Anybody buy keys from Maxkey yet?

[ChitownM2]

Has anyone purchased any keysets from Maxkey yet?

I stumbled across them in this thread https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=85610.0

And then found the english version of the site where they are selling this Max Ashen kit for $75. It looks kind of nice and the price is obviously pretty outstanding if the quality is at least decent, and they're definitely expensive if they are garbage. 

Just curious if anyone has purchased from them and what their opinion is.  The only info I could find is in this post and they look ok...https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=33130.msg2368802#msg2368802

[Arallu]

..

[Marvellion]

Originative, KeyClack and ZFrontier are all having GBs with MaxKeys at the moment and that Ashen set is an instabuy. I personally think that their caps looks like a good alternative to SP SA. Only issue I read about is the kerning, which hopefully will be better as Originative has said.

[ChitownM2]

Thanks for the link. Those don't look too bad if those are the worst of the issues. Definitely something I would notice after I'd dropped $175 on a set, but something that the average person would never see and honestly doesn't really bother me at a $75 price point.

[zslane]

This reminds me of the electric guitar market and the marketplace tension between US-made Fenders/Gibsons and their Asian-made equivalents. For some folks, the extra cost of the original, US-made instruments is worth the exorbitant premium, while for others (maybe even most) the deep discount of the Asian-made versions far outweighs any perceived quality difference.

It won't be long before we start accusing each other of being cork-sniffers...

[moonmaster]

Cork sniffers? 😯

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Niomosy]

This reminds me of the electric guitar market and the marketplace tension between US-made Fenders/Gibsons and their Asian-made equivalents. For some folks, the extra cost of the original, US-made instruments is worth the exorbitant premium, while for others (maybe even most) the deep discount of the Asian-made versions far outweighs any perceived quality difference.

It won't be long before we start accusing each other of being cork-sniffers...

Heh, Fender and Gibson American'd themselves into a problematic situation for a while.  They cheaped out on quality of the US made stuff to a pretty heavy degree for a long while.  With Fender, people weren't buying the made in America gear because they found the made in Japan stuff ended up being superior quality for a lower price.  Fender moved their lower-priced gear production to Mexico, limited MIJ gear, then finally stepped up their USA gear.  I still don't find Fender stuff worth the money but it's definitely improved.

I can't recall the specifics of Gibson quite as well but there was a fair while where companies like Heritage and PRS were eating into their high-end market while the Asian makers ate into the low end.

Personally, I can do both.  When there's a good, cheap instrument that I like, that's a good deal no matter what.  That said, I do love my boutique instruments.  They're damn expensive though.

And, damn, I'm already a cork sniffer   Actually discovered a bad bottle of wine that way on a rare date-after-kids for the wife and I.

[kmba]

Some legend issues "SHIF T", "BACK SPACE", as well as slight legend inconsistencies with R1 that will hopefully be corrected for the R2 production runs, although some early samples still have partial issues (renders are mostly looking good). Also some very small thickness inconsistencies between caps.  Slight profile and texture differences compared to SP SA, but interchangeable in my opinion.  For $75 I think they're a great deal, even with the minor issues from R1.  And 1/5th of the lead time compared to SP SA just sweetens the deal.  If you like SA and the colorways, I'd definitely go for it.

[Niomosy]

Given I've got a set of SA caps in hand and two more sets on order, I can safely delve into the MaxKeys market once a colorway pops up that intrigues me and not worry so much about the cost.  I like that.  At a nice price drop, I can accept the quality difference at least once to see how they are.

[Puddsy]

Maxkeys seems to be put together well enough. Hopefully they sort out their legends issues soon.

[Minnie2]

I've seen the posters

[a_ak57]

This reminds me of the electric guitar market and the marketplace tension between US-made Fenders/Gibsons and their Asian-made equivalents. For some folks, the extra cost of the original, US-made instruments is worth the exorbitant premium, while for others (maybe even most) the deep discount of the Asian-made versions far outweighs any perceived quality difference.

It won't be long before we start accusing each other of being cork-sniffers...

It's not even just the price, it's also the fact that SP has an obscene backlog for doubleshot SA.  I think people would still opt for SP if you didn't have to wait a year for your set.

