Ultimate board would be one that is truly flexible in typing. Many boards try to make flex with gaskets but the gaskets are too compressed with the screws to matter, dunno anything about science but a magnetically levitated plate would be sick haha. The ultimate board varies for everyone though keep in mind.
Hello all,
I'm curious to see what everyone's opinions are when it comes to what they imagine as the ideal custom keyboard. The market seems a bit saturated and it is getting harder to be unique. Is more necessarily better? I personally prefer the minimalistic approach when it comes to design. I've fallen victim to the hype before. I've had numerous OTDs, KMACs, TGRs, etc. I ended settling on the Jane CE because I really enjoy the basic design, with a comfortable angle to type on, and nice side grips to easily pick up the keyboard. There are a lot of new features that I have yet to experience such as gasket mounted, hot-swappable PCBs, QMK support, etc. I do not intend to bring yet another keyboard design to the market but to start a solo venture in making the ultimate board for myself. I'd appreciate it if you all share your opinions and discuss what features best define the ultimate custom keyboard.
Hello all,
I'm curious to see what everyone's opinions are when it comes to what they imagine as the ideal custom keyboard. The market seems a bit saturated and it is getting harder to be unique. Is more necessarily better? I personally prefer the minimalistic approach when it comes to design. I've fallen victim to the hype before. I've had numerous OTDs, KMACs, TGRs, etc. I ended settling on the Jane CE because I really enjoy the basic design, with a comfortable angle to type on, and nice side grips to easily pick up the keyboard. There are a lot of new features that I have yet to experience such as gasket mounted, hot-swappable PCBs, QMK support, etc. I do not intend to bring yet another keyboard design to the market but to start a solo venture in making the ultimate board for myself. I'd appreciate it if you all share your opinions and discuss what features best define the ultimate custom keyboard.
Hotswappable board, durable and has support for QMK . Apparantly there's a utility on QMK that allows your keyboard to change colors depending on how fast you type.
For me it's really more about the plate material, switches, tuning of switches & stabs, & sound dampening steps taken that make the ultimate board. Sure it is very nice to put all of my favorites of those into a high end custom case, but at the end of the day I honestly think it's the time & care taken when putting a board together that makes it special or not. I mean think about it if you had the choice of using a say a Keycult No1, but it has pre re-tooling MX browns that are unlubed, knock off clip in PCB mount stabs unlubed, & the plate is a material you do not like. Or the other option would be say a KBDfans 8X that has properly lubed & filmed Holy Pandas, GMK screw in stabs clipped/properly lubed, the plate is made from your favorite material, & proper sound dampening has been done between the plate, PCB, & case. Which would you choose to use? Personally I'd go with the KBDfans 8X as it will feel many times better than the Keycult No1 in this scenario. So honestly I would put much more emphasis on the little details to get my ultimate MKB & just make sure I select a decently high end case that is made of alum. or PC that I really like the design of & comes with a high quality PCB.
In fact I'm in the process of that right now TBH. I recently got my E6.5 & went for an aluminum one with a brass plate. I plan on using MD HPs lubed with 3203 on the sliders/housings, TX's synthetic paraffin oil on the springs, 70g TX springs, & white switch films for the switches. GMK screw in PCB mount stabs clipped & lubed with Christolube MCG129, then use MK ultra 65% plate & case foams for sound dampening. That is honestly my ideal ultimate MX based board. I guess if we want to get into wishful thinking territory if the E6.5 supported ALPS SKCM/L switches & I could put the batch of damn near NOS SKCM browns I got in it, then it would become my ultimate MKB no questions asked!
Hello all,
I'm curious to see what everyone's opinions are when it comes to what they imagine as the ideal custom keyboard. The market seems a bit saturated and it is getting harder to be unique. Is more necessarily better? I personally prefer the minimalistic approach when it comes to design. I've fallen victim to the hype before. I've had numerous OTDs, KMACs, TGRs, etc. I ended settling on the Jane CE because I really enjoy the basic design, with a comfortable angle to type on, and nice side grips to easily pick up the keyboard. There are a lot of new features that I have yet to experience such as gasket mounted, hot-swappable PCBs, QMK support, etc. I do not intend to bring yet another keyboard design to the market but to start a solo venture in making the ultimate board for myself. I'd appreciate it if you all share your opinions and discuss what features best define the ultimate custom keyboard.
