KAT NapoleonicInspired by early 19th century history.
Optimized for affordable language compatibility.Home Page: https://katnapoleonic.com/kat-napoleonic/Group Buy Preorders Open Until December 9thThe Group Buy is now closed.
PricesCheck out the prices on
Wordpress or in the tables below.
Quick Summary
Full Table of All Prices | zFrontier | MKUltra | myKeyboard | Ashkeebs |HEX Keyboards|Fancy Customs|
---------------------------------------| (China) | (USA) | (Europe) | (Canada) | (SE Asia) | (S. America)|
ALPHAS | USD | USD | EUR | CAD | SGD | CLP |
---------------------------------------|-----------|----------|------------|----------|-------------|-------------|
Default US English - Jefferson | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | $ 44.00 | $ 27.290 |
Belgian & Apple French - Marie Louise | $ 38.00 | $ 36.00 | € 40,00 | $ 48.00 | | |
BÉPO - Bépoleon Nonaparte | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | |
Canadian French - Chateauguay | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | |
Cherokee - Sequoyah | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | $ 44.00 | |
Colemak - Jonathan Strange | $ 42.00 | $ 40.00 | € 44,00 | $ 54.00 | $ 58.00 | |
Dvorak - Mr Norrell | $ 38.00 | $ 36.00 | € 40,00 | $ 48.00 | $ 51.00 | |
EurKEY - Blücher | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | |
French for Windows - Joséphine | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | |
German - Metternich | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | $ 27.290 |
Hungarian & South Slavic - Doppelkaiser| $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | |
Japanese - Nagasaki | $ 42.00 | $ 40.00 | € 44,00 | $ 54.00 | $ 58.00 | $ 33.690 |
Nordic - Bernadotte | $ 38.00 | $ 36.00 | € 40,00 | $ 48.00 | | |
Polish & Lithuanian - Uhlan | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | $ 27.290 |
Russian - Alexander | $ 38.00 | $ 36.00 | € 40,00 | $ 48.00 | $ 51.00 | $ 30.490 |
South Slavic Cyrillic - Karađorđe | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | |
Spanish - Agustina | $ 38.00 | $ 36.00 | € 40,00 | $ 48.00 | | $ 30.490 |
Swiss - Act of Mediation | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | |
Tamil - Pondicherry | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | $ 44.00 | $ 27.290 |
UK English & Irish - Wellington | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | $ 44.00 | |
US Int'l & Netherlands - Waterloo | $ 34.00 | $ 32.00 | € 36,00 | $ 42.00 | | $ 27.290 |
---------------------------------------|-----------|----------|------------|----------|-------------|-------------|
CORE MODS
---------------------------------------|-----------|----------|------------|----------|-------------|-------------|
TKL Mods - French Indigo | $ 72.00 | $ 67.00 | € 73,00 | $ 90.00 | $ 98.00 | $ 57.690 |
TKL Mods - Russian Green | $ 72.00 | $ 67.00 | € 73,00 | $ 90.00 | $ 98.00 | $ 57.690 |
TKL Mods - Austrian White | $ 72.00 | $ 67.00 | € 73,00 | $ 90.00 | $ 98.00 | $ 57.690 |
TKL Alt Mods - British Navy | $ 52.00 | $ 48.00 | € 54,00 | $ 65.00 | $ 70.00 | $ 41.690 |
Numpad - French Indigo | $ 23.00 | $ 22.00 | € 25,00 | $ 28.00 | $ 30.00 | $ 18.490 |
Numpad - Russian Green | $ 23.00 | $ 22.00 | € 25,00 | $ 28.00 | $ 30.00 | $ 18.490 |
Numpad - Austrian White | $ 23.00 | $ 22.00 | € 25,00 | $ 28.00 | $ 30.00 | $ 18.490 |
Ortho Mods - French Indigo | $ 42.00 | $ 39.00 | € 44,00 | $ 52.00 | $ 58.00 | $ 33.690 |
Ortho Mods - Russian Green | $ 42.00 | $ 39.00 | € 44,00 | $ 52.00 | $ 58.00 | $ 33.690 |
