SWG Neowell
formerly known as Neo Honeywell
(https://i.imgur.com/yYvb5pL.jpeg)
LINKS
Intro (#post_intro) | Kits (#post_kits) | Deskmat (#post_deskmat) | Renders (#post_pics) | Specs (#post_specs) | Logistics (#post_logistics) | Collabs (#post_collabs) | Misc (#post_misc)
IC Form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJ3SazCgfHfn0RjhFlwdPCOPk5h15gF3nlBFCAOlb0zz5USw/viewform) | Discord: TORO Studio (https://discord.gg/AaRE3FzTHf) | Socials: @toro_keyboard (https://www.instagram.com/toro_keyboard/) | @boba.types (https://instagram.com/boba.types)
Group Buy Thread (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=126883.0)
• INTRODUCTION •
This is not the greatest keycap set in the world, no. This is just a tribute.
Inspired by the terminals of a by-gone computing era, SWG Neowell is a tribute to one of the hobby's most beloved industrial keyboard colourways. Retaining the ivory alphas, charcoal modifiers and signature red accents that defined the original, this reinterprets the classic with contemporary novelties, expanded compatibility, and thoughtful homages to its heritage. Versatile, understated, but never boring, Neowell preserves the timeless industrial character of its inspiration while refining it for today's enthusiast. Whether you favour a faithful vintage aesthetic or a more modern interpretation, Neowell is designed to bridge both worlds, honouring the past while feeling perfectly at home on today's keyboards.
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On a random weeknight, Toro PMed me, complaining about aftermarket prices (as usual). Instead of being bent over by scalpers, he wanted to take things into his own hands, and with his circle(jerk) of friends, brought my helping hand into the fold. The rest is history...
Well no seriously,
The Honeywell colourway, born from vintage terminals, is a classic that felt long overdue for a return.
For the purists, Latin-only alphas and opaque red accents remain available to keep the look true to its roots (no judgement if you’re keeping it vanilla). For the non-traditionalists, translucent red accents bring a modern edge.
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• KITS •
(https://i.imgur.com/Z3lvi4u.jpeg)
Base Kit[Covers 60%, 65%, 75%, TKL, with UK-ISO, F13, 7u Tsangan support, Alice bars, and split spacebar layouts.]
Based on feedback, the base kit will have opaque red Esc and Enter accent keys instead of grey Esc/Enter keys.
(https://i.imgur.com/cJaLpmN.jpeg)
Neo Kit[Extension + Novelty Kit. The text terminology is a reference to the OG Honeywell keycaps (https://i.imgur.com/TtzeLHe.jpeg).]
(https://i.imgur.com/u2RuUGj.jpeg)
Cyrillic Alpha Kit[Sublegends are double-shot]
(https://i.imgur.com/q9snNWK.jpeg)
Numpad Kit[Offers extended compatibility for full size and 1800 keyboards, including the “=” and “00” keys for extra coverage. Num Lock key is force windowed.]
(https://i.imgur.com/usEAzLA.jpeg)
Teal Accent Kit(top) (#post_top)
• DESKMAT •
(https://i.imgur.com/uVXDwnz.png)
Reference Grid HW-A1[Cutting Mat style - Metric system]
(https://i.imgur.com/G9NSUQu.png)
Reference Grid HW-F1[Cutting Mat style - Imperial system]
All deskmats will be 900mm x 400mm with 4mm thickness, stitched edges, rough texture, rubber base, cloth top
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• RENDERS •
(https://i.imgur.com/jqHoyPt.jpeg)
+84 TKL by nuxros
(https://i.imgur.com/qFIcxEE.jpeg)
Sneakbox Giga40 by mujimanic
(https://i.imgur.com/HSdEQY5.jpeg)
MK65-XT by boba.types
note: old render, bottom row modifiers are not available in stepped form
(https://i.imgur.com/zjxP09O.jpeg)
Aperture Board, model by Elmo
(https://i.imgur.com/YE55SbB.jpeg)
Toro60, by Toro Studios
(https://i.imgur.com/kCipUDr.jpeg)
Toro60, by Toro Studios
(https://i.imgur.com/yYvb5pL.jpeg)
Healthkit H89 inspired
Disclaimer: Renders shown may not perfectly display the actual colors of the keycaps. These are best attempts at emulating the semi-translucent nature of the keycaps, whilst noting that lighting conditions and screen calibrations are also variables that affect colour representation/perception. The visible injection holes are also not possible to avoid in double-shot legend production, and kindly refer to kitting for better representation. Furthermore, all ANSI Enter key legends are "Transmit" legend.
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• SPECIFICATIONS •
Profile: Cylindrical Cherry Profile
Material: ABS
Manufacturing Method: Double-shot injection for primary legends and sub-legends.
Manufacturer: SWG
Compatibility: Mx switches
Colors: Colour-matched to Signature Plastics’ chips: WFK (alphas), GPA (mods), and RAS (accents) which were used in the original Honeywell runs.
