Author Topic: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?  (Read 8622 times)

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Offline Thermobaric

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Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« on: Wed, 25 September 2013, 23:02:21 »
Are the keycaps on Unicomp's website dual caps like those found on the Model M, or single piece caps?

Offline Badwrench

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 25 September 2013, 23:24:36 »
The 1x1 and 1.5 are 2 piece and come with both parts.  larger keys are still one piece. 
wut. i'd buy a ****ty IBM board for that green V2

Offline mr_schnrub

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 26 September 2013, 03:18:26 »
Yep, just like the model M.

Here is a photo I just took of the unicomp key caps...

4 x IBM 1391401 | IBM 1390120 | IBM SSK 1397681 | Unicomp UB4041A

Offline rowdy

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 26 September 2013, 05:21:34 »
I've heard (in a thread somewhere here a few months ago) that sometimes they are two piece and sometimes one piece.

Might be luck of the draw, or different batches, or maybe just a rumour.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline snoopy

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 26 September 2013, 05:23:11 »
I've heard (in a thread somewhere here a few months ago) that sometimes they are two piece and sometimes one piece.

Might be luck of the draw, or different batches, or maybe just a rumour.

blank blacks are always one piece... the rest should be two-piece, except for some modifiers

Offline mr_schnrub

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 27 September 2013, 03:58:58 »
This pic I posted above was from a keyboard made this year  - 2013.
4 x IBM 1391401 | IBM 1390120 | IBM SSK 1397681 | Unicomp UB4041A

Offline jazzkingrt

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 27 September 2013, 16:31:34 »


This is my 1391401 Model M with all Unicomp keycaps. The blacks are single piece, the purples are two pieces. The covers on the two-pieces are compatible with the keys from my old Model M.

The Unicomp two-pieces feel very slightly heaver to press down, but I haven't made any measurements. I couldn't even tell until I looked out for it to make this post.

Switching out the interior piece of one of the unicomp purple keys with an original from the model m resulted in it feeling like the lighter, single-key black unicomp keys.

Hope that helps!

Offline rowdy

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 28 September 2013, 02:03:29 »
Show Image


This is my 1391401 Model M with all Unicomp keycaps. The blacks are single piece, the purples are two pieces. The covers on the two-pieces are compatible with the keys from my old Model M.

The Unicomp two-pieces feel very slightly heaver to press down, but I haven't made any measurements. I couldn't even tell until I looked out for it to make this post.

Switching out the interior piece of one of the unicomp purple keys with an original from the model m resulted in it feeling like the lighter, single-key black unicomp keys.

Hope that helps!


Welcome to Geekhack!

Still wondering whether it depends on the colour as to whether you get one or two piece caps, or the batch.  Doesn't really make any difference as they sell you both of the two piece ones anyway.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline dorkvader

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 28 September 2013, 20:30:33 »
I received a huge GB from unicomp for international mail forwarding once. It had many of the colours and several keycap sets.

From what I was able to determine: black keycaps (always blank) are all one-piece. Of the rest, they are usually two-piece save for the spacebar, shift, enter, backspace, capslock, numpad enter, numpad + and possibly \| (not sure about \|)

In short, I echo Snoopy.

Offline rowdy

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #9 on: Sun, 29 September 2013, 01:30:04 »
I wonder why that is - what is so special about the black ones to make them all one piece.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline Badwrench

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #10 on: Sun, 29 September 2013, 11:16:14 »
I wonder why that is - what is so special about the black ones to make them all one piece.

Possibly a color uniformity issue? 
wut. i'd buy a ****ty IBM board for that green V2

Offline rowdy

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Re: Unicomp Keycaps for Model M?
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 29 September 2013, 15:19:10 »
I wonder why that is - what is so special about the black ones to make them all one piece.

Possibly a color uniformity issue? 

Shouldn't be.  If they can make the top bit the same colour, the bottom bit doesn't matter as you can't see if once the top bit is clipped in place.

Indeed the lower part on both my Model M are all sorts of colours (shades of gray or black mostly).
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