geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Ctn on Mon, 01 August 2011, 04:55:28
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Which key caps of the following two are more reliable?
Filco coated (Linear R) or Filco uncoated (Ninja).
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Assuming Filco coating is meaning the UV-coated pad printing legends?
They hold up pretty well, but with enough use will eventually wear through and the legend may get worn. (takes a lot of typing!)
The Ninja caps however have the printing on the front of the key, so no need for coating as you won't wear the legends off.
Both are ABS plastic and will gradually get smoother with use. (Not always a bad thing, but I think most people on geekhack prefer a bit of texture.)
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Yeah there's no worries of legend wear with the Ninja. You'd have to worry about it getting shiny, though. Maybe that's what he's talking about
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I would assume both are coated just the same. The ninjas are just printed in a different position on the keycap.
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Though, unrelated, I'm pretty sure the HHKB Pro 2 ABS (assuming it still is) space bar is coated with some UV something. I know this because I was trying to clean a little spot off and it started coming off. I can peel it back and make it larger... hard to explain, and was unsuccessful getting a photo. I assume they were trying to make it look/feel the same as the PBT caps. Getting a replacement spacebar though.
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Sorry, I should have made it more clear:
Uncoated going shiny vs Coated's coat wearing off unevenly and/or going shiny.
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It's a pretty dang tough coating... probably a non-issue either way. I'd just go with whatever you liked more. You can always replace the keycaps if/when they wear down. (Perhaps with a nice PBT set from KBC or something that will last much longer.)
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The Realforce spacebar is not coated.
My replacement HHKB blank set spacebar from Elitekeyboards was not coated.
Spooge?
Maybe I'm imagining it... it's subtle. Best picture I could get... view full size.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]23106[/ATTACH]
It does seem inset though.