Difference in newly released Leopold keycaps?

[jcoffin1981]

My Leopold FC660M just took a dive after spilling liquid into it.  I'm going to buy a new one and I see that there are new colors available and these have double shot PBT caps instead of the standard with pad printing.  Does double shot change the feeling at all, maybe because of difference in density?  Or can I expect this to be pretty consistent with my previous board?

[Puddsy]

My Leopold FC660M just took a dive after spilling liquid into it.  I'm going to buy a new one and I see that there are new colors available and these have double shot PBT caps instead of the standard with pad printing.  Does double shot change the feeling at all, maybe because of difference in density?  Or can I expect this to be pretty consistent with my previous board?

it'll feel a bit different, but the general impression i get is that people like the new leopold doubleshot caps.

[RehnMan]

Im no expert, but shouldnt double shot thicker caps clack deeper and more pronounced when bottomed out?

[davkol]

I call for a proper ABX test, if anyone claims to recognize different keycap-printing methods by sound.

[jcoffin1981]

Im no expert, but shouldnt double shot thicker caps clack deeper and more pronounced when bottomed out?

See this is the feedback I'm looking for.  It is all subjective but still helpful.  If I really dislike them I can always pop the old keycaps back on.  I do love that blue/grey color though.

[Polymer]

My Leopold FC660M just took a dive after spilling liquid into it.  I'm going to buy a new one and I see that there are new colors available and these have double shot PBT caps instead of the standard with pad printing.  Does double shot change the feeling at all, maybe because of difference in density?  Or can I expect this to be pretty consistent with my previous board?

They feel better IMO...significantly so...very very solid..and I'd say one of the best stock keycaps out there.  I'd say their quality is right there with GMK and they feel more solid IMO...

[ThoughtArtist]

I'd go for the Varmillo with chicken dinner dyesubs over that as there's more character

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=3214

[losing_ctrl]

My impressions are that the older, non double shot PBT caps have a smoother top and feel very premium in their own right. The newer double shot "PD" caps are also very nice, and they have a more textured, pebbly top.  I like both, and I think you can't go wrong either way.

Here's my standard PBT keycapped board:



The bottom board in this picture is my PD board:



I also had a FC980M PD, and it was similar, very nice keycaps, a premium experience.  However I still very much enjoy the non-PD non-double shot PBT keycaps as well.  They are two flavors of goodness.   

[HotRoderX]

why not get the new ones and if they don't work out sell them on mechmarket? I am sure someone out there would want them. Then you can recoup some of your cost on the replacement board. Though honestly pad print vs double shot. I think I be all over double shot.

[zappysnap]

The stock Leopold caps are absolutely outstanding quality.  Very clean legends, and thick PBT.  They feel fantastic.  I did end up replacing mine with a different set just for aesthetics, but that set was also very thick PBT. I'd have no qualms at all going back to the stock caps (and probably will from time to time).  I also have a set of stock Varmilo caps, which are PBT Dye-sub, and while those caps are very nice, they aren't as good as Leopold's stock caps.  IMO, they are every bit as high quality as anything from SP or GMK.

My FC980M with stock caps:


The underside of the caps:

[jcoffin1981]

Zappysnap, correct me if I'm wrong, but these are the double shot caps that I was referring to and not the original Leopold caps.  I don't think I like the idea of the caps being more textured than the original caps, as losing_ctrl described.  Anyways with that being said I can always swap the double shots for the caps on the broken Leopold board.  I can't see a reason not to get the newer board with the blue-grey colors I like.

Unless somebody wants to talk me out of it...?  I'm going to put in my pre-order.

[jcoffin1981]

I pre-ordered the FC660M PD double shot.  I was gonna go with the standard PBT and pad printing, but these are not available now.  SO I'll take a chance, but I' msure I'll like them.

[Polymer]

I pre-ordered the FC660M PD double shot.  I was gonna go with the standard PBT and pad printing, but these are not available now.  SO I'll take a chance, but I' msure I'll like them.

I'm sure you'll like them...they're better than the older caps..

I'm sure if you don't like them, you can trade them to someone with the older ones...to me that'd be a no brainer trade (for them).