[ChitownM2]

For $75 I decided they are worth it even if they haven't or don't fix the issues. If they get them fixed it will be a bonus for me. I have several other sets I'm interested in coming up for GB but I will have these in hand way before the others even enter production. That alone makes it worthwhile.

[zslane]

This reminds me of the electric guitar market and the marketplace tension between US-made Fenders/Gibsons and their Asian-made equivalents. For some folks, the extra cost of the original, US-made instruments is worth the exorbitant premium, while for others (maybe even most) the deep discount of the Asian-made versions far outweighs any perceived quality difference.

It won't be long before we start accusing each other of being cork-sniffers...

It's not even just the price, it's also the fact that SP has an obscene backlog for doubleshot SA.  I think people would still opt for SP if you didn't have to wait a year for your set.

Yeah, the double-shot SA backlog is a serious impediment to consumer enthusiasm.

However, we don't even know if MaxKeys will accept custom designs at reasonable MOQs, or what sort of QC issues the poor GB agent will have to deal with (especially with regard to novelty legends and color consistency). For example, recent quotes for novelty legend plates seem to have gotten very confused due to the language barrier. I feel that vendors like MaxKeys have a long way to go before they have the same ability to work with designers on custom keysets with the same ease and reliability as SP. It is way too early to start thinking of them as a replacement for SP.

[chuckdee]

^ We don't know any of these things?  With a GB going?  What am I missing?

https://www.keyclack.com/product/group-buy-maxkey-sa/

[Niomosy]

This reminds me of the electric guitar market and the marketplace tension between US-made Fenders/Gibsons and their Asian-made equivalents. For some folks, the extra cost of the original, US-made instruments is worth the exorbitant premium, while for others (maybe even most) the deep discount of the Asian-made versions far outweighs any perceived quality difference.

It won't be long before we start accusing each other of being cork-sniffers...

It's not even just the price, it's also the fact that SP has an obscene backlog for doubleshot SA.  I think people would still opt for SP if you didn't have to wait a year for your set.

Yeah, the double-shot SA backlog is a serious impediment to consumer enthusiasm.

However, we don't even know if MaxKeys will accept custom designs at reasonable MOQs, or what sort of QC issues the poor GB agent will have to deal with (especially with regard to novelty legends and color consistency). For example, recent quotes for novelty legend plates seem to have gotten very confused due to the language barrier. I feel that vendors like MaxKeys have a long way to go before they have the same ability to work with designers on custom keysets with the same ease and reliability as SP. It is way too early to start thinking of them as a replacement for SP.

We're definitely in the early stage with MaxKeys at the moment.  Given the SA hype train right now, a lot of people are excited at the possibility of a new vendor which I understand.  I'm also wondering how things will pan out with MaxKeys in terms of working with designers and our multitude of group buys.  I'm fortunate in that none of the currently planned MaxKeys colorways are ones that I want to pick up so I'm able to wait and see how things go with MaxKeys.

On an optimistic note, even if MaxKeys decides they want to go the route of other Chinese makers and mostly focus their production on a handful of colorways they've chosen, it does at least give buyers an alternative to pick up SA style caps in a nice if basic colorway.  We could end up with them appearing regularly on MassDrop like caps from Vortex and others.  Not entirely a bad scenario for the price.

[zslane]

Yeah, that's true.

If they started offering WoB, BoW, and a basic two-tone gray set, they'd probably have 90% of (prospective) buyers satisfied with just those.

[P1kas]

It seems MaxKeys will be willing to make smaller runs for custom sets, as evidenced by Jchan's current group buy.

I've been speaking in a discord server to some who are dealing with MaxKeys, and it seems they're going to attempt to fix the kerning on the legends for future sets.

As for MOQ, I heard from someone contacting them that they'd do 300 MOQ @ 55ea.

Things are looking exciting! I'm definitely going to joint that "orange on dolch" buy on Keyclack.com.

[Burt Macklin]

And let's hope they'll offer some novelties that don't look awful 

[P1kas]

I don't think they'll be doing any novelties in the short term due to the cost of molds. I think it's good that they'll focus on fixing the legends before doing miscellanious stuff

[moonmaster]

I don't think they'll be doing any novelties in the short term due to the cost of molds. I think it's good that they'll focus on fixing the legends before doing miscellanious stuff

So I am totally ignorant when it comes to key cap manufacturing in general and double shot in particular.  Does fixing the kerning, for example, require new molds?