Ortho Mods - Austrian White | $ 42.00 | $ 39.00 | € 44,00 | $ 52.00 | $ 58.00 | $ 33.690 |
Forties Mods - French Indigo | $ 51.00 | $ 47.00 | € 52,00 | $ 64.00 | $ 70.00 | $ 40.790 |
Forties Mods - Russian Green | $ 51.00 | $ 47.00 | € 52,00 | $ 64.00 | $ 70.00 | $ 40.790 |
Ergo Mods - French Indigo | $ 58.00 | $ 55.00 | € 59,00 | $ 74.00 | $ 80.00 | $ 46.390 |
Ergo Mods - Russian Green | $ 58.00 | $ 55.00 | € 59,00 | $ 74.00 | $ 80.00 | $ 46.390 |
---------------------------------------|-----------|----------|------------|----------|-------------|-------------|
MISC
---------------------------------------|-----------|----------|------------|----------|-------------|-------------|
Spacebars | $ 30.00 | $ 28.00 | € 32,00 | $ 37.00 | $ 40.00 | $ 24.090 |
Novelties | $ 38.00 | $ 35.00 | € 39,00 | $ 47.00 | $ 51.00 | $ 30.490 |
Mac Kit | $ 21.00 | $ 20.00 | € 23,00 | $ 26.00 | $ 28.00 | $ 16.890 |
Blank Ergo Ortho Kit | $ 56.00 | $ 52.00 | € 57,00 | $ 70.00 | | |
Madness Kit | $ 47.00 | $ 44.00 | € 49,00 | $ 60.00 | | |
---------------------------------------|-----------|----------|------------|----------|-------------|-------------|
PERIPHERALS
---------------------------------------|-----------|----------|------------|----------|-------------|-------------|
Minard Deskmat (900x400x4m) | $ 20.00 | $ 19.00 | € 19,00 | $ 27.00 | $ 28.00 | $ 15.990 |
Tolstoy Deskmat (700x300x4m) | $ 18.00 | $ 17.50 | € 17,00 | $ 24.50 | $ 25.50 | $ 14.390 |
Tolstoy Deskmat (900x400x4m) | $ 20.00 | $ 19.00 | € 19,00 | $ 27.00 | $ 28.00 | $ 15.990 |
Tolstoy Deskmat (700x300x4m) | $ 18.00 | $ 17.50 | € 17,00 | $ 24.50 | $ 25.50 | $ 14.390 |
USB-Micro Keyboard Cable (Navy) | | $ 59.00 | € 60,00 | $ 84.00 | | $ 56.090 |
USB-Micro Keyboard Cable (Green) | | $ 59.00 | € 60,00 | $ 84.00 | | $ 56.090 |
USB-C Keyboard Cable (Navy) | | $ 59.00 | € 60,00 | $ 84.00 | | $ 56.090 |
USB-C Keyboard Cable (Green) | | $ 59.00 | € 60,00 | $ 84.00 | | $ 56.090 |
---------------------------------------|-----------|----------|------------|----------|-------------|-------------|
NOTES
- Shipping & Handling charged separately for all vendors, except for zFrontier (orders over 100 USD).
- Prices for myKeyboard & Fancy Customs include VAT. Prices for HEX Keyboards include GST.
- Prices for MKUltra, zFrontier, and Ashkeebs exclude sales tax (where applicable).
- Ashkeebs allows customers to pay in USD or CAD. USD prices for Ashkeebs match those from MKUltra.
- Fancy Customs allows customers to pay in USD or CLP. USD prices for Fancy Customs match those from zFrontier.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Other LinksUpdates2020 Nov 30 - MOQ reached! All keycap kits will be made.
More
2020 Nov 10 - Transitioned to Group Buy thread. Multiple updates throughout post.
2020 Oct 28 - Added Pricing Table
2020 Oct 08 - Updated vendor list.
2020 Sep 30 - Added the British Navy alternative TKL Mods kit along with renders. Updated the French Indigo Ortho mods to use icons only. Updated vendor list.
2020 Sep 24 - Posted news regarding collabs: artisans, deskmats, mousepads, clothing, et cetera. Announced partnerships with Keeb Nerb and Divine Studios.
2020 Sep 15 - Added new and updated renders. Added three new alpha kits. Details available on
Wordpress.
2020 Sep 08 - Added HEX Keyboards as new Southeast Asia vendor. Multiple kit updates. Details available on
Wordpress.
2020 Aug 24 - Official Launch of Geekhack IC
US English on KBD19X by KBDfans. Renders by Manzel.
BackgroundTactician.
Tyrant.
Modernizer.