[jcoffin1981]

I pre-ordered the FC660M PD double shot.  I was gonna go with the standard PBT and pad printing, but these are not available now.  SO I'll take a chance, but I' msure I'll like them.

I'm sure you'll like them...they're better than the older caps..

I'm sure if you don't like them, you can trade them to someone with the older ones...to me that'd be a no brainer trade (for them).

I still have my old caps, but this is reassuring.  I'm still waiting for the board to be shipped; maybe tomorrow?  I will update. 

[jcoffin1981]

Manufacturering delays.  The new Leopold will not be available to mid-June.  I bought it from a Korean seller on ebay.  It did cost me 45 dollars more.

Here is an image of the board in a color pattern that wont be available here. By the way I'm totally colorblind.  Is that black and gray with with blue fonts?

[nguyenhimself]

Manufacturering delays.  The new Leopold will not be available to mid-June.  I bought it from a Korean seller on ebay.  It did cost me 45 dollars more.

Here is an image of the board in a color pattern that wont be available here. By the way I'm totally colorblind.  Is that black and gray with with blue fonts?

(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)

Yeah, the alphas are blue/cyan. It's almost identical to the GMK Sky Dolch set.

[jcoffin1981]

I received this a week early from Korea on Ebay and I knew this when the mailman made a special trip up my driveway cuz it won't fit in the mailbox.  Been looking forward to this.   I'm not gonna turn this into a review, I suck at those anyways.  You can follow this from my OP about  differences in keycap design.

I purchased the FC660M from a private seller as MKB did not have them available.  The are the same except the PBT keycaps are now doubleshot. The board with the double shots is 735 grams and the original PBT board is 725g. 

I compared the thickness of doubleshot and the original keycaps and they are identical using a digital caliper, 1.5 mm.

I have to say I am definitely a fan of the older boards better, probably contrary to local opinion. These new PD Doubleshot keycaps are very coarse and there is a louder clack sound, and the keystroke is not as pleasing. I tried swapping keycap sets and they help a little, but not much. (Sorry, I'm not ready to sell them just yet 

The issue here is the switches themselves are different as they were manufactured at a later date.  The prev. board is 2 years older, or more.  These on the PD are more tactile going down, and coming up there is quite a bit of tactile feedback that was not there before.  I realize the board is new and not "broken in" yet, but this is not happening on the un-worn switches on the previous board.  Some may find this tedious, but to me it's a lot.  What I'll probably do is replace or modify the switches that are acting up the most.  Now this can also be seen when the keypresses are not hit dead center there is a coarse bump as the switches are resetting themselves, especially the space bar; and it is sluggish to do so.

I'm not trying to discourage anybody from buying this- it's great  out of the box.  The Cherry opponents who claim they are "scratchy linears" may actually like the "improvements."  I wonder if there are some new plants or some new machines that are now making switches.  This is probably in the slider leg or the leaf.

Edit: there is no need to make this any longer, but as I'm typing I am starting to adjust to these problems. I'd like to get some feedback from  somebody else before opening the board and voiding my warranty, but lets face it, I was probably going to do that anyway, lol.  Just to recap- 1. more tactile feedback on the up and downstroke "less smooth," 2. Switch can be slow to reset for larger keys.
I have tried swapping out key sets so we can eliminate that as a variable.

[portbaron]

The issue here is the switches themselves are different as they were manufactured at a later date.  The prev. board is 2 years older, or more.  These on the PD are more tactile going down, and coming up there is quite a bit of tactile feedback that was not there before. 

Cherry switches changed in the last 2 years? Not sure about that.

[jcoffin1981]

The issue here is the switches themselves are different as they were manufactured at a later date.  The prev. board is 2 years older, or more.  These on the PD are more tactile going down, and coming up there is quite a bit of tactile feedback that was not there before. 

Cherry switches changed in the last 2 years? Not sure about that.

I don't wanna spread anything that is untrue.  I have heard a lot of this retooling and was wondering if this applies here.  I'm not well imformed and am left with speculation only.  I do love problem solving, especially my problems. Thanks fellas.

[davkol]

The issue here is the switches themselves are different as they were manufactured at a later date.  The prev. board is 2 years older, or more.  These on the PD are more tactile going down, and coming up there is quite a bit of tactile feedback that was not there before. 

