Filco in the UK

[danbee]

Hi guys, this is my first post here and I come bearing news. I received the following email from Bruce at The Keyboard Company (http://keyboardco.com):

"I just wanted to let you know that we have now done a deal with Filco to be their European Distributor.
We've had samples and we are all very impressed with the quality.
 
We'll have a few USA models in 2 weeks, to get the wheels moving, and then full size 105 UK models in 2 months. That's Black, Brown and Blue switched varieties.
The tenkeyless we will only have in USA layout for the time being."

So soon it will be possible to buy Filco boards in the UK, and with a UK layout as well

Cheers,

Dan

[ch_123]

Damn, I had just bought mine from the US a few weeks ago. Probably could have saved a load on shipping if I had been able to get it from the UK.

That site is probably going to do a lot of business around here, a lot of European geekhack members want Filcos but have been reluctant to have one imported from America.

It would also be cool if they started doing Topre keyboards as well.

[JBert]

Their site seems interesting, and they do have quite some keyboards on there. The only thing missing for geekhackers is the original product information.

For example, they have a "Superior gold contact, click action keyboard, beige" (seen at
http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_details.asp?PRODUCT=12). According to the search I did it is made by Cherry and their product id "KBC-803000" would make it seem that it is a G80-3000. Still, the product info page doesn't explicitly state it...

Of course I'm just nit-picking there, having a shop with Filco's in Europe is still a great thing.

[danbee]

I do agree that their site could probably use some tweaking, although they are very responsive via email and very quickly answered any of my questions.

For anybody that's interested the 'Superior gold contact, click action keyboard' is indeed a Cherry G80-3000 with blue switches. It was my first mechanical keyboard

[Kraicheck]

This couldn't have come at a better time.
I desperately want a tenkeyless filco but either having to pay shipping costs of 80$ or going through all the trouble with customs scared me away from importing from elitekeyboards.
Now if only there was a standard model with blank keys, it would be perfect.

[itlnstln]

Their site seems interesting, and they do have quite some keyboards on there. The only thing missing for geekhackers is the original product information.
 
For example, they have a "Superior gold contact, click action keyboard, beige" (seen at
http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_details.asp?PRODUCT=12). According to the search I did it is made by Cherry and their product id "KBC-803000" would make it seem that it is a G80-3000. Still, the product info page doesn't explicitly state it...
 
Of course I'm just nit-picking there, having a shop with Filco's in Europe is still a great thing.

That 'board is definitely a G80-3000 variant.

[sixty]

Great news for us Europeans.

[Bruce]

Hi Everyone.

Just wanted to say Hi! we're really excited with the amount of interest the Filco keyboards are generating.
Any input about the website is welcome, it is a bit DIY and has developed over the years from a fax I used to send out, so we know it's not perfect.
We could spend a fortune on it and add that to the cost of keyboards!!
I can see the problem with our 803000. It is the genuine article, but we have always 'renumbered' Cherry products because there are a so many cut-throat dealers over here who will sell you Cherry at 5% margin and run a mile should you have any problems we deliberately try to separate ourselves from all that. The commercial aspects of selling Cherry are so awful I really wouldn't do it if it wasn't such good kit.
There's a firm here who sell from their website to retail at a price the same (and sometimes lower) as I can buy from Cherry UK.
Please be assured Filco kit will be listed with correct part numbers and that should anyone email me, they will get an honest reply, promptly. And we're not about to run anywhere.

Anyway, i'm sure you're not interested in my problems (I could tell you about UK taxes), I'm really pleased to find a bunch of people who appreciate a good keyboard though, so i'll be around if you want me.

All the Best.
Bruce

[Rajagra]

I'm pleased to hear this. I have to try a tenkeyless with Cherry browns, preferably blank keycaps, so I hope they will be on offer.

[InSanCen]

I'll be interested to see the prices these come in at. I want to try one out, but get something a *bit* lighter than my Model M.

I'm sure I can always move it on if I don't like it.

[lam47]

What is the pricing going to be like on these?

