Your first keyboard! A thread for sharing your humble beginnings

[dgneo]

My first two boards, CM QFR w/ MX Blues and a SteelSeries 7G. Replaced the keycaps on both with some eBay ones, but that was about it. That was about 5 years ago.

Currently:

Have a couple more boards on the way as well.

[vijucat]

What are those mousepad-like thingies you use for tenting the Diverge 3? I'm doing a trial of a Diverge 3 and I'm really liking it, but I need something more sophisticated than my kid's pillow to achieving the tenting 

[davkol]

Those are cut tennis balls just from looking at the photo.

[_rubik]

I really had to go digging for an old photo. I rocked the k70 with cherry browns for quite a while. I had JUST gotten my pok3r in this photo.



Now? I don't have any decent photos. But you can always check my sig 

[f32h80fsd08h34r5]

I really had to go digging for an old photo. I rocked the k70 with cherry browns for quite a while. I had JUST gotten my pok3r in this photo.

(Attachment Link)

Now? I don't have any decent photos. But you can always check my sig 

That is a cozy little space you have there! 

I had actually forgotten about this thread, but, I just updated the look of my current-end-game recently so might as well show it off. Still an Ori60 with Box White switches.

[_rubik]

I really had to go digging for an old photo. I rocked the k70 with cherry browns for quite a while. I had JUST gotten my pok3r in this photo.

(Attachment Link)

Now? I don't have any decent photos. But you can always check my sig 

That is a cozy little space you have there! 

I had actually forgotten about this thread, but, I just updated the look of my current-end-game recently so might as well show it off. Still an Ori60 with Box White switches.

Show Image

That's actually my home desk from a few years ago. I've updated quite a bit since.... and moved to linux full time ;)

And I see we're actually building the exact same 60% SA Dasher board. Mine is going in a low profile royal glam black walnut case. Should be a really interesting combo.

[f32h80fsd08h34r5]

I really had to go digging for an old photo. I rocked the k70 with cherry browns for quite a while. I had JUST gotten my pok3r in this photo.

(Attachment Link)

Now? I don't have any decent photos. But you can always check my sig 

That is a cozy little space you have there! 

I had actually forgotten about this thread, but, I just updated the look of my current-end-game recently so might as well show it off. Still an Ori60 with Box White switches.

Show Image

That's actually my home desk from a few years ago. I've updated quite a bit since.... and moved to linux full time ;)

And I see we're actually building the exact same 60% SA Dasher board. Mine is going in a low profile royal glam black walnut case. Should be a really interesting combo.

Box Whites are divine, you will love it!

[Visionaire]

First is a Razer Black Widow Stealth...

Quickly going down the rabbit hole towards building my own custom board. Haven't decided where I'm headed yet, but I gravitate towards the 68 key option.

[metalliqaz]

First childhood computer: FK2001 with that built-in cover


First mech as an adult: Leopold FC200R with MX browns


Now: Custom made boards of my own design

[Rinsaku]

I got into Mechanical keyboards around late 2011 and around then found out about geekhack. My first Keyboard was obtained from craigslist, a beige TKL Filco with Mx Browns.
Don't have a picture of it, and not sure what it is about Filco, but their browns feel better than other brands... or is it just me?

[Moufinure]

Oh boy...
I've always been on a quest to find a good keyboard to type on. I went through a awful lot of different domes keyboards but I never was satisfied with what I've got.

Once, I was reading about a dude who had a IBM Model M, and bragged about being able to gorilla fist his keyboard and still having it survive!
I then heard about mech keyboards, I went on Amazon and bought actually two Steelseries 6GV2 (just wanted one, but I made an order mistake and got 2), that was my first mech experience, and I never looked back again!

Since, I've got Topre RF, most of the main Cherry MX types, ALPS... and I recently got myself an HHKB. Yeah!
Notice that I still own all the mechs that I've got so far...

[Signature]

First: Ducky Shine 2 MX-Brown

Now: Some metal scrap from korea and a rubberdome from Japan

[anode]

My first mechanical was a 1987 Model M my friend rescued from an abandoned school in North Carolina back around 2010 or so. The school had left all of its IT and computer lab stuff in a locked barn out back, but you could sneak in a window that someone had broken. Piles of old servers and various Mac workstations were sitting there untouched, and all were sadly scrapped a few years later when the school was demolished. He mailed the keyboard up to me and I used it exclusively until some time last year.

