[IC] (In production) Origami TKL - 3 mounting, in-stock, starts from 350 USD

[xanserkx]

Origami
F12 TKL, 3 mounting styles, in-stock
Price range: 350 USD for aluminium external weight and 410-420 USD for brass external weight
Sales method: in-stock around 100 units. Will be available at https://plexkbd.com/



IC form: https://forms.gle/wY2aNn4UtceVuMKb7

Origami is a WK/WKL TKL that supports 3 mounting styles, classic top mount, o-ring and rubber pin. Overall external looks of this keyboards is a fusion between classic custom keyboard with a touch of modernity. The primary objectives of this keyboard are to provide the best possible typing experience and outputting proper sound design while keeping the price as low as we could without sacrificing build quality and finish as we work with factory that manufactures few popular keyboard in this hobby. There will be 4 color options that we will offer, Silver, Black, Red and Blue. All options will have silver external “weight” as default configuration and can be upgraded to brass.

We support spare parts replacement as widely as possible. Our PCB will have the same PCB outline as the Hiney H87NU, you can use any PCB that has the same outline. The plates we use also support Jane v2 style, but we make slight modifications around the mounting points to support our Rubber Pin mounts. Plate file will be available to public later.

We’re hoping that you will be able to buy this keyboard in late Q4 2024. We will be using an in-stock sales method for this keyboard so we won’t hold your money for months and we hope we can build trust with the community by doing this kind of sales method. The price range for Origami starts at 350 USD for configuration with aluminium external weight and configuration with 410-420 USD for brass external weight.

Reason behind the name:

More

Naming of this keyboard is inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding, Origami. The designer have been fascinated by the concept of Origami since he was 5 years old. He remember that his teacher teaching him and other classmates to make a crane from a bright red paper. The teacher also showed how to make other art pieces from the same paper on the same day. That was the basic idea behind this keyboard, a paper that could be transformed into so many models.

In collaboration between Atelier by Pluskb and Plexkbd Studio, this keyboard design combines a clean and classic aesthetic that I love from a earlier custom keyboard and then adds a modern touch and does not disrupt the classic look itself. The crane weight under this keyboard symbolizes the first Origami model I created when I was 5 years old. Instead of implementing simple engraving like other keyboards do, I incorporated a prismatic design of a crane into the design of the keyboard.

Technical spec:
    WK (Winkey) and WKL (Winkeyless) top options
    7.5 degree typing angle
    18mm Front Height
    23.1mm effective keyboard front height
    6063 Aluminium top/bottom case
    Clear-coated brass internal weight
    6063 Aluminium/Brass external weight
    6063 Aluminium (Silver/Red)/Brass crane weight
    Aluminium 5052 plate (Silver/Red) comes as standard with the kit
    Carbon fibre (CF), Polypropylene (PP) and Polycarbonate (PC) plate will be offered as an options
    Weight (built): 2190g (alu external weight) or 3350g (brass external weight)
    VIA compatible 1.6mm solder PCB comes with the kit
    50A o-ring and rubber pin comes with the kit
    Carrying case comes with the kit

Material:
Top case: Aluminium 6063
Bottom case: Aluminium 6063
Internal weight: Brass
External weight: Aluminium 6063, Brass
Crane weight: Aluminium 6063, Brass

Kit content:
Top case
Bottom case
Internal weight
External weight
Crane weight
Plate (Alu/CF/PC/PP)
PCB (Solder/Hotswap)
50A Rubber pin
50A O-ring
Screw, 3M bumpon feet
Carrying case

Designer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atelier.pluskb/
Designer Discord: https://discord.gg/sqfrVVaWPd
Product website: https://plexkbd.com/origami/

FAQ from IC form
(this will be updated from time to time)

More

Is Winkey (WK) version will be available?
> That could be happened if there are many people want it. Request it on the IC form if you want itYes, it will be available in a very low quantity.

Can we pick crane weight color/material?
> Yes. There will be 3 (Alu Red, Alu Silver and Brass) crane weight options you can buy as an add-on. You can upgrade the default Aluminum crane weight to Brass for additional 10 USD if you decided to upgrade the external weight to Brass. If you choose not to upgrade, you need to buy another crane weight if you want to change the crane weight colors/material.