Cherry switches changed in the last 2 years? Not sure about that.

CHERRY switches have NEW stems, supersmooth!

[portbaron]

The issue here is the switches themselves are different as they were manufactured at a later date.  The prev. board is 2 years older, or more.  These on the PD are more tactile going down, and coming up there is quite a bit of tactile feedback that was not there before. 

Cherry switches changed in the last 2 years? Not sure about that.

CHERRY switches have NEW stems, supersmooth!

Interesting. This should make them better IMO though. Not sure how that plays in to bumps on the tactiles. The only cherry switches I had before 2 years ago were blacks and blues, and I dumped my old black board when I got a newer one with blacks so now I can't even compare them lol. But that one would have been 7 years old so the wear would have been a significant factor.

[Polymer]

Yeah that whole thing doesn't sense..

How are they tactile on the way up? Sounds like some of your keys are getting stuck as well which shouldn't be the case at all.

Sounds like to me your issue isn't the keycaps (as was your question in the OP) but actually the keyboard itself....

I'll say, from experience, these are better than the old Leopold keycaps...and as I said before, if you want to swap them out I'm sure you can do it easily on the classifieds...       

I don't think the keycaps are in particular any more course than some other sets...but PBT keycaps will vary in texture (as does ABS).

[SpAmRaY]

I just bought a lightly used PD 980M with browns (did I  mention I always thought I hated browns?) and I actually kind of like them now at least in this keyboard.

Caps aren't rough at all and nothing hangs up.

Maybe it feels a little weird if I very slowly press a key down and slowly let it rebound but in normal typing it's very snappy.

I have mainly been using silent reds for some time now so perhaps my fingers are biased.

Also I use an epdm rubber mat under all my keyboards (fohat.digs sells them).


Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[jcoffin1981]

I just bought a lightly used PD 980M with browns (did I  mention I always thought I hated browns?) and I actually kind of like them now at least in this keyboard.

Caps aren't rough at all and nothing hangs up.

Maybe it feels a little weird if I very slowly press a key down and slowly let it rebound but in normal typing it's very snappy.

This just goes to show how wildly everyone's opinion of what is smooth, hard, rough, scratchy, tactile, etc. differs.

The keys are not getting hung up and this happens with the original keycap set as well as the newly included one.  If you took each key and slowly depressed and released it so it would actuate and reset, this is what tactility on the way up feels like.  SpAmRaY noted something like this in his posting. This is an exaggerated example but it relays what I am trying to express.  The reason this was my favorite MX board is because you could barely feel the tactility in the MX Browns on the Leo.  It's the only board that has ever felt like this, which is why I was in a rush and did not want to wait until June's est. ship date.  One might say I should try linears and actually the other board almost feels like linears, but I have not done so yet.  Whether or not they behave this way because they were manufactured on newer machines, or they simply have not broken in yet, IDK. 

Yes my original concern was the difference in feel of the newer style keycaps, but this is something totally different.  I also don't think anything is hanging up nor is the board defective.  It seems nobody wants to take my statement at face value.  That's okay; I don't need validation.  I don't want to part with the keycaps right now but do like the older ones better.  I will give the board a little time to break in, but what I'll probably do is just swap out the switches from the older Leopold.  It's only about 66 switches so I can do it in a couple hours.

__Let me qualify my statement/question by saying I highly recommend this board to anybody who likes this form factor without the extra bells and whistles.  Some great value here.  I just wanted to know from the veterans (those in the know) were aware of any changes to Cherry's switches.  I've never replaced an identical board and had it feel different from the original (except for the rubber dome style boards).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

[Polymer]

This just goes to show how wildly everyone's opinion of what is smooth, hard, rough, scratchy, tactile, etc. differs.

The keys are not getting hung up and this happens with the original keycap set as well as the newly included one.  If you took each key and slowly depressed and released it so it would actuate and reset, this is what tactility on the way up feels like.  SpAmRaY noted something like this in his posting. This is an exaggerated example but it relays what I am trying to express.  The reason this was my favorite MX board is because you could barely feel the tactility in the MX Browns on the Leo.  It's the only board that has ever felt like this, which is why I was in a rush and did not want to wait until June's est. ship date.  One might say I should try linears and actually the other board almost feels like linears, but I have not done so yet.  Whether or not they behave this way because they were manufactured on newer machines, or they simply have not broken in yet, IDK. 

