(https://i.imgur.com/4oTVDLc.png)
Interest Check Form (https://forms.gle/F1doUiY9gZaa5W7q6) | Discord Group (https://discord.gg/XpGXdydaEA)
For months, I’ve been considering bringing Honeywell to MTNU, but I’d like to approach it a bit more accurately than previous GMK runs.
Long story short, the CYL runs of Honeywell used colors that differ from those used in the SA run, which are more accurate to the keyboard the set is inspired by. Most notably, the red used for the accents and the alpha legends, which are gray instead of black. Also, the F-row wasn't fully modifier-colored.
Sources:
Original Honeywell keyboard - 1 (https://imgur.com/TtzeLHe)
Original Honeywell keyboard - 2 (https://i.imgur.com/P2oERvK.jpeg)
https://matrixzj.github.io/docs/sa-keycaps/Honeywell/
https://matrixzj.github.io/docs/gmk-keycaps/Honeywell-Co/
https://matrixzj.github.io/docs/gmk-keycaps/Honeywell/
Kitting Renders
Base Kit - Price TBD (targeting ~$99)
(https://i.imgur.com/rj3eiJK.png)
Extension Kit - Price TBD
(https://i.imgur.com/Zpmrd9u.png)
Kitting & Colors Explained
No Numpad?
As many of you may already know, the keyboard that inspired the set features a black numpad (essentially WoB colors).
The idea would be to use standard GMK XW1 and XS1 for two reasons:
First, the white and black used in the SA run (WFK and NN) are effectively equivalent to XW1 and XS1. More importantly, keeping these colors standard would allow users to pair the set with an existing MTNU WoB numpad if they choose to do so.
The other two colors would be standard GMK X2B and XRO3 (RAS, used in the SA run, is a very similar color — making XRO3 a better choice than XP3).
GMK MTNU Stock Colors (https://i.imgur.com/KdhpKKD.png)
The set would also feature two new legend molds inspired by the red accent keys found on the original Honeywell keyboard:
CLEAR RESET — R1 2.00U Backspace
TRANSMIT — R3 2.25U Enter
Why no accented R1 1.00U "BREAK" key?
Simply put, based on my testing, the legend wouldn't fit on a 1.00U keycap. For that reason, I opted to include an accented ''ANY KEY'' instead.
Is the kitting shown final?
Most likely, yes. The goal is to keep the Base Kit as affordable as possible (ideally around $99 for a group buy run).
40s support was excluded on purpose because most of the main appeals of this set wouldn't apply there. Additional spacebars and shift sizes are also out, as the focus of the set is to offer an MTNU set at the lowest possible price while covering only the most popular layouts.
Keyboard Renders
(https://i.imgur.com/zc1gOnr.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/weoLktZ.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/s2aUlQ7.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/B61vghE.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mrWb8zf.jpeg)
Packaging Design
(https://i.imgur.com/zVKqn3P.png)
Not necessarily the final design, but I wanted to take inspiration from the simple packaging design Honeywell uses for some of its products.
The intent wasn't to copy Honeywell's logo, but rather to use a similar Adobe font, Acme Gothic Wide Bold.
I want to thank GMK, Matt3o and all the wonderful people in my Discord group <3