Why the external weight is made from Alu?
> https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=123828.msg3194521#msg3194521

Price should be 250 USD, for 350 USD the external weight should changed to brass/SS/copper, no?
> The cost of this product alone is already above 250 USD. Please consider that this keyboard will be in-stock and we only make around 100 units, not 5000+ units. Not to mention we use a factory that makes some popular high end keyboards, so it seems like selling this keyboard for 250 USD will be very difficult

Please add option for heavier external weight
> We're considering it. But if we can't make it available as an in-stock option, maybe be could do a quick group buy for heavier external weight or maybe full brass/copper bottom?  Configuration with brass external weight will be added as an option

Are you considering vendor in [insert region]?
> If there are other vendors involved in the process of selling this product, we are afraid that the selling price of this product will be too high for us because we have to account for the profit for each vendor. If trust is an issue you feel about us, please know that we sell this product in-stock, so we don't hold your money for months and we hope that will builds trust between us. Plus we're going to use PayPal so you guys could dispute us if things go south

Where will this item be shipped from?
> Origami TKL will be shipped from our warehouse in China. We decided to fulfill everything from China to give you the best shipping rate so you won't be paying expensive shipping fee. If you have question regarding shipping cost, you could ask in the Discord or privately DM me on Discord/Instagram.

PCB layout support

Solder


Hotswap

Render image

Silver


Red


Blue


Black


Case-weights (external and crane) combinations available. Visit our website for the full-res version


Exploded view


All color options will have silver external weight. As shown in render above silver and black will have red plate and red crane weight, blue and red will have silver plate and crane weight

Mounting styles



Top mount
One of the most popular mounting style. This mounting style is liked by many people who like a typing feel that tends to be stiff. The stiffest mounting style offered in this keyboard.




Rubber Pin mount
This mounting style is inspired by Geonworks' Frog. Similar to top mount, but instead of using bolts, this mounting style uses custom Rubber Pins that we designed. Suitable for those of you who want a medium to stiff typing feel




Gummy o-ring mount
This mounting point utilize a 3.5mm o-ring that placed around the PCB and plate. Typing feel characteristic of this mounting point is the softest compared to the other two mounting styles offered in this keyboard.

Prototype




Silver sample taken by Alexotos.
Watch the VOD here:

Black sample taken by Tyler Keyboard. Watch the VOD here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2287138585




Blue sample taken by Lightning Keyboard. More on: https://www.lightningkeyboards.com/work-pt9/origami-tkl
Watch the VOD here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2278753217






Red sample taken by Edward Tanujaya





Current (silver) vs early (blue) Origami TKL bottom design changes


Red anodization on the 65% keyboard should be the same as the red on Origami. I will confirm later when I got the red proto back


Red case quick pic before sent it to our Indonesia content creator

Another prototype pictures: https://imgur.com/a/vAnEyh4

Marketing

We are working with 4 content creators who will help us to showcase our keyboard

Lightning Keyboard - Thursday, October 17th 2AM UTC https://www.twitch.tv/lightningkeyboards. VOD: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2278753217
Tyler Keyboard - Sunday, October 20th27th 12AM UTC https://www.twitch.tv/tylerkeyboardlive. VOD: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2287138585
Alexotos - Tuesday, October 29th 11PM UTC https://www.twitch.tv/alexotos. VOD:

Edward Tanujaya - TBA https://www.instagram.com/edwardtanujayaa/

What's next?

- Make a quick video to compare the sound difference between Alu and Brass external weight.
- Origami TKL re-visit by Alexotos when the product is already in-stock

[LogolicusZ]

The board looks nice. especially the crane weight.
But not sure tho about the outside weight being Alu is doing much and just adding machining cost that could be saved to make it cheaper.

GLWIC!

[xanserkx]

The board looks nice. especially the crane weight.
But not sure tho about the outside weight being Alu is doing much and just adding machining cost that could be saved to make it cheaper.

GLWIC!

Thank you for the compliment. The crane weight part I agree is very pretty, I was a bit surprised when I got the price quotation for that part hahaha. There is a price to pay for such a beautiful part!

To answer the question about the aluminium external weight which will only increase the machining cost and can be made into one part with the bottom case, there are several crucial functions of the design. Firstly, we wanted to physically hide the daughterboard so that the inside of the keyboard looks cleaner and the f-row keys (F6-F8) that are positioned just above the daughterboard can have the same sound as the rest of the f-row.