His friend also stole an Apple IIGS from there at the same time, which his mom threw out for no reason a week later.

[OfTheWild]

My first mechanical keyboard was a Corsair K95 with MX Red... but my first real mechanical keyboard is my Sentraq 60X:

[microsoft windows]

ARE THERE ANY TYPEWRITERS HERE?

[f32h80fsd08h34r5]

ARE THERE ANY TYPEWRITERS HERE?

I got a typewriter from goodwill! Do you have one you could post?

[_rubik]

My first mechanical keyboard was a Corsair K95 with MX Red... but my first real mechanical keyboard is my Sentraq 60X:

Show Image

I too have a purple 60% sentraq plate on my charcoal keys. I love the color pop. Using plates for accent colors is underrated imo.

[Rubbermilitia]

Ducky shine 4 silver w/ cherry MX red - still using it now. Going to be selling it soon since I have a GMMK 104 coming and I can't stand the mx red for anything but gaming

https://imgur.com/a/icnZK

[Rubbermilitia]

I really had to go digging for an old photo. I rocked the k70 with cherry browns for quite a while. I had JUST gotten my pok3r in this photo.

(Attachment Link)

Now? I don't have any decent photos. But you can always check my sig 

That is a cozy little space you have there! 

I had actually forgotten about this thread, but, I just updated the look of my current-end-game recently so might as well show it off. Still an Ori60 with Box White switches.

Show Image

Love the dasher/dancer sets wish I was around when they dropped :)
Do the box switches make the keycaps feel more stable/less wiggle? or is it purely to keep dirt out

[4pcx]

First Keyboard, came with the family's Adam Computer.  http://oldcomputers.net/adam.html

http://www.nightfallcrew.com/wp-content/gallery/adam-coleco-vision-family-computer-system-boxed/IMG_1710.jpg

nice and clackey as i recall...  so was the printer! I learned how loud the printer really was when I printed something at 2am waking my father! OOPS!!

[OfTheWild]

ARE THERE ANY TYPEWRITERS HERE?

Negative. That thread is here:

[funderburker]

This was my first mechanical keyboard. A great little and fully custom MA42 keyboard (thanks Joey Quinn for the inspiration!). Maybe some day I'll get to making another.

[invariance]

My first keyboard was part of the pc: a CoCo2.  For those not old enough, it is a Tandy/Radio Shack Colour Computer 2.
It is still in the original box with the cassette tape 'drive', dot matrix printer, joystick, some cartridge games and books at my father's place so I don't have a pick of it, but here is an equivalent from http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/.

[DALExSNAIL]

First KB was a qfr with browns, kinda miss it.

Currently Using SGI Bigfoot at work, with dampened creams:
No pic avail, :travolta:

And at home Im using my 910:

[f32h80fsd08h34r5]

I really had to go digging for an old photo. I rocked the k70 with cherry browns for quite a while. I had JUST gotten my pok3r in this photo.

(Attachment Link)

Now? I don't have any decent photos. But you can always check my sig 

That is a cozy little space you have there! 

I had actually forgotten about this thread, but, I just updated the look of my current-end-game recently so might as well show it off. Still an Ori60 with Box White switches.

Show Image

Love the dasher/dancer sets wish I was around when they dropped :)
Do the box switches make the keycaps feel more stable/less wiggle? or is it purely to keep dirt out

The box switch eliminates almost all wobble! I've said it once and I'll say it again, these switches are hard-endgame material.
I haven't wanted to type on another board after I built this one.

[daskeybo]

A Das!

Long gone.

[davkol]

It wasn't my first keyboard, but it was only the second non-basic keyboard I ever bought brand new (after Logitech UltraX). Noppoo Choc Mini in summer 2012.



I actually haven't bought another keyboard from a store ever since.

[whiskerBox]

First board was a filco tkl w/browns. I found geek hack when I saw a red esc key and it's been down hill ever since.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Riverman]

First keyboard was the Apple Extended II, and it's still one of my favorites to this day.
(Attachment Link)

Current keyboard(s)... All? The one I'm currently typing on is a Clueboard 66% with SA Penumbra + Zealios.

An Apple Extended Keyboard II was my first keyboard, too!  I had one that was bought new with a Macintosh SE/30.  The keyboard dwarfed that little computer.  The keyboard cost about $150 new back in 1990 or so.  I still have two of those keyboards, but not the original one I had.