Hotswappable board, durable and has support for QMK . Apparantly there's a utility on QMK that allows your keyboard to change colors depending on how fast you type.
Hot-swappable boards seem to be the new fad now. I can't see a negative side affect with going to a hot-swappable PCB as long as the switches are secured in place. QMK has intrigued me a good bit so I will definitely read into its functionalities.For me it's really more about the plate material, switches, tuning of switches & stabs, & sound dampening steps taken that make the ultimate board. Sure it is very nice to put all of my favorites of those into a high end custom case, but at the end of the day I honestly think it's the time & care taken when putting a board together that makes it special or not. I mean think about it if you had the choice of using a say a Keycult No1, but it has pre re-tooling MX browns that are unlubed, knock off clip in PCB mount stabs unlubed, & the plate is a material you do not like. Or the other option would be say a KBDfans 8X that has properly lubed & filmed Holy Pandas, GMK screw in stabs clipped/properly lubed, the plate is made from your favorite material, & proper sound dampening has been done between the plate, PCB, & case. Which would you choose to use? Personally I'd go with the KBDfans 8X as it will feel many times better than the Keycult No1 in this scenario. So honestly I would put much more emphasis on the little details to get my ultimate MKB & just make sure I select a decently high end case that is made of alum. or PC that I really like the design of & comes with a high quality PCB.
In fact I'm in the process of that right now TBH. I recently got my E6.5 & went for an aluminum one with a brass plate. I plan on using MD HPs lubed with 3203 on the sliders/housings, TX's synthetic paraffin oil on the springs, 70g TX springs, & white switch films for the switches. GMK screw in PCB mount stabs clipped & lubed with Christolube MCG129, then use MK ultra 65% plate & case foams for sound dampening. That is honestly my ideal ultimate MX based board. I guess if we want to get into wishful thinking territory if the E6.5 supported ALPS SKCM/L switches & I could put the batch of damn near NOS SKCM browns I got in it, then it would become my ultimate MKB no questions asked!
I agree with you that the attention to detail and care going into the process does make a great deal of difference. I've tried all different combinations of switches and plate materials throughout my builds ranging from blues, vintage browns, Nixdorfs, Zealios, etc. This was all before Massdrop offered all these different switches and Zeal had just come out with his first iteration of Zealios. In the end I have settled for a set of vintage blacks from a board NIB from 1986 if I recall correctly, lubed, and spring swapped with a set of 65g Korean springs that I had received from an OTD 360c kit. I couldn't replicate this combination even if I wanted to. I'm curious to try out new switches but I really have no desire to amass a collection anymore. Perhaps that's where the benefits of a hot-swappable board come into play. I do like the idea of hot-swappable boards just for the fact of being able to easily disassemble everything and clean it. In the end, the aluminum housing does have a little to play in terms of tactile response but more so for visual appeal. I really desire a keyboard with a deep crimson red or sky blue color.
I appreciate both of your responses. It is quite interesting seeing what details people like to focus on the most.
Ultimate board would be one that is truly flexible in typing. Many boards try to make flex with gaskets but the gaskets are too compressed with the screws to matter, dunno anything about science but a magnetically levitated plate would be sick haha. The ultimate board varies for everyone though keep in mind.
Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
MoreHello all,
I'm curious to see what everyone's opinions are when it comes to what they imagine as the ideal custom keyboard. The market seems a bit saturated and it is getting harder to be unique. Is more necessarily better? I personally prefer the minimalistic approach when it comes to design. I've fallen victim to the hype before. I've had numerous OTDs, KMACs, TGRs, etc. I ended settling on the Jane CE because I really enjoy the basic design, with a comfortable angle to type on, and nice side grips to easily pick up the keyboard. There are a lot of new features that I have yet to experience such as gasket mounted, hot-swappable PCBs, QMK support, etc. I do not intend to bring yet another keyboard design to the market but to start a solo venture in making the ultimate board for myself. I'd appreciate it if you all share your opinions and discuss what features best define the ultimate custom keyboard.