Secondly, I originally wanted to offer the option of an external weight of more dense material such as stainless, brass or copper like the early prototype of this keyboard. However, using those three materials in the in-stock sales method is very expensive and risky for us financially. And when the external weight is made as one unit with the bottom case, the design looks very plain although it will look cleaner and the crane weight will visually pop out more. So we decided to keep the external weight as the accent of this keyboard and maybe in the future we can offer stainless/brass/copper as an option for the external weight material.

Believe me, we really wanted to sell this keyboard at the cheapest possible price even though selling it as an in-stock. However, to significantly reduce the price from the estimated price above, we need to make at least 250 pcs at our partner factory. If there is a lot of interest in this keyboard, maybe we will try to make a larger quantity and reduce the price as far as we can. We don't want to use cheap factories even though this will significantly lower the price.

[LogolicusZ]

The board looks nice. especially the crane weight.
But not sure tho about the outside weight being Alu is doing much and just adding machining cost that could be saved to make it cheaper.

GLWIC!

Thank you for the compliment. The crane weight part I agree is very pretty, I was a bit surprised when I got the price quotation for that part hahaha. There is a price to pay for such a beautiful part!

To answer the question about the aluminium external weight which will only increase the machining cost and can be made into one part with the bottom case, there are several crucial functions of the design. Firstly, we wanted to physically hide the daughterboard so that the inside of the keyboard looks cleaner and the f-row keys (F6-F8) that are positioned just above the daughterboard can have the same sound as the rest of the f-row.

Secondly, I originally wanted to offer the option of an external weight of more dense material such as stainless, brass or copper like the early prototype of this keyboard. However, using those three materials in the in-stock sales method is very expensive and risky for us financially. And when the external weight is made as one unit with the bottom case, the design looks very plain although it will look cleaner and the crane weight will visually pop out more. So we decided to keep the external weight as the accent of this keyboard and maybe in the future we can offer stainless/brass/copper as an option for the external weight material.

Believe me, we really wanted to sell this keyboard at the cheapest possible price even though selling it as an in-stock. However, to significantly reduce the price from the estimated price above, we need to make at least 250 pcs at our partner factory. If there is a lot of interest in this keyboard, maybe we will try to make a larger quantity and reduce the price as far as we can. We don't want to use cheap factories even though this will significantly lower the price.

Thx for the clarification makes much more sense why the design is like that. If you want you can maybe make a pre order out for the weights. Maybe just me but id prefer that the colors of the external weight are the same as the rest of the case since the silver crane just melts together with the rest of the weight, if the weights were color matched that would look nicer imo

[xanserkx]

The board looks nice. especially the crane weight.
But not sure tho about the outside weight being Alu is doing much and just adding machining cost that could be saved to make it cheaper.

GLWIC!

Thank you for the compliment. The crane weight part I agree is very pretty, I was a bit surprised when I got the price quotation for that part hahaha. There is a price to pay for such a beautiful part!

To answer the question about the aluminium external weight which will only increase the machining cost and can be made into one part with the bottom case, there are several crucial functions of the design. Firstly, we wanted to physically hide the daughterboard so that the inside of the keyboard looks cleaner and the f-row keys (F6-F8) that are positioned just above the daughterboard can have the same sound as the rest of the f-row.

Secondly, I originally wanted to offer the option of an external weight of more dense material such as stainless, brass or copper like the early prototype of this keyboard. However, using those three materials in the in-stock sales method is very expensive and risky for us financially. And when the external weight is made as one unit with the bottom case, the design looks very plain although it will look cleaner and the crane weight will visually pop out more. So we decided to keep the external weight as the accent of this keyboard and maybe in the future we can offer stainless/brass/copper as an option for the external weight material.

Believe me, we really wanted to sell this keyboard at the cheapest possible price even though selling it as an in-stock. However, to significantly reduce the price from the estimated price above, we need to make at least 250 pcs at our partner factory. If there is a lot of interest in this keyboard, maybe we will try to make a larger quantity and reduce the price as far as we can. We don't want to use cheap factories even though this will significantly lower the price.

