This is a preliminary review of Massdrop's
Doubleshot ABS Alps Keycaps. I bought these caps the first time around, when the MOQ was 500 orders. That didn't tip on its own, but KBP bought up about 200 sets just to help meet MOQ. Massdrop is currently running the same buy again, this time with a 100 MOQ. I decided it might be helpful to potential buyers to hear opinions from a fellow community member.
DISCLAIMER: I am currently running my own Alps keycap group buy (
shameless self-promoting link here), so I'm not totally unbiased here. I'm also not the biggest fan of Massdrop, so keep all that in mind while reading my review, although I think you'll agree that my findings aren't at all self-serving.
If there is interest, I can write a full review later when I have more time. But so that I can get this out there in time for others to jump on the buy, I'll keep it short and sweet. For now, I'll just say that overall, I'm pretty impressed.
First and foremost, they arrived safely in one piece from Massdrop's now-infamous fulfillment center. In terms of feel, these caps are on par with or better than any Alps keycaps I've tried. They have a nice, well-pronounced texture and they're not particularly thin. The legends look nice and are relatively consistent. They are a little bit tight going on and coming off, but not as bad as PBT DSA. There were a few very minor quality issues, but overall they are much better than I expected for the price. The colors are not bad, but only loosely similar to their Dolch & Olivetti namesakes. All in all, not the worst way to spend $27.
Photos Can't complain about how they were packed. When I opened the box it was packed just like so with some air packs on top.
Guys! I've done it! I've found the
best gaming keycaps for your mechanical keyboard! Glamour Shots. Note the cruciform stabilizer mounts on the spacebar. All the other caps had Alps-style stab mounts. Fortunately, my stock Filco Zero caps had the exact same setup.
Some minor quality issues, but nothing a razor blade can't fix.
Tai Hao Dolch on my Filco Zero.
Side-by-side thickness comparison. Stock Filco Zero keycap, left, next to a Tai Hao doubleshot, right.
As you can see, the colors are much different from the geniune article, but they look good in their own right.