Yes my original concern was the difference in feel of the newer style keycaps, but this is something totally different.  I also don't think anything is hanging up nor is the board defective.  It seems nobody wants to take my statement at face value.  That's okay; I don't need validation.  I don't want to part with the keycaps right now but do like the older ones better.  I will give the board a little time to break in, but what I'll probably do is just swap out the switches from the older Leopold.  It's only about 66 switches so I can do it in a couple hours.

__Let me qualify my statement/question by saying I highly recommend this board to anybody who likes this form factor without the extra bells and whistles.  Some great value here.  I just wanted to know from the veterans (those in the know) were aware of any changes to Cherry's switches.  I've never replaced an identical board and had it feel different from the original (except for the rubber dome style boards).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Maybe it is your description..at face value is exactly what people are taking your posts at...maybe you're not describing them very well....You've edited your post so obviously there was some confusion

I still don't understand what you mean by slow to reset for the larger keys...you've said it doesn't catch but yet how can they be slow to reset if they're not catching?  Are you doing something in particular to test this out?   

Your description for tactility on the upstroke, I can see where browns do that...but who types like that?  But from experience, worn in browns are so much smoother and even sound different...but the new switches are supposed to be a lot smoother.  The only new MX switches I've bought were the silent mx and I didn't think they were smoother.....This btw, is not exclusive to Leopold but just the switches themselves...they wear in and get smoother and they're far more enjoyable...I think Browns go through the biggest transformation because I think new browns are ok (again, haven't tried the newest ones that are apparently smoother) but worn in browns are fantastic...

Have you put the new keycaps onto your older board that has issues just to test out the feel? 

[jcoffin1981]

Maybe I'm not always being clear after late night posting.  When somebody said "catching," I assume that meant some kind of physical deformity in the keycap where there was friction preventing proper motion.  The biggest problem key is the spacebar which pops up slower. It makes it feel less responsive and an off center push makes it behave strange. BTW, this has improved for the spacebar, being the most used key it may have broken in.  I have tried swapping all of the keycaps with the originals and it has not made a difference in the rest of the keys. 

Anyways, my issue if I was not clear is that this board feels grossly different from the original in that all of the keys, the bump is considerably more discernible on the upstroke and downstroke and it feels awkward, and I was expecting the identical replacement board.  I have noticed this on even the keys that I NEVER use like the brackets, so it's not the keys breaking in, although this does happen to a degree and has happened I'm sure over time.

I have found on some Reddit posts and GH posts that Cherry has retooled their machines and the Brown among other switcher are crisper, smoother, and more tactile.  While to most this is more desirable, I prefer the original. Call me crazy. All my boards are 2 years old or older, so I have not used any new switches. On the old board compared to the new the bump is virtually undetectable. On the new, using enough force to break through causes me to bottom out. The bump is supposed to prevent this.  So I have a few options.

1. Switch to linears
2. Swap the old switches for the new
3. Do nothing and hope the break-in period helps the problem to a certain extent, which it probably will

I do appreciate the feedback and troubleshooting help, thank you, though the issue it seems is just updated or a different batch of switches which I suspected.  I will probably opt for option number 3 as they do smooth out over time, and I can't be bothered.  I'll probably try linears on the new Leopolds, which is still my fave stock board.

[Polymer]

Call me crazy. All my boards are 2 years old or older, so I have not used any new switches. On the old board compared to the new the bump is virtually undetectable. On the new, using enough force to break through causes me to bottom out. The bump is supposed to prevent this. 

The bump does no such thing...

This is where people go off the rails...Bottoming out lightly is and should be normal..not bottoming out at all means you're typing wrong...Somewhere, someone thought of some pie in the sky idea that the tactile bump tells you when you should stop pressing..but that isn't how that works...If you're pressing slow enough to actually react to a tactile bump, you're pressing too slowly...although I can imagine how you're feeling the upstroke is because you're controlling your down and upstroke because you're trying not to bottom out.