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[Puddsy]

I don't think they'll be doing any novelties in the short term due to the cost of molds. I think it's good that they'll focus on fixing the legends before doing miscellanious stuff

So I am totally ignorant when it comes to key cap manufacturing in general and double shot in particular.  Does fixing the kerning, for example, require new molds?

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

kinda sorta

some issues can be fixed with a little re-tooling

others require an entirely new mold

just depends on what specific machine they're using

[Niomosy]

I don't think they'll be doing any novelties in the short term due to the cost of molds. I think it's good that they'll focus on fixing the legends before doing miscellanious stuff

They're doing novelties.

[zslane]

I don't think they'll be doing any novelties in the short term due to the cost of molds. I think it's good that they'll focus on fixing the legends before doing miscellanious stuff

So I am totally ignorant when it comes to key cap manufacturing in general and double shot in particular.  Does fixing the kerning, for example, require new molds?

No. Creating new legends do not involve making new molds. They involve making new legend plates, which I guess are a kind of mold, but it's best not to confuse terminology.

[moonmaster]

I don't think they'll be doing any novelties in the short term due to the cost of molds. I think it's good that they'll focus on fixing the legends before doing miscellanious stuff

So I am totally ignorant when it comes to key cap manufacturing in general and double shot in particular.  Does fixing the kerning, for example, require new molds?

No. Creating new legends do not involve making new molds. They involve making new legend plates, which I guess are a kind of mold, but it's best not to confuse terminology.

Thanks.  Are there any videos or other resources available for someone who wants to learn about this topic?

Also... so excited for Honeywell. 

[tp4tissue]

This reminds me of the electric guitar market and the marketplace tension between US-made Fenders/Gibsons and their Asian-made equivalents. For some folks, the extra cost of the original, US-made instruments is worth the exorbitant premium, while for others (maybe even most) the deep discount of the Asian-made versions far outweighs any perceived quality difference.

It won't be long before we start accusing each other of being cork-sniffers...

Hahahahahahhaha

keyboards / kecaps are low tech..  international will produce better products at ALL prices..

Even guitars, it's not high tech..


The issue is, when the US based parent company doesn't pass the savings onto the consumer, rather they're keeping it for themselves..


So, it's never the producer's fault,  it's the parent company being more greedy.

[zslane]

keyboards / kecaps are low tech..  international will produce better products at ALL prices..

I see little evidence that asian keyboard product (outside of Japan) is made to the quality standards expected in the west/Japan unless there is a western/Japanese representative overseeing production (which adds to the cost, of course). Treating mech keyboard components as low-end commodity products undeserving of a higher degree of quality control is a good way to alienate western/Japanese consumers.

[Niomosy]

The funny thing about those lower quality manufacturers is that markets like China are pretty significant for SP and GMK group buys many times. 

[zslane]

Well sure. But it only takes a fraction of 1% of China's computer-using population to appreciate (and be able to afford) high-end US-made keycaps to push a MassDrop group buy through the roof in terms of sales numbers. That doesn't change the fact that the low-end preferences of the other 99+% dominate the production practices of their own country.

[P1kas]

Once they fix kerning, I fail to see why MaxKeys should be considered "low quality". The caps themselves are apparently excellent.

[Niomosy]

Once they fix kerning, I fail to see why MaxKeys should be considered "low quality". The caps themselves are apparently excellent.

Depends on how good their quality control is on the keycaps they sell. 

[zslane]

Once they fix kerning, I fail to see why MaxKeys should be considered "low quality". The caps themselves are apparently excellent.

There are lots of ways in which the two-shot process can (mistakenly or accidentally) result in bad keycaps. It is then up to someone (or a department of someones) to check the keycaps and make sure the bad ones don't go out to customers. Depending on the experience of the operators, the yield can vary considerably, and depending on the diligence of the QC team, the number of faulty keys that reach customers can be quite high.

[ChitownM2]

Once they fix kerning, I fail to see why MaxKeys should be considered "low quality". The caps themselves are apparently excellent.