Hotswappable board, durable and has support for QMK . Apparantly there's a utility on QMK that allows your keyboard to change colors depending on how fast you type.
Hot-swappable boards seem to be the new fad now. I can't see a negative side affect with going to a hot-swappable PCB as long as the switches are secured in place. QMK has intrigued me a good bit so I will definitely read into its functionalities.For me it's really more about the plate material, switches, tuning of switches & stabs, & sound dampening steps taken that make the ultimate board. Sure it is very nice to put all of my favorites of those into a high end custom case, but at the end of the day I honestly think it's the time & care taken when putting a board together that makes it special or not. I mean think about it if you had the choice of using a say a Keycult No1, but it has pre re-tooling MX browns that are unlubed, knock off clip in PCB mount stabs unlubed, & the plate is a material you do not like. Or the other option would be say a KBDfans 8X that has properly lubed & filmed Holy Pandas, GMK screw in stabs clipped/properly lubed, the plate is made from your favorite material, & proper sound dampening has been done between the plate, PCB, & case. Which would you choose to use? Personally I'd go with the KBDfans 8X as it will feel many times better than the Keycult No1 in this scenario. So honestly I would put much more emphasis on the little details to get my ultimate MKB & just make sure I select a decently high end case that is made of alum. or PC that I really like the design of & comes with a high quality PCB.
In fact I'm in the process of that right now TBH. I recently got my E6.5 & went for an aluminum one with a brass plate. I plan on using MD HPs lubed with 3203 on the sliders/housings, TX's synthetic paraffin oil on the springs, 70g TX springs, & white switch films for the switches. GMK screw in PCB mount stabs clipped & lubed with Christolube MCG129, then use MK ultra 65% plate & case foams for sound dampening. That is honestly my ideal ultimate MX based board. I guess if we want to get into wishful thinking territory if the E6.5 supported ALPS SKCM/L switches & I could put the batch of damn near NOS SKCM browns I got in it, then it would become my ultimate MKB no questions asked!
I agree with you that the attention to detail and care going into the process does make a great deal of difference. I've tried all different combinations of switches and plate materials throughout my builds ranging from blues, vintage browns, Nixdorfs, Zealios, etc. This was all before Massdrop offered all these different switches and Zeal had just come out with his first iteration of Zealios. In the end I have settled for a set of vintage blacks from a board NIB from 1986 if I recall correctly, lubed, and spring swapped with a set of 65g Korean springs that I had received from an OTD 360c kit. I couldn't replicate this combination even if I wanted to. I'm curious to try out new switches but I really have no desire to amass a collection anymore. Perhaps that's where the benefits of a hot-swappable board come into play. I do like the idea of hot-swappable boards just for the fact of being able to easily disassemble everything and clean it. In the end, the aluminum housing does have a little to play in terms of tactile response but more so for visual appeal. I really desire a keyboard with a deep crimson red or sky blue color.
I appreciate both of your responses. It is quite interesting seeing what details people like to focus on the most.
No problem, glad I could help you gain a bit more insight on what other people are doing or liking currently. Hot swap is something that can be really helpful with all the new switches coming out. If you got a HS PCB it's no problem to buy a batch of whatever boutique switch or make some frankenswitches & be able to try them out without killing the resale value by putting solder to them. That combined with HS PCBs becoming more common on high end kits makes it a more feasible option now than ever before. Although if linear switches are your thing, properly lubed vint blacks & retolled blacks still are top tier linear switches IME. Creams are pretty interesting from the samples I got & Tealios, Healios, & Gat Inks are smooth as ice even before lube, but none of them have the warm sound the Cherry housings give. So if you get yourself an exceptionally smooth batch of MX blacks (vint or retooled) IMHO they are every bit as good any of the boutique switches & sound better as a bonus!
Tactile MX switches are a different story though. There has been much progress made in the MX realm on making the tactile bump much bigger & smoother or sharper depending on what switch over the past few yrs. So if you want to go with MX tactiles on this build I'd highly recommend seeing if you can borrow someones switch tester that has a good bit of the newer popular tactile switches. Anyways GL with this build & I'm also looking forward to seeing what other people's opinions are on this subject!