[jcoffin1981]

Call me crazy. All my boards are 2 years old or older, so I have not used any new switches. On the old board compared to the new the bump is virtually undetectable. On the new, using enough force to break through causes me to bottom out. The bump is supposed to prevent this. 

The bump does no such thing...

This is where people go off the rails...Bottoming out lightly is and should be normal..not bottoming out at all means you're typing wrong...Somewhere, someone thought of some pie in the sky idea that the tactile bump tells you when you should stop pressing..but that isn't how that works...If you're pressing slow enough to actually react to a tactile bump, you're pressing too slowly...although I can imagine how you're feeling the upstroke is because you're controlling your down and upstroke because you're trying not to bottom out.

I don't think it's fair to call people who try to not bottom out "off the rails," or abnormal typists.  I'm not fast and I'm not slow.  I average 60-70 wpm on a mech (sure I can type a little faster, but I'd be bouncing off the metal plate) and can push 80-90wpm on a Logitech scissor, probably because of the shorter travel distance.  Bottoming out jolts my fingertips and joints and I can't stand the sound.  I like when the last 0.2 to  0.4mm of the keystroke cushions and decelerates, so you never feel the bottom.  This gives me pleasure, so what?  There is some expression, "cloud of boobies" I heard on GH I think it was.  I've also found I'm missing characters and  have to go back because of the extra force required.  When I push harder I bottom out which I don't like, but don't miss characters at least. It's been a long time since I've had to think about how hard to press each key.

I don't think there is anything wrong with my typing style, though I'm sure more than half of typists do bottom out. I would not call this abnormal either.  This is a matter of preference, not correct form.  I might add I'm one of the few people in existence that still have a Blackberry. RIM has what, 1% of the market? I just can't stand bouncing my fingertip off of a plate of glass.  I don't know if the mechanical bump of a key is really designed to inform the user that the key has actuated, or just to give some feedback.  I don't like how it jolts my fingers either, so I may be trying reds soon. 


I do think switches should actuate at more like 1.5 and stop at 3mm, though I'm sure there is some hard science for constructing the switches the way they do. I like my fingers to "float."  I'd love for some body to try my old board to see the remarkable difference, and I bet they may enjoy it!

[Polymer]

You can choose to type however you want....

But you're giving up tons of speed and probably creating added tension in doing so...It definitely isn't proper..you can type however you want but it isn't proper - BUT WHO CARES..just don't try to say it is.....Saying probably half of all typists bottom out....LOL...99.9% of all typers (or more) bottom out...Any scissor switch or rubber dome user is bottoming out and most Mech keyboard typists bottom out..

If you don't want a hard bottom out, you can easily just add o-rings which soften that..and it reduces travel as well which sounds like something you're interested in..this will increase your speed given you're trying not to bottom out right now...

And a "cloud of boobies" tends to refer to Topre...which you have to bottom out unless you're using 30g...the collapse is too sudden for you to stop from bottoming out.....

[ptykozoon]

ouch

[jcoffin1981]

Polymer, I think you are beng a little hard on me or others who wish to type as I do.  Now I have no way of quantifying this, but I suspect that I am typing a few tenths of a mm shy of bottoming out.  This is very comfortable for me. The bottom of the spring is the stiffiest and absorbs and helps to decelerate the keystroke.  Proponents of MX Clears seem to love that they can type without bottoming out and their fingers are ultimately doing less overall work (bottoming out is damn tiring).  If I type as fast as I can I can hit a few wpm faster, but experience that jarring and you know what?....  I make more mistakes.

With all that being said I do appreciate your input and I do think you are trying to be helpful and not stubborn or arrogant. "To each his own," as the saying goes.  I will add that the switches have broken in a tiny bit, but I doubt that they will more, but who knows.  They are still different.  I intend to experiment with other linears,  though I suspect reds will be too light and blacks too heavy- there is only one way to find out.  I can buy the boards used without too much of an investment and make a decision for myself about other switches.

I will add that the switches may have broken in a tiny bit, but it's hard to say for sure.  Again, whether you call it helpfulness, input, or criticism, I do appreciate it.  I'm sure I can build through trial and error a switch more to my liking, but ATM I have other priorites such as getting my carreer in order.   Hopefully somebody can benefit from this thread.  WIth all that said, this is still my favorite out of the box board (the Leopold FC660M).

