Author Topic: Please advise me on getting a mechanical with an old-school aesthetic.  (Read 1934 times)

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Offline Gemini

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Greetings keyboard freaks,

Haven't had a mechanical keyboard in fifteen years and am delighted to have found this site.  I hope you can give me some guidance.

Ok. I want to get a keyboard in that old school two tone beige and gray schematic (where the keys themselves come in two tones). I've looked at the Ducky pro but I don't like that the base itself is black.  I'm all about shades of grey and beige.  I also don't want shiny keys and I like that inky look you can get with the font (dye sublimation?). I'm in Europe so I'd like a euro layout but I can survive without it if needs be.  I think I should use brown switches as I don't want to be too loud. And yeah, I'd like something with a few lights here and there, but i don't need backlighting. I'm drawn to the full size boards but if the look and feel is right on a tenkeyless I will consider it.  I'm looking for something well built and heavy.

So what are my options?

Thanks!
« Last Edit: Fri, 19 July 2013, 18:39:15 by Gemini »

Offline Xenderwind

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  • Location: chesapeake, virginia
Ducky produces a grey/white keyboard http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=470 but I do not know about shipping to europe.  The other option is to just buy a keyboard and keycaps separately.
GON NS 87 62g clears, QFR 62g clears, Pure 65g blues, HHKB Pro II

Offline gnubag

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IBM Model M? (it is very loud though)

otherwise ducky or filco with custom keycaps.
also there are the cherry g80's

Offline Techno Trousers

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Yep, a floss modded model M would probably fit the bill nicely. Pebble/pearl keys and true old school cred.

Offline Gemini

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Hmm. The Cherry G80s look nice enough, but I think i want something a bit sturdier.  The Model M, well, I'm not sure I want an old keyboard, just one that has the old look.

Regarding custom keycaps and all that. Where would I start? What do I look for? Can you buy keyboards without the keycaps?  Where can I find some really quality old school key caps?

Thanks for all your help

Offline gnubag

  • Posts: 509
  • Location: California, US
Hmm. The Cherry G80s look nice enough, but I think i want something a bit sturdier.  The Model M, well, I'm not sure I want an old keyboard, just one that has the old look.

Regarding custom keycaps and all that. Where would I start? What do I look for? Can you buy keyboards without the keycaps?  Where can I find some really quality old school key caps?

Thanks for all your help

you can buy barebones from wasdkeyboards aswell as keycaps

also in the classifieds look out for a WYSE set.

Offline dorkvader

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The Model M, well, I'm not sure I want an old keyboard, just one that has the old look.

If they weren't out of stock on just about everything, you could get a new one from unicomp.
http://pckeyboard.com/page/UKBD/UNI041A (101-key like the model M)
http://pckeyboard.com/page/UKBD/UNI044A (104-key with a windows and menu key)

There are other models, this is just an example.

Since there is no real "old school aesthetic", I must assume you mean the classic beige style that IBM seems to have liked in the 1980's. I have old school keyboards from the 1970's that feature nice grey/white keycaps, and there are tons of old keyboards that just have a grey case and one colour for the keycaps (see all the ancient HP 'boards from the 1960's and 1970's for example)

Still, there are keyboards that perpetuate this style. Old cherry terminal keyboards, IBM model M's (I must say, many used model M's are still quite sturdy!) even newer ones from cherry and ducky can be good. If you don't like the durability of the PCB-mount cherry, you can look into making a plate for them. If you don't like the case colour of some ducky's (I must say, those PBT dyesub keycaps look great!) you can paint it. There is a way around every obstacle.

WYSE is an option, but it's more of a beige and blue instead of beige with black printing. Also, the function keys are all the same. Up to you, of course.

I would recommend the unicomp. It's a very similar colour (if not, the same) to the old model M's and model F's that have popularized the trend, and it' has a similar construction and (one would hope) durability. It's also not too expensive and can be had in USB. The main downside is that it's only got 2KRO like most membrane keyboards.

--
Edit: you can also get them in euro layout. The floss mod seems to be popular to help with the sound.

Offline Danule

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either an old model M, or a unicomp, or a topre realforce white. :)
45g Brown Brown Blue

Offline blackswan

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  • old school mx browns for me
Compaq 11800 MX browns, comes with trackball
the clack is music to my ears and the feedback is just pleasant for my fingers

Offline Gemini

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Wow, I don't think I'm badass enough for the compaq. It's like the robocop of keyboards. Awesome.

I'm really quite taken with the Unicomp keyboards though. I'll probably try to get the large gray and beige 101 key one.  But there is pretty much nothing available on their site. I wonder if they are down and out or just restocking.

I'm kind of confused about Unicomp and Keytronic. Are they related? Are Unicomp boards well built?  Still considering the Ducky Pro series and Ducky Zero series despite the fact that neither look 'old-school'. They do look like nice keyboards though.  Might end up getting two boards when all's said and done.

Offline smknjoe

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Re: Please advise me on getting a mechanical with an old-school aesthetic.
« Reply #10 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 19:03:49 »
Unicomp owns the rights the the IBM buckling spring design (if I'm not mistaken) and they use the same equipment that made the original Lexmark/IBM Model Ms.
SSKs for everyone!

Offline rowdy

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Re: Please advise me on getting a mechanical with an old-school aesthetic.
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 19:08:17 »
Gray and beige??

You want the original IBM pearl and pebble ;)
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

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Offline sth

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Re: Please advise me on getting a mechanical with an old-school aesthetic.
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 19:17:16 »
model M for classic clackety goodness

realforce white/grey for oneness with cup rubber
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Offline UniClown

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Re: Please advise me on getting a mechanical with an old-school aesthetic.
« Reply #13 on: Sun, 21 July 2013, 20:42:49 »
You can put older style caps on a  new board if you'd like. Older caps include cherry doubleshots, a WYSE set, retro set(retro not really old style), or other caps, maybe others can suggest some other sets that have a old-school look.