[Update] Nice lasered Carbon keys (OEM profile), $21.99–25.99 shipped

[ander]

 YMDK Carbon 61 87 104 Top Print Keyset Thick PBT OEM Profile Keycaps

















61 key $21.99

87 key $23.99

104 key $25.99

All with free shipping from China. It's the cheapest I've seen 'em.

Oops, and only a few 87s and 104s available as I post.

[ander]

And I just got one. 

Well, I had to tell somebody... I couldn't very well tell my wife, could I?

[ander]

Following up... My keys arrived today (well, yesterday), a full week before the minimum projected delivery date. I'm quite pleased with them. These quick phone shots are the best I can do right now, but maybe they'll give you an idea.

They came well packed:








You, too, have probably ordered keys and found they'd been thrown into a plastic bag to rattle around in transit. So I appreciated how carefully these were sealed:





As advertised, nice and thick:





And the laser printing's excellent. I especially like the fine-lined, retro text legends (please zoom in fully to see):











These sets are still available. At this price, I consider them a real bargain.   

[SamirD]

Those are nice and thick. You should do a review on them (if you haven't already).

[ander]

Those are nice and thick. You should do a review on them (if you haven't already).

Unfortunately, at the moment, I don't have an MX-compatible keeb with mediocre keys to replace! I just liked these so much I wanted to grab a set while I could.

I don't know what else I'd "review" about 'em, though. They're keys. They look great to me, and I assume they'll feel good as they appear sturdy... What else can one say?

Sorry again that these thumbnails look so crappy. If you zoom in fully (click to enlarge, then click the "X" icon in lower right), you can see a lot more detail.

[SamirD]

So what's I've found useful on different keycaps is the difference it makes in feel and sound on various boards.  It's amazing how much the thickness can affect the sound and the feel.  And since you have some sturdy boards already, it will be especially interesting to know if they are an improvemen or are just on par with what you already have. 

[ander]

So what's I've found useful on different keycaps is the difference it makes in feel and sound on various boards.  It's amazing how much the thickness can affect the sound and the feel.  And since you have some sturdy boards already, it will be especially interesting to know if they are an improvemen or are just on par with what you already have. 

Dude, you must be more sensitive to those sorts of things than I am. I'm a musician, so you'd think my ear was pretty discerning. But I gotta say, I don't have a MK whose sound I don't like. They're all different—it's one of the things that makes it so fun to swap them around.

And while I can certainly notice differences in feeling between keys, too (consider, for example, the difference between your typical stock MX keys and Topre's), again, it's just variety to me... There aren't any whose feel I actually dislike.

That said, I realize at least a small percentage of the peeps here (not you, Samir, necessarily) are of the type who won't let foods touch on their plates, must have everything neatly arranged into tidy little rows, and so on. I can understand how important things like key feel and sound might be to them.  :?)

[SamirD]

So what's I've found useful on different keycaps is the difference it makes in feel and sound on various boards.  It's amazing how much the thickness can affect the sound and the feel.  And since you have some sturdy boards already, it will be especially interesting to know if they are an improvemen or are just on par with what you already have. 

Dude, you must be more sensitive to those sorts of things than I am. I'm a musician, so you'd think my ear was pretty discerning. But I gotta say, I don't have a MK whose sound I don't like. They're all different—it's one of the things that makes it so fun to swap them around.

And while I can certainly notice differences in feeling between keys, too (consider, for example, the difference between your typical stock MX keys and Topre's), again, it's just variety to me... There aren't any whose feel I actually dislike.

That said, I realize at least a small percentage of the peeps here (not you, Samir, necessarily) are of the type who won't let foods touch on their plates, must have everything neatly arranged into tidy little rows, and so on. I can understand how important things like key feel and sound might be to them.  :?)

I think the sounds for me is definitely second to the feel, but over time I can definitely sense different sounds--like how all my individual Ms have their own 'sound' which I only figure out after I've been typing on one for 6 months or so and change to another one.

Haha!  Definitely not me!  I have food in my hand and am typing at the keyboard--blasphemy!  Although in an ideal world, I do like neatness and order.  A friend once noticed many decades back that I fold my paper napkin neatly as I use it.  My 'used' napkin is always this little folded mini-napkin. 

[ander]

Now you really have me wondering how these dang things sound and feel. I must have another MX-compatible keeb here... I'll dig around as soon as there's time.