As others have mentioned, QC is very important for individual caps to make sure they are perfect, but on a larger scale QC/processes are also very important. For example, how well they control the color process is very important. You could end up with keys that are supposed to match but don't. This could be in the same batch or 2 years down the road. SP is able to produce the same color over and over again. Traditionally chinese manufacturers haven't been good at these type of things. Right now they may source their dyes from cheapest place A and in three months it might be place B. When price is the #1 concern then things like QC, consistency, etc all take a back seat. SP & GMK are basically the opposite because they know enough people will pay to keep them in business as long as the quality is kept high.

[potatobot]

I got my Purple and white and Black SA Maxkey set from taobao a few weeks back(posted it on reddit). Hence, SA BLACK LOTUS



Anyways, got too excited and mixed them both on a build im currently dying to finish (kbd75 spacebar stab issue)



Im really sorry bout some keys being in the wrong place and that flipped "s"

But the thing is, this keyset isn't half as bad as i thought they would be.

Pros
- SA profile
- The font looks good (unlike other SA/DSA copies)
- Base set came with 127 keys (this includes novelty keys)
- Thicc ABS
- Doubleshot
- Got them in less than a month

Cons
- Texture was a bit matte compared to an Sp SA Carbon keycap i have
- Some kerning issues
- They also sound differently with SP SA caps
- A friend mentioned that he preferred r4 bottom row

Overall i really like them for their looks, sadly SA profile isn't for me and i had to resell them locally for the price i paid for them. It was fun mocking up SA black lotus though 

Hope to see more vendors working with them so they can improve, also DSA doubleshot please!

[ChitownM2]

Those look pretty good. The kerning issues are apparent if you're looking for them, but otherwise pretty clean. Especially for the price.

One thing I don't get is why they use a 1 in F1 but use I in F10, F11, & F12. That doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. That seems like an easy fix they would have caught right away.

[clappingcactus]

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Why is the key angling so weird throughout the keyboard?

[ghostdeini]

So as far as color selection goes, does Maxkeys offer the same range of colors as SP for those interested in running groupbuys?

[potatobot]

Why is the key angling so weird throughout the keyboard?

The switches are not soldered, just mounted them on to test fit and see how it looks.

[zslane]

One thing I don't get is why they use a 1 in F1 but use I in F10, F11, & F12. That doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. That seems like an easy fix they would have caught right away.

Yeah it is strange that they made the double-digit F keys using I and O instead of 1 and 0, the way SP used to. I can only imagine they did that in the misguided belief that it was what the community expected/wanted (because SP did it that way).

[P1kas]

Some speculate that they're using old SP moulds. Hack'd by Geeks had very similar kerning issues with "SHIF T". I hadn't noticed the discrepancy in the F keys. It's not major, but another mistake to add to the list.

[zslane]

Most of the speculation doesn't appear to be based on much solid information. Now, there is the strong possibility that MaxKeys bought their tooling from the liquidated French division of Comptec, not SP (that would be absurd). If so, it stands to reason that MaxKeys ended up with the same type of Gorton pantograph machine that SP uses, and that machine would have come with the same stock font plates.

So no, they aren't using "old SP molds", but they may very well be using copies of the same molds and legend plates that SP uses, but acquired from France.

[brianjking]

I swear no one actually owns these. Been looking on /r/mechmarket and can't find anyone selling a set. Would prefer to get them without going the GB route and waiting. They're definitely pretty damn nice for the price.

[Niomosy]

There's probably only a small number of people that actually have MaxKey sets at this point.  The various group buys seem the best method of getting them. 

[kmba]

Few in the wild right now because the initial run was only sold on taobao I believe.  Now however, you have oco, keyclack, and zfrontier all running 1-3 sets each so you'll see much higher proliferation.  Thinking about making a mashup to get something like this http://bit.ly/2n7FSeT

[BlanketZz]

More comparison is always good for the market.

[dantan]

It's end of April, I'm thinking about Massdrop SA before the buy closes tomorrow, and I still see no update on this thread...

Nobody in the world has Maxkey keycaps?

[schoolbus]

It's end of April, I'm thinking about Massdrop SA before the buy closes tomorrow, and I still see no update on this thread...

Nobody in the world has Maxkey keycaps?

I have a set, what do you want to know?

[SpectreiiI]

My Cyan Dolch set is due in a little more than a month. I would probably go for Ashen if I hadn't already bought 8 sets in the past couple of months. The rest of my money is going to Yuri and Laser and I'll probably call it a year.