My current keyboards are a Cherry G80-3000 with brown switches and Matt3o's Dev/TTY keycaps for work, and a Mistel Sleeker with brown switches on my iMac at home.

[MGMorden]

My first mechanical keyboard:

A Smith Corona with Acer switches.   



Current:

Depends on the location. 

Home office: Unicomp Classic



Home bedroom: IBM Model M circa 1994


Work office:
At the moment I'm temporarily using a Logitech K840 as I took my previous board home to desolder the switches to replace them.

[Altis]

First one I remember that we had for the family computer around '92 was a rubber-dome Model M clone, probably Keytronic E03601QL. I seem to recall it being quite nice as I was disappointed when it was replaced with the next computer (and no idea why it was).

First I ever got for myself was a Logitech wireless that came in a combo with the MX700 mouse. It wasn't as bad as rubber domes get, but it was still bad enough.



My first mech boards were the BlackWidow Ultimate (MX Blue, 2012) and Das Keyboard S Ultimate (MX Brown)... almost the same time, so I'm not sure which was first.

Now I rotate a lot but I gravitate towards my QFR with MX Reds since it works well for gaming and look great. For typing I usually bust out a 45g Topre board (87U, HHKB).

QFR is the black one (Old pics, top is how the keyboards are currently though... Looks better in person as you can see the bright red backplate between the keycaps of the QFR):

[seville57]

My first mech k - board was a pink Zowie Celeritas Pro Cherry MX Brown with ISO/Nordic layout, bought for some years ago. Still have it.




Now: Some Ducky Shine 3, 4 and a pink Ducky One + Ducky One RGB YOTG Cherry MX Black.




Ducky Shine 3 with Royal Navy keycaps set.

[bitzie]

First "mechanical" was a Logitech G413. (Not my pic; I can't be bothered to dig out my G413 just for one pic.)



Very quickly got my first actual mechanical: the Vortex Core with MX Browns that I pretty much immediately put DSA Honeywell on.



Right now, after a couple grab bags from PMK, here's my Core.



Currently waiting for a BananaSplit V2 pcb to get here so I can actually do my first build.

[Chevy_Monsenhor]

New to the forums, so hello everyone!

First mech: Nixeus Moda V2 with Kailh Blues, replaced my long esteemed Dell L100 (which i still have as a spare).


Current mechs: ABNT Model M (in desperate need of a new cable), terminal RJ45 ANSI Model M (which i exchanged in a local forum for the Mantis GK2 in the picture, hasn't arrived yet) and a Obins Anne Pro with Gateron Browns (currently being held at the customs for tax deduction).

[letsfixitinpost]

My first board was a KBD V60+, which I outfitted with some blank Galax-C caps (I still use this board with my gaming laptop):

Show Image

My second and current board is a WASD V2 with a custom Avid editing layout, heavily inspired by Hyperfuse SA:

Show Image

Im typing on the more colorful OG v2 avid editing layout right now.  I love the color theme for yours.  The purple is perfect. 

[Khers]

.

[Kavik]

If I go way back, I suppose the very first mechanical keyboard I used was the Amiga 1000 keyboard. I gave it a go about a year ago, and the switches feel like crap: extremely mushy, not that I noticed back then.




My family also had various PCs, so whatever came with those. I have a still from a home video here, but I'm not sure what computer that is; it's not the Packard Bell I remember. Absolutely clueless on the keyboard.




As far as current mechs go, I ordered both a Rosewill RK-9000I (MX Blues) and CM QuickFire TK (MX Reds) at the same time. Those lasted me about three years until I got really tired of MX Blues and ordered a couple Model Ms. They're just stock, so I won't bother posting pictures.

Currently, at home, I've been switching between a V80 with TEX case and Matias switches and an M65-A with Zealios.





I'm not sure if a keyboard cake counts. My mom made this for my brother's 13th birthday.

[jdcarpe]

My very first keyboard came integrated into my very first home computer, the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A. Crap Stackpole switches, but nice, thick double shot ABS keycaps.




My first conscious purchase of a separate mechanical keyboard would have been around 2002 or so, when I ordered a NOS IBM Model M Keyboard (42H1292) from a seller on eBay. I still have that keyboard to this day.




Currently, I am using a WASD CODE TKL with MX Clears at home, and a Filco Majestouch-2 TKL with MX Blacks and Filco spherical (white on dark brown SA) keycaps at work.


