my birthday (I have a while to research, birthday in June). I started my research by googling keyboards with durable keys. From there I found the MechanicalKeyboard subreddit, and where I lose hours of my day. The subreddit lead me to many places, this being one of them.

I've learned what ABS and PBT keycaps are. I've way more than I thought I ever would about switches. Saw keyboard setups I never knew existed (40%, plank, ergodox). It's almost an overload of information. I'll be doing research for a while on the keyboard I want.

I also want to build a keyboard now. It seems like it's almost a requirement if you want less standard switches, or multiple types on one board. I know it's more expensive than buying one prebuilt, but it seems like a really fun part of the hobby to have a keyboard 100% customized for your use, built with your own hands.

I still have a lot to learn, I know I've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

[SinceSynthesis]

You and I are going through the exact same things, pretty much!
I had a Corsair Strafe, MXbrowns, for about 2 years, which recently stopped working properly. Some keys get stuck, as in if I  hit "I",  "I" will enter repeatedly until I strike it again. Definitely a weird issue.
But I got to looking around the internet and came across /r/MK, too. Spent way too  many  hours in the past few weeks just looking at things to admire.
I  have even bought myself a few new keyboards, keycaps, springs, switches, switch testers, orings, leds, and hot swap sockets for PCBs (to avoid having to solder every time I want to swap switches) over the past month. I can definitely see this as a dangerous, additive, hobby that I have just started...  )
Now I am just waiting on parts to come in to get started modding.
My recommendation to you would be to get a switch tester to see exactly which types of switches you prefer.

[TheFresko]

I did get a switch tester. A guy on /r/mechmarket 3d prints them and puts whatever switches you want in it. Not as nice looking as any you can buy stock, but those dont let you choose your switches. I was really interested in Gaterons with how people talk about them (Cheaper and smoother). So I got both Cherry and Gateron Green, Blue, Brown, and red so I can compare to each other, and see a wide range of actual switch types. Then I also added Gateron Clear and Yellow, and Zeal 62g and 67g (I really like the Zeals).

Ill have a new keyboard for my birthday, but I wont be able to actually build my own until next year. Engaged to a Canadian, and the paperwork, lawyer fees, and them moving costs means no spending until we finish everything. Hurts to just look at everything and not be able to grab any of it. Though I will probably grab anything I deem necessary that hits Massdrop due to the potential savings. So for now Ill have to accept something someone else made. Though it will still be a treat to actually get something from a top of the line brand when I was clueless before.

[jal]

You know what they say. Stay away from the injectables, and never get your fix before 5PM.

Wait, that was something else.

It is a story told many times. I strongly advise setting budgetary limits in whatever way you do that. Especially in the beginning, it is very easy to spend an obscene about of money. And then later on, after you have a better handle on what you like, just give the keys to your Paypal account to your SO, so you have to convince them why you need that third variant of the same $600 board.