[zappysnap]

I have the white on black MaxKeys, and they're really nice. They feel fantastic. This is my first SA profile set and I love it. They're super thick and very well made.

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[OkinaDaikon]

I have the white on black MaxKeys, and they're really nice. They feel fantastic. This is my first SA profile set and I love it. They're super thick and very well made.

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Other than the minor cons, I think they looks very clean. I wanted to purchase a set but I ordered the Penumbra SA from Originative that's coming soon (Hopefully...) I figured that, I could save the amount from a MaxKey SA toward the next SA if I really like it!

I regret not picking up the Orange on Dolch form KeyClack and the Ashen from zFrontier

[P1kas]

After using one of those white-on-black sets from MaxKeys, I do not regret ordering Orange on Dolch.

Supposedly some of the issues with legends will be fixed in Jchan's sets, so I am very excited for what is to come.

[ChitownM2]

Well I would assume that once the legends are fixed that would apply across all sets. Hopefully they do that asap. I would rather have a month delay and get fixed legends than get it now with the kerning that is off.

[PleaseBeMyFriend]

I have the white on black MaxKeys, and they're really nice. They feel fantastic. This is my first SA profile set and I love it. They're super thick and very well made.

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Other than the minor cons, I think they looks very clean. I wanted to purchase a set but I ordered the Penumbra SA from Originative that's coming soon (Hopefully...) I figured that, I could save the amount from a MaxKey SA toward the next SA if I really like it!

I regret not picking up the Orange on Dolch form KeyClack and the Ashen from zFrontier

The Ashen looks so good and I'm sad I missed that as well.

[brianjking]

I have the white on black MaxKeys, and they're really nice. They feel fantastic. This is my first SA profile set and I love it. They're super thick and very well made.

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Other than the minor cons, I think they looks very clean. I wanted to purchase a set but I ordered the Penumbra SA from Originative that's coming soon (Hopefully...) I figured that, I could save the amount from a MaxKey SA toward the next SA if I really like it!

I regret not picking up the Orange on Dolch form KeyClack and the Ashen from zFrontier

I'll have the MaxKeys Portland 129 key set arriving soon and will be looking to sell it. However, I might want to keep the numpad keys for a Cluepad I've got on the way. If you're interested let me know and I'll get you a timestamp when it arrives. IMO it looks better, although similar to zFrontier's Ashen set.

[ChitownM2]

Got shipping notification for my max ashen set this morning. Guess I will report back soon on exactly how good these caps are.

[potatobot]

saw my friend's portland (edited) caps. nice packaging(Better than the first batch)

[daaawooo]

yeah, where are you located guys ?
I have neither shipping info nor package already on mu desk ?

anyone has sales numbers of max ashen ?

the other SA set (Taboo) went very slow, designer declared it limited to 100 sets, then it went pretty fast.
I didn't join because at first I wanted to check my SA max ashen set.

[zslane]

I thought Ashen was white alphas and gray mods.

[potatobot]

I thought Ashen was white alphas and gray mods.

My bad, this is portland.

yeah, where are you located guys ?
I have neither shipping info nor package already on mu desk ?

anyone has sales numbers of max ashen ?

the other SA set (Taboo) went very slow, designer declared it limited to 100 sets, then it went pretty fast.
I didn't join because at first I wanted to check my SA max ashen set.

My bad, the set was portland, i got confused, anyways PH

[ChitownM2]

No idea how many sets of max ashen were sold. I'm not sure if it was ever posted as I think zfrontier was running the GB on their site only.

I was definitely a little worried when potato posted that pic because I'm honestly not a huge fan of that set and was a bit surprised that I had bought it. Turns out I didn't

Anyway I got the notification email this morning, but as of right now the DHL # still isn't "found" when I enter it so I'm guessing they are just in the process of creating labels. Hopefully the # goes active tomorrow so I can at least see when DHL takes possession of the package.

I've bought a couple of SA sets now, but this is going to be the first one I actually receive so I may be adjusting my carbon order depending on how much I like the higher profile.

[daaawooo]

same here, got my shipping email today, but tracking number isn't live yet.

[zappysnap]

I got my shipping notice for Ashen yesterday. The tracking number today shows delivery tomorrow, so we'll see.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

[schoolbus]

TLDR- If you don't mind RE T URN, BACK SPACE, & SHIF T & aren't an ISO user

Then they're really great for the price & turnaround.

