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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: ander on Wed, 27 December 2017, 22:21:43

Title: Reasonably-priced big-legend Carbon keys (plus some questions)
Post by: ander on Wed, 27 December 2017, 22:21:43
Dye-Sublimated Keycap Big Carbon 125 Key PBT Cherry Original Height Keycap (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dye-Sublimated-Keycap-Big-Carbon-125-Key-PBT-Cherry-Original-Height-Keycap/173028290436)


(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/wgoAAOSwYxBaL0Ob/s-l1600.jpg)


(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/N0QAAOSwmPFaL0Ok/s-l1600.jpg)


(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/tYgAAOSwO7haL0O1/s-l1600.jpg)


(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/aMEAAOSw0A9aL0O5/s-l1600.jpg)


I sure like these, and they're cheaper than the usual offerings ($47.38 for oddball legends; $52.89 to include standard legends; free shipping). But why don't they offer a normal Enter key? Why the goofy one with the dots? Was that an actual vintage design?

Also, I thought you couldn't dye-sub a light color on a dark color—so how'd they make those?
Title: Re: Reasonably-priced big-legend Carbon keys (plus some questions)
Post by: Techno Trousers on Wed, 27 December 2017, 22:25:36
They could have taken orange keys and all over dyesubbed them in black, minus the legends. It would be interesting to see the bottom of one of those modifier keys.
Title: Re: Reasonably-priced big-legend Carbon keys (plus some questions)
Post by: ander on Thu, 28 December 2017, 04:30:40
They could have taken orange keys and all over dyesubbed them in black, minus the legends. It would be interesting to see the bottom of one of those modifier keys.

So dyeing the key and leaving the legend as-is? Wow, never heard of such a thing, but I guess it's possible with the right setup.

One of the seller's photos does show the underside of a dark key:


(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/MW8AAOSwk1haL0O9/s-l1600.jpg)


If your theory was true, would it've been orange underneath?
Title: Re: Reasonably-priced big-legend Carbon keys (plus some questions)
Post by: TerryMathews on Thu, 28 December 2017, 07:52:40
They could have taken orange keys and all over dyesubbed them in black, minus the legends. It would be interesting to see the bottom of one of those modifier keys.

Yes, and this is exactly what they are doing. It's called reverse dyesubbing.
Title: Re: Reasonably-priced big-legend Carbon keys (plus some questions)
Post by: Techno Trousers on Thu, 28 December 2017, 09:18:43


If your theory was true, would it've been orange underneath?

Yes, I would have expected it to be orange underneath. Interesting.
Title: Re: Reasonably-priced big-legend Carbon keys (plus some questions)
Post by: dantambok on Thu, 28 December 2017, 11:12:31
I bought this set before. really worth it, the keycaps are good quality and the printing is good too
Title: Re: Reasonably-priced big-legend Carbon keys (plus some questions)
Post by: ander on Thu, 28 December 2017, 22:52:19
Interesting!

I also wonder why the basic (108) set is the one with the graphic keys, and you must buy the bigger set (125) to get standard keys. That's just how they decided to do it, I guess... I've dropped the seller a note anyway, asking if it's possible to get a 108 without the symbols.
Title: Re: Reasonably-priced big-legend Carbon keys (plus some questions)
Post by: ander on Fri, 29 December 2017, 01:20:33
I heard back from the vendor, but he was already sold out of the standard keys.

Meanwhile, I've found the same set here on AliExpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/English-Version-Dye-Sublimated-Keycap-Big-Carbon-124-DIY-Keycaps-PBT-Cherry-Original-Height-Keycap-for/32843961165.html). It's actually slightly less, and AE has a buyer-protection policy similar to eBay.


[attach=1]
Title: Re: Reasonably-priced big-legend Carbon keys (plus some questions)
Post by: ander on Sat, 17 March 2018, 02:49:46
Just in case you don't think we've sent off enough of our dough to China yet.