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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: bettablue on Mon, 07 February 2011, 14:32:39

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: bettablue on Mon, 07 February 2011, 14:32:39

I am looking for a set of black keys/key caps for my model M keyboard.  I laso remember a while back that you could get red "Escape" keys, labeled as Panic buttons.  Does anyone know where I might be able to find these?  I have already gone through EBay and so far haven't gotten a response.  

TIA

Thomas

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 07 February 2011, 14:55:40

Unicomp sells a set of blank black keys for $20.

They do printed keys... $2 per key with a $10 minimum order.

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: doebedoe on Mon, 07 February 2011, 15:47:20

^^ Unicomp. Have a set of blank blacks on the way to make my all-black, floss-modded, Model M. Strangely with shipping the credit card was only charged 14.95.

(Plus they're supposedly throwing in 2 keycaps I was missing. Really swell folks at unicomp.)

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: bettablue on Tue, 08 February 2011, 09:27:07

That's a bit high.  $2.00 per key comes out to over $200.00.  I think I'll just stay with the white ones.

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: theferenc on Tue, 08 February 2011, 09:33:12

Well, the printing on the black keys doesn't last very long anyway, so if you're going black, you might as well go blank at the same time.

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: ch_123 on Tue, 08 February 2011, 09:55:16

Sorry, misunderstood the question.

No one does printed black keys for Model Ms. Various technical issues make it problematic.

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: kill will on Tue, 08 February 2011, 11:33:29

buy a good condition m13 then replace all the keycaps with all black and re sell on ebay for 75% its worth.

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: bettablue on Wed, 09 February 2011, 02:36:10

Now THAT seems like a good idea.  But then again, I just might keep the M13 for my wife's computer.  She would probably kill me for getting "Yet another keyboard".  Oh well, After she uses it for a couple of days, she'll love it.  She's already threantening to take my M away.

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: mjryan on Thu, 03 March 2011, 16:07:56

Another place you might try for both colored keycaps (including black) and custom printing is fentek-ind.com (http://www.fentek-ind.com).  However, I have no idea as to pricing.  They also sell key cap labels, whch are pretty durabe.

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: obj-c on Thu, 03 March 2011, 17:35:24

i cant find the black keycaps anymore, can someone link me too them?

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: BucklingSpring on Thu, 03 March 2011, 17:39:23

Quote from: theferenc;291729

Well, the printing on the black keys doesn't last very long anyway, so if you're going black, you might as well go blank at the same time.

Really? I do have two black on black Unicomps and the printing are still fine. But I can't say that I have been using them that much. Is it why Unicomp stopped making black on black?

Title: IBM Model M keys
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 03 March 2011, 17:52:17

White printing on black keycaps is problematic because they used pad printing.