Murderer.On the Ninth of November, 1799 (18 Brumaire in the Revolutionary calendar), a coup d’etat overthrew the French Directorate and replaced it with a new government: a Consulate to be led by General Napoleon Bonaparte. Just a few short years later, he would be crowned Emperor.
To say his rise to power ruffled a few feathers across Europe would be a gross understatement. While he is credited with bringing about positive reforms to the legal and governmental systems of France, his legacy is one tainted by costly, bloody wars across the continent.
Those early decades of the nineteenth century, from Napoleon’s rise to his death, roughly mark the Napoleonic Period, an era that left indelible marks upon the face of Europe and the world.
KAT Napoleonic is a keycap set in the KAT profile that explores the history and artistic depictions of the Napoleonic Period.
US International on Mech27-TKL by Mech27. Render by Manzel.Neoclassical TypefaceKAT Napoleonic utilizes a modified form of Playfair Display for most of its alpha keys and legend text. It is a serif-based typeface (uncommon in keycaps), and it is inspired by the Transitional and Neoclassical typefaces of the nineteenth century: Baskerville, Bodoni, and Didot.
Wide Affordable LocalizationBecause of the global nature of Napoleon’s impact on history, a primary goal for KAT Napoleonic has always been wide localization support. While it may not always be practical for manufacturers to support a wider array of languages and layouts in a cost-effective manner, the KAT profile does provide that flexibility.
While this keyset cannot feasibly provide support for every language worldwide, KAT Napoleonic supports more than twenty-one locales in base alpha kits. Kits available include many that are rarely (if ever) seen in the Mechanical Keyboard hobby: Swiss, BÉPO, South Slavic, Tamil, Cherokee, and Canadian French.
Colors & UniformsKAT Napoleonic’s primary alpha legends present dark indigo text upon a warm, ivory-like white background. A lower-contrast yellow-gold color is used for alpha key sublegends.
KAT Napoleonic’s modifier keys come in three “uniforms” of color, each inspired by the military uniforms of the era, with particular attention to the Battle of Austerlitz (1805). Austerlitz was a clash of three empires: France, Russia, and Austria. For KAT Napoleonic, you are likewise given a choice of three uniforms: French Indigo, Russian Green, and Austrian White.
Read more about the Colors & Uniforms on Wordpress.
RendersOnly a subset of renders are shown here (to keep the page from taking forever to load).
Please visit the Wordpress site to view all renders in full resolution. Alternatively, check out the
Renders album on imgur.
Conone by kindakeyboards. Wellington alphas with British Navy Alt TKL Mods. Render by manzel.
S7-Elephant by jacky. Metternich alphas with TKL mods in Austrian White & Novelties. Render by manzel.
Mech27-TKL by Mech27. Waterloo alphas with TKL mods in French Indigo. Render by manzel.
Boardrun CNC by Shensmobile. Uhlan alphas with Ergo mods in Russian Green & Novelties. Render by manzel.
Neuron by walletburner. Pondicherry alphas with Forties mods in French Indigo. Render by manzel.
Abacus by SomeGreekGuy (unreleased). Austrian White numpad kit. Render by manzel.KitsAs is typical for KAT, customers will need to choose a selection of "kits" that together will cover their chosen keyboard(s). For KAT Napoleonic, kits are broken into three major categories:
- Alpha Kits
- Core Mod Kits
- Miscellaneous Kits
Kit DetailsImgur AlbumsAlpha KitsThere are 21 different base Alpha kits.
Alpha Kits TableMore
Alpha kits that provide standard US QWERTY characters either in legends or sublegends are noted in bold in the rightmost column.
Except where noted, all Alpha kits use Windows 10 as the basis for all legends. Not all characters produced by AltGr or Shift+AltGr are provided in sublegends, with some omitted to keep kit sizes and prices from ballooning while maintaining compatibility.