[Ulysses31]

:O (!!!*&*^$%)
  Oh
Well it's about bloody time.  Great news; I just hope the price isn't taxed and import-fee'd to death.

EDIT: Forgot to ask, how much convincing did it take to make Filco produce a UK layout?

[CX23882]

Filco + 105-key UK layout + n-key rollover + Cherry MX brown = Awesome

I can't wait for these to become available.

[ch_123]

:O (!!!*&*^$%)
  Oh
Well it's about bloody time.  Great news; I just hope the price isn't taxed and import-fee'd to death.

EDIT: Forgot to ask, how much convincing did it take to make Filco produce a UK layout?

731 million people can't be wrong!

(except for the Dutch)

[vils]

Someone in Sweden will demand a Swedish layout,

Promise, I won't.  I couldn't care less.

[vils]

Don't talk while you're eating.

[Bruce]

Hi All.

I've done my sums as far as is possible at this point and here is a pretty good estimate (I do expect to stick with this) of what UK pricing and timescales will be for Filco products.
Prices are in UK Sterling.

The first shipment we'll be getting is some smallish quantities of 'off the shelf' items which I decided to get in just to get the ball rolling.
This shipment should be with us by the end of August 2009 :-

FKBN104M/EB      NKRO   CH.BROWN      USA/104      £95
FKBN104ML/EB      NKRO   CH.BLACKS      USA/104       £95
FKBN87Z/EB-Y      NKRO   ALPS TYPE WHIT   USA/104      £40   
FKB22MB         CH.BROWNS   NUMPAD         £40
NEO                                 £40

Then the first real stocking order.
Diatech like to do things properly so I have a sample being made for approval prior to main production. It makes sense not to cut corners.
It means I'm not expecting these until the latter part of October and it could run longer.
I'm not putting part codes for this because I haven't got them to hand. It will be like the USA model code except 104 will become 105 and a UK or GB will be added on the end.

Majestouch UK 105key N-keyrollover with cherry brown sw   £95.00
Majestouch UK 105key N-keyrollover with cherry blue sw   £95.00

I then invisage another shipment with extra goodies early next year.
Full UK tenkeyless may be a while as that's another tooling charge and I need to see this working first.

TAX.
All us Happy Campers in the UK are paying 15% VAT at the moment (Going up soon!!) so i'm afraid you have to add that to goods and carriage.
In the EC if you are ordering as a VAT registered organisation and can provide the valid VAT registration number of that organisation you pay no tax (It checks the Euro DB so don't think it!). If not I am afraid that you get the same treatment as we Brits.
Elsewhere you pay none to us but you could possibly get grabbed at point of delivery. You need to check this out locally.

DISCOUNT.
Geekhack members with a join date prior to Aug 2009 (That's inclusive so there's time) buying 5 pieces get 5% and 10 pieces gets 10%.

CARRIAGE.
Ordering directly from http://www.keyboardco.com (phone, fax, snail mail is all welcome but carriage is more.)

UK.
Orders are calculated by weight but the most you'll pay is £6.00 and orders over £50 in value ship FREE.
So most of this kit will ship free.

WORLD.
The website calculates this by weight and exact destination. There will be two options quoted:-
TNT International courier service which is most reliable and secure.
Royal Mail 'International Signed For' service which is OK.
Please feel free to get an idea by going http://www.keyboardco.com select a similar weight unit and go to through to the last stage of the cart process.
It'll calculate before you have to give card details and you can abort. Just make sure you're the right side of 2 Kilos because pricing jumps on Royal Mail.

FINALLY
Thank you for bearing with me thus far. I apologise for making it such an epic but business works best when everyone knows the score.
I'm sure there will be some discussion around why things are always more in the UK and Europe - you can have my thoughts another time if you're interested.
One thing you can be sure of. These Filco keyboards are GOOD!.

More news soon on Cherry Keycaps.

[Rajagra]

I'm sure there will be some discussion around why things are always more in the UK and Europe

"Nothing is certain but death and taxes." But in the EU, taxes take precedence.