[ander]

My Leopold FC660M just took a dive after spilling liquid into it.  I'm going to buy a new one...

Dude, sorry to hear about your board, but you've given me a great idea! Our neighbourhood dollar store sells those joke glasses that look like they're full of beer, but the liquid's actually on the inside. I could use one of those and make it look like I spilled beer on one of my keebs, rather than actually borking it, and my wife would have no basis on which to deny my ability to purchase another board to "replace" it.

I see very low risk with this plan. Though my wife abhors the idea of spending money on anything KB-related, she's not actually interested enough in them to say, "Okay, wait a minute, let me be sure you really spilled beer on your keyboard, by picking it up and seeing if beer comes out of it." Doing such a thing would require her to become involved with a keyboard, to actually acknowledge its existence, pick it up, and examine it. This is very unlikely.

So thanks—you've inspired an excellently evil keeb-acquisition plan! If none of this makes sense to you, just wait till you're married. You'll get it.

...and I see that there are new colors available and these have double shot PBT caps instead of the standard with pad printing.  Does double shot change the feeling at all, maybe because of difference in density?  Or can I expect this to be pretty consistent with my previous board?

DS keys are vastly superior—there should never be a reason to prefer PP over them. I've never, ever heard anyone complain that DS keys were too "dense", or that they negatively affected key feel in any way. Besides, the fact that the legends are actually molded into the keys is so immensely cool, that alone should create enough geek pleasure to overcome any reservations you may have about them, real or imagined. Cheers!

[losing_ctrl]

I took two quick close-ups of the PD caps vs. PS caps. Picture quality is not great, but maybe this will show that the PD/double shot caps are more textured that the PS/dye sublimated caps are. Top is PD, bottom is PS.

[jcoffin1981]

My Leopold FC660M just took a dive after spilling liquid into it.  I'm going to buy a new one...

Dude, sorry to hear about your board, but you've given me a great idea! Our neighbourhood dollar store sells those joke glasses that look like they're full of beer, but the liquid's actually on the inside. I could use one of those and make it look like I spilled beer on one of my keebs, rather than actually borking it, and my wife would have no basis on which to deny my ability to purchase another board to "replace" it.


So thanks—you've inspired an excellently evil keeb-acquisition plan! If none of this makes sense to you, just wait till you're married. You'll get it.

...and I see that there are new colors available and these have double shot PBT caps instead of the standard with pad printing.  Does double shot change the feeling at all, maybe because of difference in density?  Or can I expect this to be pretty consistent with my previous board?

DS keys are vastly superior—there should never be a reason to prefer PP over them. I've never, ever heard anyone complain that DS keys were too "dense", or that they negatively affected key feel in any way. Besides, the fact that the legends are actually molded into the keys is so immensely cool, that alone should create enough geek pleasure to overcome any reservations you may have about them, real or imagined. Cheers!

Ander, no I'm not married. But I've heard many stories of husbands having to justify their purchases to get "their fix" on whatever their hobby is.  I  have seen as a goof, a fake spilled coffee or Coke where the spill is actually molded to the keycaps but I just can't seem to find it right now.  Sounds like this mug of beer is in the same spirit.  Use your imagination.

Actually what I did was really fu*&ing stupid.  After the spill I took apart the board and had to clean the pcb, the stabilizers, and replace a few switches and it worked fine. Apparently Leopold's felt dampening pad had retained some moisture even after drying out for 24 hours or something.  This moisture was sealed back inside the case and after a few days damaged the controller or something else vital and many of the keys no longer work. So after all that work I still have a broken board.  AND I spent 50 bucks extra because I bought it from a private seller in Korea. And I like my old board better.

As far as the legends go the DS is an improvement and I like the cyan blue color.  I think I said the old legends were pad printed, but they are obviously not.  However I do prefer the "scratchiness" as well as the sound of the older MX switches and caps, and  the smoother texture of the original caps. Call me crazy.  I'm glad my unfortunate experience allowed you the acquisition of one more board. You would be hard pressed to think of a hobby which does not require a fair amount of $$$$.   IDK, birdwatching??

I am still at my keyboard with a cup of coffee, nodding off  and asking for another accident.