[IC] Gentleman 65 (12/12) Update Limited Edition, Pricing and availability

[JJ48_24]

Gentleman 65
The Gentleman 65 combines the sleek look of natural wood, with the fun of frosted acrylic to produce a truly unique look that differs from existing boards on the market. The board consists of 2 3mm frosted acrylic layers, topped by 2 layers of 6mm of wood, a frosted acrylic wedge, and 2 feet that give the board an angle of 7°. The board is unique in its inclusion of a top mounting system, something rarely seen on the laser cut board.



PCB
The Gentleman 65 PCB has been designed to deliver numerous features while still maintaining ease of use. The PCB includes Kailh Hot-swap sockets, a rotary encoder, 14 WS2812B RGB LEDs to illuminate the acrylic, USB C, and VIA compatibility.


Layout
The Gentleman 65 aims to have an elegant yet functional layout, using no blockers to achieve a clean aesthetic.



Manufacturing
The boards will be produced locally. I and my partner are confident we will be able to maintain the light color of the bamboo with little to no discoloration even through laser cutting. We can have a small run shipping by late January with a larger one to come. Price is estimated at $150-$200


Specs
-Wood and Frosted Acrylic
-65% layout
-Top mount
-7° typing angle
-Rotary encoder
-Hot-swap
-RGB underglow


Survey
https://forms.gle/1LmX9Vw1T4yCsmqX9


Update 1
Many People have been asking for a darker wood so here is some walnut. Given the interest, the run will most likely be split 50/50. Keep in mind different woods may have different prices.





Update 2
Many people have been asking for iso and a soldered PCB. We will defiantly offer a soldered PCB supporting as many layouts as possible however, this PCB will not be available for the run shipping in late January due to time constraints and the limited number of boards being sold in that run. You can expect an r2 with many more units and with a soldered/iso PCB option coming soon after r1 is done shipping!

Also to answer some questions
-Pcb mounted stabs
-Plate material is acrylic and will be only acrylic for R1
-No I won't make it sat 75 layout/add blockers
-Definitely no Bluetooth in the near future

Update 12/12
We have had some hurdles in prototyping which is the reason everything is slightly behind schedule. The prototypes should be completed sometime next week with the R1 raffle opening on the December 21st and ending on the December 28th. The delivery date may be pushed into mid-February due to delays in the prototyping process.

Limited Edition
The Gentleman 65 limited edition combines PVD coated brass with luxurious Gabon Ebony to create a premium aesthetic. 4 of these boards will be auctioned in a blind auction on the 21st. (more info next week) 1/3 of the money collected from the winners will be donated to one tree planted. Comes with options for either soldered or hot-swap PCBs. The plate will be brass.



Solderd PCBs
We are excited to now be offering soldered PCBs for R1. The only caveat being that the boards with soldered PCBs will most likely ship later than the hotswap boards. Expect ~1 month


Pricing and availability
Availablity for R1 will be as follows

48 Walnut
48 Bamboo
4 LE

50 Soldered
50 Hotswap

Pricing

Walnut - $165
Bamboo - $150

Soldered vs hotswap will not affect pricing.

I highly recommend you guys join the discord as that is where I am most active in providing updates. https://discord.gg/KD4qnJ34Hs

[JJ48_24]

Please fill out the survey. It will only take a minute or 2 of your time! I highly recommend you guys join the discord as that is where I am most active in providing updates. https://discord.gg/KD4qnJ34Hs

[Baka Bot]

Im in love

[Kajoler]

oh I like that, interesting choice for case material! interest checked 

[Juicestus]

POG I like the bamboobies

[Dotnick]

How dare you post this during No Knob November. How could you do this to us?

[Kokaloo]

This is super cute, always down for some wood options and you really made something unique with the resources available to you. Hoping to see other options for the wood itself!

[firewrath9]

Will you have other wood options available? I'm a nut for cherry (both the wood and the company) as well as walnut and would absolutely love to have a board made out of one of those.

[Havattack]

Bezels are WAY too small for me, can barely tell it's wood. I think those wood keyboards with the built in wrist  look better.

Godspeed to those digging it anyway!

[ddrfraser1]

Very cool design. Novel and refreshing.

[1am_Icy]

This boards increadibly amazing. I've seen a few wood cases here and there, but nothing that looks similar to this. What material is the plate made out of? And will the stabs be PCB or plate mounted?

[Alga]

Loving the looks. Someone mentined above the built-in wristrest, sounds like a nice idea. But i would say to offer one that matches the hight of the case as an optional addon.

Whats the ISO support expectations (short left shift and tall return)??

Very good pricing.

[Nutty]

I'm really interested in this project. I like the use of bamboo or other woods as this feels very unique.

[mongoose27]

Very nice use of materials, I'm interested.

[Zanhana]

Very interested—love the look. Agree with the comment that a wider bezel would be nice.

Regarding the plate, any chance of releasing the plate file so that people could get a custom 1.5mm plate cut instead of the typical 3mm acrylic? (Similarly, would the mounting system accommodate a thinner plate?)

[JJ48_24]

R2 will most likely include plate options. However, if anyone that buys in R1 wants plate files I would be glad to supply them.

[Allkchi]

The Walnut is absolutely gorgeous and this price is also amazing. Will we be able to press the rotary encoder for a mute function? (Just asking since they're typically volume knobs)

[JJ48_24]

Yes, rotary will have push button!

[MayberryMech]

I'd like to say that I'm here for this! Super clean and simple. Love the mixed acrylic and wood!

[treeleaf64]

Yay tree leaf likes

[Allkchi]

Yes, rotary will have push button!

[Pylon]

How are you avoiding charred edges on laser-cut wood?

[CustomerSupport]

Looks super interesting! Not a fan of rotaries though :/ GLWIC

[bb_lou]

dang, if it wasn't for the lack of a bottom row blocker, it would be perfect imo

[ZakyChan]

Walnut + frosted acrylic case AND ENCODER?? Instabuy

[irene]

Just curious, will there be any prototype photos before the GB?  I'd like to see pictures before I hop on.

[sup3r170va]

I’m hoping this has a weight so that it doesn’t sound too hollow.

[SirKhamenman]

Count me interested!

[JJ48_24]

Just curious, will there be any prototype photos before the GB?  I'd like to see pictures before I hop on.

Yes, prototypes will also be complete very soon!

[Allkchi]

Now comes the worst part of this hobby, or so I've been told, the waiting. I hope I get one of the raffles so I can buy this. It's perfect for what I'm wanting my first board to be.

[mrvco]

What layouts are supported by the solder PCB?

[JJ48_24]

What layouts are supported by the solder PCB?

I added a pic of the layout

[herfalerf]

I didn’t see a mention of if/how you will be stabilizing the wood?  I can’t imagine that a stacked wood build would be able to maintain consistent edges over time with natural wood.


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[zoo]

I didn’t see a mention of if/how you will be stabilizing the wood?  I can’t imagine that a stacked wood build would be able to maintain consistent edges over time with natural wood.


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I second this concern. Wood likes to move over time. It could be made a design feature by overhanging the material seam (like
a lot of tables built with frames), which would make the edge movement less noticeable over time.

[NoteMakoti]

I told a friend I’d get him this for Christmas, so I’m hoping I get through. 😎

[JJ48_24]

I am hoping for you too buddy!

[bluesand]

I'm in!