The latest images are currently provided in this album:
KAT Napoleonic Alpha Kits| Alpha Kit | Languages / Locales |
| Default US English – Jefferson | US English |
| Belgian & Apple French – Marie Louise | Belgian French & French for MacOS / iOS |
| BÉPO – Bépoleon Nonaparte | French BÉPO |
| Canadian French – Chateauguay | Combined Canadian Multilingual & Canadian French |
| Cherokee – Sequoyah | Cherokee Nation layout with US sublegends |
| Colemak – Jonathan Strange | Colemak, Mod-DH, Mod-DHm, Asset, Norman, Qwpr, & Workman |
| Dvorak – Mr Norrell | US & UK Dvorak |
| EurKEY – Blücher | EurKEY versions 1.2 & 1.3 (US primary legends) |
| French for Windows – Joséphine | French for Windows (Legacy standard AZERTY) |
| German – Metternich | German / Austrian QWERTZ |
| Hungarian & South Slavic – Doppelkaiser | Combined South Slavic Latin & Hungarian QWERTZ |
| Japanese – Nagasaki | Japanese (JIS & ANSI-JP) with Katakana (US primary legends for ANSI-JP layout) |
| Nordic – Bernadotte | Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Faroese, & Estonian |
| Polish & Lithuanian – Uhlan | Combined US English, Polish Programmers’ layout, & Lithuanian QWERTY |
| Russian – Alexander | Russian, Ukrainian, & Belarusian with US sublegends |
| South Slavic Cyrillic – Karađorđe | South Slavic Cyrillic with South Slavic Latin QWERTZ sublegends |
| Spanish – Agustina | Spanish (European & Latin American) |
| Swiss – Act of Mediation | Swiss French & Swiss German QWERTZ |
| Tamil – Pondicherry | Indian Tamil 99 |
| UK English & Irish – Wellington | Standard UK English QWERTY with Irish vowel sublegends |
| US Int’l & Netherlands – Waterloo | US International (also the official layout of the Netherlands) |
Core Modifier KitsThere are five core modifier kits for KAT Napoleonic, each provided with two-or-three colored “uniform” options: French Indigo, Russian Green, or Austrian White. Each core modifier kit also comes with a custom set of military-themed novelty keys: Retreat, Attack, Support, and Hold.
Additionally, a "British Navy" TKL Mods kit is available. The British Navy kit provides a lower-cost alternative TKL Mods kit using the same primary mod color as French Indigo, but with a more mainstream approach to modifier legends. Its primary mod colors are the same as French Indigo, and it is fully compatible with the French Indigo Numpad kit for 1800 & full-size boards.
The three core TKL Mods kits (French Indigo, Russian Green & Austrian White) provide wide-ranging compatibility and include enough modifier keys to potentially cover an additional 60% board. The British Navy kit is intentionally slimmer than the other TKL mods kits on offer and does not provide the same range of compatibility.
Core Mod Kits on WordpressSome boards require one of the additional Miscellaneous Kits (e.g. Spacebars) for complete coverage. See the
shopping list for examples.
Core Mod Kits Table
Miscellaneous KitsMiscellaneous Kits on Wordpress
Further InformationAs has been noted several times, complete information about this keyset can be found on the KAT Napoleonic Home Page on Wordpress: (
https://tinyurl.com/kat-napoleonic).
Physical Color StandardsMore
KAT-Nap colors: RAL 5011, RAL 9010, Pantone 7403 U, RAL 6005, & RAL 3031Colors shown in keyboard renders and diagrams should not be treated as accurate representations of final keycap colors. Manufacturer samples will be checked against physical color decks of the RAL and Pantone standards above. Be aware that some variation is always possible, and these colors are not guaranteed to be exact.
More
Early concept diagrams for KAT Napoleonic drew comparisons to
GMK Rudy by Warrenified. Because the keycap designer community tends to frown on overly-similar colorways, Warrenified was consulted so as to double-check that we were in fact using different colors.
GMK Rudy (left) comparison to KAT Napoleonic French Indigo mods (right). Render by Ulliam.More
Copyright & CitationsMore
Creative Commons Derivative WorksThe following component designs and icons are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3 (
full license text):
Austrian Shield Outline. Derivative work based on “Imperial Coat of Arms of the Empire of Austria.svg” by Sodacan @ Wikimedia Commons (
https://tinyurl.com/omvdoy9).
Bee Monogram. Derivative work based on “Imperial Coat of Arms of France (1804-1815).svg” by Katepanomegas @ Wikimedia Commons (
https://tinyurl.com/yd8ezb7p).
French Shield Outline. Derivative work based on “Imperial Coat of Arms of France (1804-1815).svg” by Katepanomegas @ Wikimedia Commons (
https://tinyurl.com/yd8ezb7p).
Minard Chart. Derivative work based on “Minard’s Map (vectorized).svg” by Martin Grandjean @ Wikimedia Commons (
https://tinyurl.com/yacwdyvt).