Some of my current favorites are my KMAC, my LZ-GH, my GH60, and of course, my JD45.


KMAC


LZ-GH


KMAC
GH60 (Rev.B Prototype)
JD40


JD45

[Hyde]

I got into Mechanical keyboards around late 2011 and around then found out about geekhack. My first Keyboard was obtained from craigslist, a beige TKL Filco with Mx Browns.
Don't have a picture of it, and not sure what it is about Filco, but their browns feel better than other brands... or is it just me?

It's not just you, I kind of feel the same.

But I'm not sure if it's a brand thing or more like different batches of Cherry switches.  I own a Filco MX Red and Das MX Brown from 5 years ago and I haven't come across any new boards with MX Red or MX Brown that's as smooth as my old ones.  Maybe the QC was better back then when mechanical switches weren't as popular, these days they probably just pump out quantity over quality.

Hopefully after the new tooling it was be as smooth as it was back in the days.

Show Image

This was my first mechanical keyboard. A great little and fully custom MA42 keyboard (thanks Joey Quinn for the inspiration!). Maybe some day I'll get to making another.

Which mouse is this?  I miss the time when it was easier to find quality egg shaped mouse.

[KPrepublic]

my beginning is this. Durgod Cherry red switch.

[nogoodnames444]

Razer blackwidow chroma with these keycaps but i have moved long and far in only a year my current boards are a mk fission with mx clears with thick pbt sideprint keycaps a pok3r le with nature whites and thick light grey pbt caps side print a 1999 model m a kb v80 with matias clicks and a AEK 2 with salmon or orange alps idk
I am using my pok3r le right now 

[mogo]

The thread title doesn't say your first mechanical keyboard... 

[nogoodnames444]

The thread title doesn't say your first mechanical keyboard... 

Oh yee

[funderburker]

Show Image

This was my first mechanical keyboard. A great little and fully custom MA42 keyboard (thanks Joey Quinn for the inspiration!). Maybe some day I'll get to making another.

Which mouse is this?  I miss the time when it was easier to find quality egg shaped mouse.

Hmm, it's a Logitech V470 Bluetooth mouse. It was good but broke about a year ago. Was a good on-the-go one and the shape was nice.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[UnFocused]

My very first keyboard came integrated into my very first home computer, the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A. Crap Stackpole switches, but nice, thick double shot ABS keycaps.

The TI was also my first computer!

[ch_123]

Almost 10 years ago, I decided to splash out on a high quality keyboard, and narrowed down my choices to a Das Keyboard III, and a Unicomp Endurapro. The trackpoint nudged me towards the Unicomp, and I even joined an small forum of keyboard fans to ask a question about the layout options.

I guess it's fitting that my first acquisition of 2018 was a TEX Yoda II, which I've modded up with Pale Navy BOX switches + GMK caps

[phlm]

I've been lurking around here, now that my first real keyboard is in the mail I created account. Skipped all the MX variations and went straight to the Topre.

[mogo]

I've been lurking around here, now that my first real keyboard is in the mail I created account. Skipped all the MX variations and went straight to the Topre.
(Attachment Link)

What a wonderful start to mechanical boards (way to start with your dessert lol)

[phlm]

I've been lurking around here, now that my first real keyboard is in the mail I created account. Skipped all the MX variations and went straight to the Topre.

What a wonderful start to mechanical boards (way to start with your dessert lol)

Haha, yes. I am waiting for Tokyo60 to see what comes out of it. I will have just enough time to enjoy in my HHKB and then I will look for some Kailh Box clicky action. But Topre switches are really what I was after. (tried Type-S and compared it to keyboard with MX Blacks I had borrowed from a friend)

[Altis]

Keytronic Q03601QLPS2 in beige.

This is what I believe to be the same as keyboard that we got with our first family computer in 1992.

It is a rubber dome keyboard, but it's actually quite a good one. I'm a big fan of Topre and this doesn't give the same sensation or sound as that, but as far as membrane keyboards go, it's pretty good. Sounds alright, feels decent, and actually has a pretty nice overall build. The keycaps in particular seem solid with crisp legends. The keystrokes actually feel rather heavy, probably around 50g or a bit more. Certainly heavier than HHKB or 87U 45g Topres or 45g Cherry MX. The weighting is surprisingly close to the Model M with buckling springs. I'll see how this changes as the keyboard breaks in.