Well, those prices seem to work out at least as good as importing from US»UK, and that's before we have to play the import duty+VAT lottery.

[sixty]

I think iMav should give you guys from the Keyboard Company their own vendor subforum too!

[ch_123]

Yeah, I had pointed this out before. Seems Bruce has earned himself a vendor place.

Those are quite good prices btw, much better than I was expecting. Out of curiosity, any plans for stocking the HHKB or Topre keyboards?

[Eclairz]

I bought my left handed alps keyboard from this company since they also trade on ebay as well, so it might be a good idea to look more deeper on ebay for nearly new copy :-S

[lal]

Wow, that FKBN87Z/EB-Y (what does that trailing "-Y" mean?) shipped to Germany would be about 70€ if I did the math right (40£ + 6£ VAT + 14£ shipping) whereas importing from elitekeyboards it would  be something like 107€.  Looking forward to those white XM Alps clones

[xyzzy]

FKBN87Z/EB-Y   NKRO   ALPS TYPE WHIT   USA/104   £40   
FKB22MB      CH.BROWNS   NUMPAD      £40

Wow, that FKBN87Z/EB-Y (what does that trailing "-Y" mean?) would be about 70€ if I did the math right (40£ + 6£ VAT + 14£ shipping)

Hmm I think there's something wrong with the FKBN87Z/EB-Y price... It costs the same as the numpad

[Kraicheck]

Bruce,

Will you also sell tenkeyless cherry browns?
If so, when would you expect to have them in store?

[huha]

Wow, that FKBN87Z/EB-Y (what does that trailing "-Y" mean?) would be about 70€ if I did the math right (40£ + 6£ VAT + 14£ shipping) whereas importing from elitekeyboards it would  be something like 107€.  Looking forward to those white XM Alps clones

Oh yes. If it really turns out to cost EUR 70 or so, I'll so buy it.

Will you also be offering keycap pullers?

-huha

[Eclairz]

Also will you be selling cherry white switched filco's?

[ch_123]

I'm pretty sure that there's no such thing as a white switched Filco - those switches are being phased out of production and are no longer available for large orders.

[iMav]

So Bruce.
 
Is the Keyboard Company interested in their own support forum in the vendors section?  

[iMav]

This thread has been moved to the new Keyboard Company vendor forum.  (it also has been locked to encourage topic-specific threads for Bruce)  
 
Enjoy!

[Bruce]

The Y in the model number indicates a slight fault on the underside of the case.
It was described to me as a 'bruise' (Could be English - Japan translation issue there) and until they are here i'm not sure.
I was going to make full judgement on it then. That, and the Alps type switch are why it is such a mean bargain.

ch_123 is correct about the white switch, Filco don't offer it as an option so it's unlikely.

Cherry themselves did send me sample white switches last week so I'm not sure about it going EOL.

We will be getting all the accessories in time but I must admit it's not been my priority as yet and I forgot them with the first order.
We are most eager to get the keyboards moving at this stage.
This first order is some things they had already made that I could get in quickish and the bigger order is the 1st production order for us.
I intend to get the full range but it will be over a period of at least 6 months.

Tenkeyless and Full size - with Brown, black and blue switch - with and without NKRO are my main priorities right now.
They will all be stock items.

So Kraicheck - yes on the tenkeyless with browns , but not sure when.

I've paid tooling on the Full size 105 but tenkeyless UK will come later.
Until then tenkeyless USA are going to be the option and we will be stocking them.

Further to the above my Filco wish list includes. Mouse Mat - keycap puller - wrist rest - blank keysets - letmeknowifyouwanttoadd -

Someone asked about Topre and HHK. If I could click my fingers they'd be in next week but the RoHS issue is a big one and, as such, I can't touch it.
I will be talking to them soon to see if anything can be done.
I expect the green credentials of the keyboard are OK, it wouldn't get into America otherwise.
It's probably the bureaucracy that's the issue. Nothing new there then!

[Bruce]

Hey just seen you post iMav, excellent.
I consider this a real honour.
A big thanks to iMav and you who suported me.