Russian Shield Outline. Derivative work based on “Imperial Standard of the Emperor of Russia (1858–1917).svg” by TRAJAN 117 @ Wikimedia Commons (
https://tinyurl.com/y7fryjn4).
Public Domain Works CitedBellangé, Hippolyte. “Light Infantry: Voltigeur and Carabinier from the Grande Armée.” From Histoire de Napoleon by P.-M. Laurent de L`Ardeche. 1843. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://tinyurl.com/yymvd5qeDavid, Jacques-Louis. Napoleon Crossing the Alps. First version, painted 1800. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://tinyurl.com/yycndry3David, Jacques-Louis. Napoleon Crossing the Alps. Third version, painted 1802. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://tinyurl.com/y36vvhg8Gérard, François. The Battle of Austerlitz, 2nd December 1805. Painted 1810. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://tinyurl.com/y6zsvxk9Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg. Painting in the Castle Gallery at Český Krumlov. Unidentified painter, 19th century. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://tinyurl.com/yxafg7ggKnotel, Richard. Uniformenkunde, Lose Blatter zur Geschihte der Entwicklung der militarischen Tracht. Berlin, 1890. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://tinyurl.com/y39cw53gLouis-François, Baron Lejeune. Battle of Borodino 1812. Painted 1822. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Borodino_1812.pngMoshkov, Vladimir Ivanovich. Battle of Leipzig. Painted 1815. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://tinyurl.com/y364spplNeumann, Fritz. The charge of the 19th Hungarian infantry regiment in the Battle of Leipzig (1813) against the French. Painted 19th century. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://tinyurl.com/y3gwv9e7Philippoteaux, Henri Félix Emmanuel. The Battle of Waterloo: The British Squares Receiving the Charge of the French Cuirassiers. Painted 1874. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://tinyurl.com/y57saukcTolstoy, Leo. War and Peace. Excerpt from the original Russian text. Published 1869. Accessed via Master Russian. URL:
http://masterrussian.com/war_and_peace.shtmlVernet, Horace. The Battle of Hanau. Painted 1824. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. URL:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vernet-Battle_of_Hanau.jpgFurther NotesAll historical blurbs appearing in kit diagrams are paraphrased from various Wikipedia articles, except for a few selected quotes from:
Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Bloomsbury, copyright 2004. Goodreads URL:
https://tinyurl.com/yxps4uafNo intellectual property from the above was used in the design of the actual keycaps or deskmats. Quotes and names used from Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in kit diagrams are intended as an homage. No endorsement of KAT Napoleonic by Susanna Clarke or Bloomsbury has been given nor should be implied.
All other designs are copyright 2020 by W. Alex Ronke (a.k.a. NoPunIn10Did). All Rights Reserved.
ThanksMore
- Thanks to my wife, the love of my life, who has been very patient and supportive of all my creative endeavors.
- Thanks to my daughter, who is an absolutely adorable four-year-old and brings so much joy to my life.
- Thanks to Erik (a.k.a. MK Ultra), who believed in this project while it was still a germ of an idea.
- Huge thanks to manzel for his amazing and punctual render work.
- Thanks to Konstantin for all the advice on the particulars of punctuation positioning in legends as well as for drawing the correct Cyrillic J for the Karađorđe alpha kit.
- Thanks to myKeyboard.eu for committing to be a vendor for this set, and for helping with French conjugation & translation.
- Thanks to onecreativemind for early advice on the modifier icons.
- Thanks to Alex Lin at zFrontier for answering my KAT questions and committing to a Group Buy date early in this process.
- Thanks to Ulliam for providing renders for the J02, the Prime_E, and the GMK Rudy comparison.
- Thanks to shensmobile for sharing the Boardrun CNC file and for being a good creative sounding-board.
- Thanks to walletburner for giving permission to render the Neuron keyboard.
- Thanks to SomeGreekGuy for sharing the Abacus CNC file and giving permission to render it.
- Thanks to the members and moderators of the many Discord servers where I’ve solicited feedback for this and other projects, with particular thanks to:
- 40% Keyboards
- Keycap Designers
- Carolina Keyboards
- Keyboard Atelier
Copy the following to your forum profile signature if you’d like to help spread the word about KAT Napoleonic!
[url=https://tinyurl.com/kat-napoleonic][img width=360 height=120]https://i.imgur.com/73UjvEA.png[/img][/url]