If those points are of concern of you, then you might not like them.

Feel/shape profile wise they're on completely on par with SP SA.

[ChitownM2]

My tracking # still isn't active.

Edit: It's active now, it's still awaiting pickup in Shanghai. Probably going to be awhile before i get it....

[zappysnap]

Mine came in. I really like how they look:

[jnthnrvs]

Mine Ashen set was delivered today. To my house.

I'm at work. Like an adult. But I want this like a child. On Christmas morning.

The set isn't  ideal for my current board (a Preonic), but it'll work:


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[ChitownM2]

Looks nice. DHL now says mine will be delivered tomorrow.

Love the goofiness of time zones...my package cleared customs here in Cincinnati before it even left China 

[drakche]

Ashen arrived today.

And I can say.

Daamnnnn.

Sent from my Redmi Pro using Tapatalk

[jnthnrvs]

It's here! And it's hard not to like it.


I think this is the first compact or ortho board I've seen with Maxkey Ashen. It only mostly works.


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[zappysnap]

Here's one more shot of Ashen on my MK Fission:

[zappysnap]

Here are a couple more pics

[jnthnrvs]

Ashen definitely looks it's best on a full layout like that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[daaawooo]

you lucky guys ... i still have to wait till Monday.

shipment landed 30 hrs ago 1-2 miles away, 20 hrs ago completed processing, but "DHL Express" seems not to work on Saturday (vs. normal DHL w/o Express) ... strange 

hope the customs clearing notice from my location was true, even the shipment still was in china, otherwise I don't believe in Monday.

[rustywok]

Wanting a Maxkey Portland set. Hopefully my wallet will have time to refill before it's sold out. (This winter and spring have pretty much devastated my mech budget. So much great stuff = less and less money to keep buying.) 

[Justins7]

I just got my Ashen set — and it's much better than I expected. Very thick plastic, with a satin finish, the grey is almost like silver. I even kinda like the kerning flaws (it makes it look more quirky). Bravo!

[xantiema]

Will the Nuclear SA set have the kernel improvements?

[daaawooo]

Will the Nuclear SA set have the kernel improvements?

buy one and report back to us  or wait for the reports in August/September from us.

I bet the kerning flaws are NOT fixed but I'm not that hardcore typography-freak, it doesn't bother me. I'm with @Justins7 on this.

[rustywok]

Will the Nuclear SA set have the kernel improvements?

buy one and report back to us  or wait for the reports August/September from us.

I bet the kerning flaws are NOT fixed but I'm not that hardcore typography-freak, it doesn't bother me. I'm with @Justins7 on this.

The kerning flaws don't bother me any either and I took a couple of semesters of typography back in art school.
Also, I decided to go for a Portland set anyway and bought one a day before it sold out. It's on its way already.
And what is this about SA Nuclear? It's going to be run through Maxkeys now? I guess I'll see how much I like the satin finish first.    nvm...saw the GB on zfrontier.

[daaawooo]

If I had found a better taobao agent, then I would brought a portland set.

My agent had besides his normal fee a strange exchange rate for EUR.
Currently EUR is very strong, US$ weak.
His exchange rate from CNY -> $ was pretty much the same as on xe.com.
But for EUR it was not acceptable, so I skipped portland.

Anybody knows better agents for taobao or can recommend a proxy for me in Germany ? (or us in Europe?)

[19820815]

waiting for a big run

[daaawooo]

Big in numbers like Carbon ?

Until Maxkey has more molds and doing kits for TKL's, 60%, 40%, ISO, plancks, etc. or/and fixing the kerning flaws for the typographicfreaks I believe most people avoid Maxkey dispite the positive feedback here.

Anybody has some numbers on sales of the maxkey sets ?
(The SA Taboo was limited to 100 after GB was going slow and in danger not to make MoQ.)

[xantiema]

If I had found a better taobao agent, then I would brought a portland set.

My agent had besides his normal fee a strange exchange rate for EUR.
Currently EUR is very strong, US$ weak.
His exchange rate from CNY -> $ was pretty much the same as on xe.com.
But for EUR it was not acceptable, so I skipped portland.

Anybody knows better agents for taobao or can recommend a proxy for me in Germany ? (or us in Europe?)