Thx for the clarification makes much more sense why the design is like that. If you want you can maybe make a pre order out for the weights. Maybe just me but id prefer that the colors of the external weight are the same as the rest of the case since the silver crane just melts together with the rest of the weight, if the weights were color matched that would look nicer imo

Yes, I'm considering to do a pre-order for the heavier external weight e.g. brass. Please consider to suggest the color combination in the IC form!

[Fraaaan]

Do the rubber pins rest on the bottom case while using that mounting style?

[xanserkx]

Do the rubber pins rest on the bottom case while using that mounting style?

Yes! The bottom case will push the rubber pin

[xanserkx]

Diego is live showcasing the Blue variant right now! https://www.twitch.tv/lightningkeyboards

[xanserkx]

FAQ from the IC form and quick prototype pictures added. We will add more prototype pictures from each content creator later

[Potemkin]

Nice to see it supports Hiney PCB, GLWIC

[scorcher36]

Mine only gripe is not having any cool polygon logo that represent the origami in the front. I definitely think that can tie everything together.

[Cringelord]

Can't help but think that at the $400+ custom market for a TKL, 2kg weighs less than some nice 60% lol. I understand the reasoning you provided, I just don't see any value in this other than a well constructed bottom accent piece that people will look at for two weeks and forget it's there. Love the red alu plate though, I go hard for those.

[xanserkx]

Mine only gripe is not having any cool polygon logo that represent the origami in the front. I definitely think that can tie everything together.

While I do agree a smaller version of the crane weight on the bottom would look great on top of the arrow cluster, it would be hard to implement as it would look too small and would be very difficult to make. But maybe we could put an engraving of the crane in that area if anyone ask for it. Please fill the IC form if you have any input for the project!

Can't help but think that at the $400+ custom market for a TKL, 2kg weighs less than some nice 60% lol. I understand the reasoning you provided, I just don't see any value in this other than a well constructed bottom accent piece that people will look at for two weeks and forget it's there. Love the red alu plate though, I go hard for those.

At the first, I personally wanted this keyboard to be a very heavy keyboard. However, after almost 1 year of developing and testing this keyboard, I often get annoyed because I have to lift a keyboard that weighs more than 3kg when I want to rotate the keyboard to my other collections or when I have to take this keyboard out so my friends can try this keyboard directly. Not to mention when I want to switch to a keyboard that is the same or heavier such as the Merisi Ottantaquattro or the Phoenix from Cablecar Design. For me, 2-2.5kg is a very comfortable weight for a TKL keyboard, so we configured this keyboard to have good acoustic performance even though we cut 800-1000g from the weight of this keyboard by replacing the external weight with aluminum. However, I am currently discussing with the internal team and the factory that works with us to lower the price of the config that we currently offer and offer a config with the option of brass/stainless steel or copper external weight because it will be very beautiful when combined with a black case. We will update about this later if we find a solution. Keep your eye on this project while we cook the price once more and don't forget to fill out the IC form if you're interested with this keyboard!

[KenGuru]

I appreciate many aspects of this keyboard, I especially like the sides and that you included split backspace support.

While I agree with you that a lighter keyboard is more comfortable to move on your desk, I personally preferred the old bottom visually. Not that big of a fan of the badge tbh.
It is also a little on the pricey side considering that there is just a small weight now, and the external thing is just aluminum.

[xanserkx]

I appreciate many aspects of this keyboard, I especially like the sides and that you included split backspace support.

While I agree with you that a lighter keyboard is more comfortable to move on your desk, I personally preferred the old bottom visually. Not that big of a fan of the badge tbh.
It is also a little on the pricey side considering that there is just a small weight now, and the external thing is just aluminum.

Thank you for your appreciation! Commenting on the old bottom, I really like the crane weight on the new bottom because it really adds a flair to the keyboard. If I took that crane weight away, people would be saying that this keyboard looks too simple than the current design. So that part would be really hard to take away because I personally really like it and I want this keyboard to not look too plain on the bottom.

I want to comment on the pricing, we are currently close to final pricing for this product. If all goes well, this keyboard will be a little bit cheaper than we had anticipated before. We will update the pricing once we have a final decision. And if you are one of those people who asked for a little bit more external weight, you might want to wait for that big update. Discord member will hear it first, so don't forget to join our Discord server!

By the way, I checked your IG and I love the photos you captured!

[xanserkx]

Price updated. Configuration with brass external weight will be offered. PP plate will be offered as an option.