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• COLLABS •
Nil collaborations currently planned. Artisan makers reach out to Toro if interested!
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• LOGISTICS •
Group-buy date July 6th to 27th ; ETA is Q4.
• VENDORS •
US - Divinikey (https://divinikey.com/products/swg-neowell-keycaps)
CA - Unikey (https://unikeyboards.com/products/swg-neowell-abs-double-shot-keycap-set)
EU - Monacokey (https://monacokeys.de/products/swg-neowell-cherry-profile-abs-double-shot-keycap-set)
UK - Prototypist (https://prototypist.net/products/group-buy-swg-neowell)
OCE - Toro Studios (https://torokeeb.store/products/gb-swg-neowell)
KR - SwagKeys (https://swagkeys.com/products/group-buy-swg-neowell)
SEA - KTechs (https://ktechs.store/products/swg-neowell)
TH - Keycapepe (https://keycapepe.com/products/group-buy-swg-neowell-abs-keycap-set)
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• MISC •
• FAQ •
Why does the base kit have forced windowed caps lock and scroll lock keys?
We are forcing windowed “Caps Lock” and “Scroll” due to my strong personal preferences; they’re not just more functional, but also more aesthetic. It's cheaper to exclude the duplicate non-windowed variants. Note unlike GMK, the legends for the windowed keycaps are double-shot too, so no concerns about legends wearing off here.
Why is the F-row all modifier-coloured grey?
The F-row keys are only grey (i.e. no white F1-4, F9-F12) as a reference to the original keycaps scheme on the Honeywell terminals (photo example here (https://i.imgur.com/TtzeLHe.jpeg)). We note that most enthusiast-led runs had an alternate f-row color scheme, however I think for this colourway, all grey looks better. Furthermore, if people are using the F-row keys in keyboards with a XT macro column, the single colour means no strange alpha colour blocking in the middle.
Why are the Numpad keys white, and not black like the original (https://i.imgur.com/pc5UQzT.jpeg)?
“Omg Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white”
The mismatch between black numpad and white alphas looks odd. Like other Honeywell sets, we prefer a more cohesive look. Please remember this set is a remix/reinterpretation of Honeywell, not a faithful remake.
• IC Form •
Please provide input here: Interest Check Link (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJ3SazCgfHfn0RjhFlwdPCOPk5h15gF3nlBFCAOlb0zz5USw/viewform)[/s]
• SOCIALS •
Instagram: @toro_keyboard (https://instagram.com/toro_keyboard) | @boba.types (https://instagram.com/boba.types)
Discord channel: TORO Studio (https://discord.gg/AaRE3FzTHf)
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS •
Thank you to those who provided help, support or design assistance for this project in some form or another. Shoutouts in particular to:
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> Muirium and 7bit for bringing this classic colourway to us in the first place via Deskthority, and all the other folks bringing it back in various iterations
> Adam le cat for renders
> masje - the cool cat whose 'neo' variants of classics like skidata and dolch, undoubtedly inspired us (check out his current project: GMK TA Neo)
> Family and friends both inside and outside the enthusiast community for their support
> Nopunin10did and Konstantin for being the original kitting wizards whose advice on previous projects of mine (and others) have improved my understanding (any mistakes or peculiarities are mine though)
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Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/stLT7r2.jpeg)
Cyrillic Alpha Kit
[Red sublegends are UV-printed]
I love the inclusion of Russian Cyrillic sublegends, but I think they should be a bit smaller since they're currently taking up just a tad too much space on the keycaps for my liking. For example, the Cyrillic М is wider than 1 em (the width of the Latin M); and Ш, Щ and Ж, being naturally wider than 1 em, take up even more space. Try reducing all of the sublegends' sizes by around 10% (or 1–2 pt if you have them as a font) and seeing how it looks. You may also want to consider using Helvetica or one of its derivatives instead of whatever the current typeface is (I'm assuming it's just ttom's reworked GMK Cyrillic sublegends, so not really a typeface per se).
Also, some sublegends appear to be slightly vertically misaligned (most noticeably Й, Д) or missized (Н, Ш, Щ, Ъ); see image (https://i.imgur.com/Th1J5tN.png). Using a typeface would also fix this.
Otherwise, the kitting seems really good. I'm not going to comment on the naming issue, although I have to say reading through all of the drama was pretty fun :P
Thanks for the feedback on the Cyrillic sublegends! Appreciate the specifics on size and alignment issues.
I didn't render the kits for this project so I'm not 100% sure of the reference file for the sublegends that was used, but I will get them corrected.
I was actually thinking of using Qarmaa and Alexbarb's Cyrillic sublegends that was developed for GMK WoB Red Cyrillic (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=114783.0). They match the Cherry style typeface of the alpha legends, and accuracy appears to be accounted for, given the designers are from that region.
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(https://i.imgur.com/GPER1Yd.png)