I ordered straight of frontiers site. Is this inferior in shipping price? Free shipping cost over 100$ when I ordered. Not sure what the agent would do better here..

[daaawooo]

I ordered straight of frontiers site. Is this inferior in shipping price? Free shipping cost over 100$ when I ordered. Not sure what the agent would do better here..

Portland was also on zFrontier ?

I got my Max Ashen from zFrontier. For the last months they are only having maxkeys sets that are not on Taobao and vice versa.
And zFrontier is pretty new, just a few months open - I thought.

Sure for zFrontier I don't need a agent/proxy, site is in English, they ship to Germany and if over $100 then for free. (free DHL Express from China was faster than DHL Global Prio... from MD).

But at Taobao many sellers don"t ship to Germany or only at insane rates.
In contrast at Aliexpress nearly every seller ships to Germany and for very good shipping rates or even for free. But Maxkey sets weren't  listed only oem/cherry-profile rip-offs of great color schemes from SP SA / GMK sets of the last years.

My agent fixed his insane exchange rates for CNY -> EUR, so I ordered Portland.

[schoolbus]

Fairly positive only one of the two was on Zfrontir (Ashen?) and Portland was only available directly from Maxkey's Taobao store.

I might have them mixed up, but yeah.

[xantiema]

I wasn't aware you were talking about Portland, my bad. Ashen was on Zfrontier, not portland

[rustywok]

I bought my Portland set at KDBfans. They called it a group buy but it worked pretty much like any online store.

https://kbdfans.myshopify.com/

They are sold out now.

[kivx]

MAXKEY Portland





Comparsion
Left: SP Camping
Right: MAXKEY




I also bought Purple, Black, and Ashen.

[zslane]

Any idea what the SP color code is for those gray alphas in the Portland set?

[P1kas]

I doubt there will be a perfect match, however there may be an SP color that is close

[zslane]

Ah, good point. The plastic supplier probably isn't the same. Though it could be...

[phinix]

When Maxkey will do ISO sets?
I'm waiting for that moment...

[zslane]

What is MaxKey's MOQ per kit?

[xeverie]

I bought the Portland. To be honest, I like the sound and build of it more than the SA SP set that I have.
Fortunately the incompatibility issues I face can be easily solved with an artisan cap..

ps.
There's a random black and orange set on Taobao right now:
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.8.ebb2eb24flUSm&id=555959841401&ns=1&abbucket=11#detail

[Niomosy]

When Maxkey will do ISO sets?
I'm waiting for that moment...

You've have to get MaxKeys to first invest in molds to support ISO.  That or hold buys that could generate enough money to buy the molds for MaxKeys.

[zslane]

It's hard to believe that the French Comtec mold collection didn't include an ISO Return key in SA format.

I just assume that the problem isn't the lack of the necessary mold, but a lack of demand for ISO in general. If MaxKeys has a high MOQ, I can easily see them rejecting ISO kits on that basis.

[ChitownM2]

When Maxkey will do ISO sets?
I'm waiting for that moment...

I have to imagine it is going to be quite awhile. They haven't even made the investment to fix the kerning issues on the kits they are already selling. Nor are they really willing to accommodate novelty keys (I know they technically do but the cost is supposedly prohibitive) both of which seem like they would be much cheaper to implement.  For now it seems like they are content to be the SA version of the $30 chinese GMK knock-offs we see on taobao and other places.

[Niomosy]

It's hard to believe that the French Comtec mold collection didn't include an ISO Return key in SA format.

I just assume that the problem isn't the lack of the necessary mold, but a lack of demand for ISO in general. If MaxKeys has a high MOQ, I can easily see them rejecting ISO kits on that basis.

To be honest, I was wondering the same thing.  I would think MaxKeys would offer ISO if they've got the molds.

[zslane]

I suppose if French Comtec never experienced any marketplace demand for SA, they might never have bothered to make an ISO Return mold. After all, SA was not really an active profile until recently, right? I think SP only made one because the present day community clamored for it.

[Niomosy]

I don't think SA was very popular until very recently.  I can't imagine there was much call for it out of commercial need.  Wasn't it 7-bit that really started or at least helped drive the early SA push?

[LiamOS]

Just received mine today! I got the ninja set, black on black.


Was expecting it to look a lot more shiny based on the renders. Love how they feel though. Will get them on a board soon to try it out.