[xanserkx]

Tyler is building the black prototype right now! https://www.twitch.tv/tylerkeyboardlive

[KenGuru]

Thank you for your appreciation! Commenting on the old bottom, I really like the crane weight on the new bottom because it really adds a flair to the keyboard. If I took that crane weight away, people would be saying that this keyboard looks too simple than the current design. So that part would be really hard to take away because I personally really like it and I want this keyboard to not look too plain on the bottom.

I want to comment on the pricing, we are currently close to final pricing for this product. If all goes well, this keyboard will be a little bit cheaper than we had anticipated before. We will update the pricing once we have a final decision. And if you are one of those people who asked for a little bit more external weight, you might want to wait for that big update. Discord member will hear it first, so don't forget to join our Discord server!

By the way, I checked your IG and I love the photos you captured!

Thank you!
I think the changes made are pretty cool, good job

[xanserkx]

VOD from Alexotos' stream is available now: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2288758947. All content creators who usually do keyboard stream have already streamed. Now we just have to wait for content from Edward Tanujaya.

[rfcclub]

Is there any chance for a WK version in future ?

[xanserkx]

Is there any chance for a WK version in future ?

WK version will be offered in the first in-stock batch! But only a small qty will be made for each color. Make sure you fill out the IC form so we could know what color most WK user wants!

[kbd0]

Looks very clean GLWIC

[xanserkx]

Looks very clean GLWIC

Thanks! Good luck to you too with your Curve0 GB!

[xanserkx]

Quick typing test video from Edward Tanujaya is up! https://www.instagram.com/p/DCbbPbgChaz/

The manufacturing process for everything has started now. We're still hoping to sell Origami TKL before 2025 Chinese New Year in January.

[taeyeon.4ever]

I must say this is one of the best TKL at least for its appearance, soundtest vids are solid too! The silver and red is such a match made in heaven

[xanserkx]

I must say this is one of the best TKL at least for its appearance, soundtest vids are solid too! The silver and red is such a match made in heaven

Glad you like it!

[xanserkx]

Small production update:

• Top and bottom case manufacturing is now at 70%. All alu plates has been completed in production, waiting for anodization process
• PCB production has been finished. Will be QCed soon
• Carrying case still in production

[xanserkx]

Production update:

• All parts except external weight (brass and alu) have been machined and polished, next progress is anodization. We're expecting all CNC progress to be finished this month.
• PCB still in QC phase.
• Carrying case already shipped out from the factory, will arrive in our warehouse in a few days.

[xanserkx]

Ok another production update:

• All parts have finished the CNC stage, while some parts are being anodized.
• PCB and carrying case have arrived at our warehouse, we will do QC as soon as possible.

We might be able to sell it right before Chinese New Year, but our shipping partner said that the shipping cost (DHL, UPS, FedEx) around Chinese New Year time is high and will start to drop in the second week of February. So the option is either we postpone the sale to February or keep selling before Chinese New Year but you will pay a slightly higher shipping cost. So what do you think? Let's discuss in ⁠the Discord

[tankLancer]

I appreciate many aspects of this keyboard, I especially like the sides and that you included split backspace support.

While I agree with you that a lighter keyboard is more comfortable to move on your desk, I personally preferred the old bottom visually. Not that big of a fan of the badge tbh.
It is also a little on the pricey side considering that there is just a small weight now, and the external thing is just aluminum.

Thank you for your appreciation! Commenting on the old bottom, I really like the crane weight on the new bottom because it really adds a flair to the keyboard. If I took that crane weight away, people would be saying that this keyboard looks too simple than the current design. So that part would be really hard to take away because I personally really like it and I want this keyboard to not look too plain on the bottom.

I want to comment on the pricing, we are currently close to final pricing for this product. If all goes well, this keyboard will be a little bit cheaper than we had anticipated before. We will update the pricing once we have a final decision. And if you are one of those people who asked for a little bit more external weight, you might want to wait for that big update. Discord member will hear it first, so don't forget to join our Discord server!

By the way, I checked your IG and I love the photos you captured!

The external weight looks great. I'm curious if a PVD coated version could be considered. I believe the PVD coating would further accentuate the weight and potentially enhance the contrast between the different finishes on the keyboard bottom.

GLWIC