There's only so much overpriced barebones stuff you can make before it becomes pointless. I'd go out on a limb and say that a stock Chinese factory-made aluminum case is functionally identical (i.e. you could not tell the difference when typing if blindfolded) to the same thing made to 'super high spec $650 Korean aircraft-grade aluminum', so everything beyond the case has to set it apart. Tight tolerances, wide choice of color/anodizing, standard QMK-compatible PCB are all a given. What would make me, an infrequent buyer want to spend more are special features; the ergonomic stagger in an Alice, the acrylic diffuser in the original Lightsavers (that are now common and thus not worth paying much extra for), tasteful aesthetics that set the board apart from barebones fare (Canoe is a good example), perhaps gasket mount (haven't tried it), hotswap capabilities, etc.
That's the thing about keyboards in general; if everyone just made the same simple good quality stuff with no variation, everyone would just have one and have them all - no need to come back for more. But we know that's not the case, because it's innovation and improvements that make this hobby a deep and enjoyable one. I for one would've permanently left years ago after getting my 'endgame' if the new Chinese switches and wealth of custom keyboards didn't pique my interest and make even better options than my endgame.
I don't need a custom keyboard unless there is mass produced one that satisfies my requirements which are:
- alu body
- plate
- hot swappable PCB
- 60%
- at least some degree of programmability
All of these, except hot swap, are satisfied by Pok3r which I modded with holtites so I'm good. Although I wish there would be some more choices in traditional 60% with hot swap and high quality cases. I wish I could get something with thin bezel but non-floating design which I'm a bit tired of. I'd like some nice 60% cases that would suit 9009 and Laser keysets.
Camo filco, silent linears, somehow made of brass and aluminum.
Ultimate board would be one that is truly flexible in typing. Many boards try to make flex with gaskets but the gaskets are too compressed with the screws to matter, dunno anything about science but a magnetically levitated plate would be sick haha. The ultimate board varies for everyone though keep in mind.
Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
Acrylic keyboards comes the closest to the feel you want.
I completely agree with the OP - a custom keyboard should be one of a kind, made especially for its owner's requirements. 'Custom' rectangular boards may be practical and exotic materials and mounts do affect the feel, and hotswappable switches are good for newbies and people with short attention spans but at the end of the day most boards are still a boring rectangle.
There have been a few proper customs but for me Kurplop is the master, his most impressive is the Planet 6 (project thread (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=76149))Show Image(https://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=76149.0;attach=152061;image)
With honourable mention for his previous one, the Alumaplop (project thread (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=67467))Show Image(https://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=67467.0;attach=101486;image)
Another memorable one was Yesguchi's vertical keyboard/mouse (project thread (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=84148))Show Image(http://ai.esmplus.com/mjfamily/keyboard/%EC%A0%95%EB%A9%B4.JPG)
Looking forward to adding yours to the list Steezus :thumb:
I completely agree with the OP - a custom keyboard should be one of a kind, made especially for its owner's requirements. 'Custom' rectangular boards may be practical and exotic materials and mounts do affect the feel, and hotswappable switches are good for newbies and people with short attention spans but at the end of the day most boards are still a boring rectangle.
There have been a few proper customs but for me Kurplop is the master, his most impressive is the Planet 6 (project thread (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=76149))Show Image(https://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=76149.0;attach=152061;image)
With honourable mention for his previous one, the Alumaplop (project thread (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=67467))Show Image(https://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=67467.0;attach=101486;image)
Another memorable one was Yesguchi's vertical keyboard/mouse (project thread (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=84148))Show Image(http://ai.esmplus.com/mjfamily/keyboard/%EC%A0%95%EB%A9%B4.JPG)
Looking forward to adding yours to the list Steezus :thumb:
OTD 356.2 or 356CL in one of the grey or black colors. More about aesthetic than feel or sound, although I do value feel and sound very much.
Silent switches, sturdy case. I haven't really gotten to try a super flexible board from acrylic, but I hear it's good.