One interesting thing I noticed is that the numpad 2u keys (numpad 0, enter, +) are all exactly the same profile, being row 3.
Anyone rocking an ansi clueboard with the split space, take note!


And now it's on my board!

[zslane]

One interesting thing I noticed is that the numpad 2u keys (numpad 0, enter, +) are all exactly the same profile, being row 3.

Yes, that would be considered "normal" for SA keysets.

[blighty]

I personally like the matte texture of the Maxkey SA caps.  The dolch set feels great

[zslane]

That SA Dolch looks pretty tasty. Too bad it doesn't have red Return and Escape keys.

[blighty]

That SA Dolch looks pretty tasty. Too bad it doesn't have red Return and Escape keys.

Yeah, that would look nice.  I have some Round 5 red accent keys I could pop on, but not in the mood to mix Maxkeys' matte finish with SP's semi/glossy keycaps. 

[daaawooo]

They haven't even made the investment to fix the kerning issues on the kits they are already selling.

from the SA Fotune thread https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=90403.0;topicseen it sounded if a buyer / group buy wants this fixes, he has to invest  - like ~10 bucks for 3 fixes (2x SHIFT, 1x ALT) per set per group buy. with MoQ low as 100, this only amounts to 1000 bucks for 3 "half" (or full) molds.

after somebody did this investment, will other group buys profit from this ?

3 "old" sets currently in a re-run with some fixes -> https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=90853.0;topicseen
with £66 ~ 74 €, the fixes are for free (or in margin of fluctant exchange rate).

Nor are they really willing to accommodate novelty keys (I know they technically do but the cost is supposedly prohibitive) both of which seem like they would be much cheaper to implement.

changes are on the way ... less cherries, less flowers, less fruits ...
from looking at https://en.zfrontier.com/collections/keysets/products/maxkey-superheroi?variant=35180072907
25 bucks for 10 novelties (3x 1u, 7x 1.25u - 2.75u) is not that pricey !
compared to carbon mac kit ("less" material needed, 10 "no real" novelties keys, if you count them as real novelties, only 2 different novelties in 3 different widths <- kinda only 2 "half" new molds) drop point 1 was 24.99, final sale (and last) drop point was 17.99


EDIT:
got an email from zfrontier today ...

Maxkey SA SuperHero I:
Legends Fixed!
Breaking news from Maxkey: Legend molds have been updated, and previous issues with "SHIF T" and "BACK SPACE" will be fixed!

[Esquimo]

Know it's an old post but thought I'd add my MAXKEY, it's a mix of Orange & Black with some Ninja modifiers.

[rowdy]

Know it's an old post but thought I'd add my MAXKEY, it's a mix of Orange & Black with some Ninja modifiers.

Is that a photo or a render?

Looks too clean to be a photo ...

[Esquimo]

Is that a photo or a render?
Looks too clean to be a photo ...

Sorry for the late reply, it's a photo, taken with off camera flash and a real camera (DSLR with a 105mm micro lens), with canned air used to get rid of most of the dust/particles and the like. It'd just been put together, so new and unused at the time the image was shot, which also explains the almost unreal product shot crispness.

[emenelopee]

Given this thread has been resurrected, I'll share my Maxkey CMYW kit and Cyan 3-key kit.

https://kbdfans.myshopify.com/products/maxkey-cmyw-plus-27keys-1
https://kbdfans.myshopify.com/products/maxkey-sa-3keys



Colours adjusted a little to match reality.

REVIEW: the colours are certainly not pure CMY. C and Y are close-ish, but the two attempts at M are a miss - one too pink, the other too purple. I'm using the purple ones. All colours are closer to pastel than vivid, hence the colour adjustment as the original picture makes them more vivid than in reality. Left hand lighting is desk lamp, right hand is overcast against a window.

VERDICT: overall the colours are off and much too pastel, gives it a look more like Lego's misguided attempts at "Pastel Lego for Girls" than traditional vivid Lego. But hey; at least it's some pop and the profiles fit.

5/10

Know it's an old post but thought I'd add my MAXKEY, it's a mix of Orange & Black with some Ninja modifiers.

EDIT: Your photo is what Ninjas should have been, not the more-grey-than-black of the actual caps. In fact the CMY of the extended kit is to CMY as the Ninjas are to black. Good enough but could have been much better.