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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: ishtob on Thu, 20 October 2011, 00:18:20

Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Thu, 20 October 2011, 00:18:20
anyone interested in sourcing these? they are like ~$10 before shipping

Here (http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=13042827194)

i have to admit, they look pretty bleh and with questionable alloy? (some other production metals (该金属) in China have been reported to contains lead)
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: Son of Gnome on Thu, 20 October 2011, 00:29:05
I want hopefully it doesnt have lead in it. Because I want metal key caps with out the hefty price.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: slueth on Thu, 20 October 2011, 02:51:13
man that looks awesome and cheap, but lead is meh.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: Son of Gnome on Thu, 20 October 2011, 03:24:35
Quote from: slueth;435066
man that looks awesome and cheap, but lead is meh.
Yeah lead tends to put a damper on things....
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: Lanx on Thu, 20 October 2011, 03:45:50
i think lead came from latin plumb (or something) which is why we call it plumbing cuz it was made out of lead (until we found it, it makes you crazy) which led to the romans going kinda batty, lead is bad, do not want.

i mean it protects you from radiation, while that's good it's also trouble, even Superman can't see through lead.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: peda on Thu, 20 October 2011, 03:56:20
Are you guys licking your keycaps on a regular basis?

If not, then a metal alloy containing a bit of lead is not a problem.


EDIT: it also states in the description that it is a zinc alloy. I might be wrong here but afaik there is no commonly used zinc alloy that contains lead.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: bootstrap on Thu, 20 October 2011, 07:16:40
IF there's lead in those keys, unless they start eroding and let out particles, I doubt any exposure to lead will be significant enough to be a health concern. But why take the risk?
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: spolia optima on Thu, 20 October 2011, 07:23:17
are you guys seriously worried that these keycaps will poison you?
I mean come on.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Thu, 20 October 2011, 07:38:54
im trying some cheaper caps using Taobaobee (http://www.taobaobee.com) to check their reliability. If they work, we can probably do a group buy, in which case i'll open a thread up in the group buy forum
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: dorkvader on Thu, 20 October 2011, 07:39:34
Quote from: Lanx;435088
i think lead came from latin plumb (or something) which is why we call it plumbing cuz it was made out of lead (until we found it, it makes you crazy) which led to the romans going kinda batty, lead is bad, do not want.

i mean it protects you from radiation, while that's good it's also trouble, even Superman can't see through lead.


Pb stands for "Plumbum". In highschool, I went and looked up the meanings of all the chemical symbols that weren't immediately obvious.

Pb was pretty commonly found in Leaded glass (which contains a lot of lead oxide) to protect you from x-rays. Now they use other elements, because it's much cheaper and less illegal to throw them out, then.

I don't think you'd absorb enough lead from keycaps to be an issue, especially since lead is probably a small percentage of the total composition (if present at all) but if you're really that worried, get someone chinese to ask the seller.

Or buy one, and do spectroscopy to it. (AES, EDS, XRD, SIMS, Mass Spec, etc.)
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Thu, 20 October 2011, 07:43:23
lol sorry if I wasn't being too clear, i was just stating the fact that China's quality control on product content isn't very good, and there were a few cases where manufacturers added lead to just bulk up there amount of metal in their casted products. Not saying these caps definitely got lead.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Thu, 20 October 2011, 07:47:58
there's also a $20 titanium esc key http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9203359244 (http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9203359244)

and a Ti space bar ... -___- with geekhack.org engraved?
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9202926810 (http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9202926810)
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: JBert on Thu, 20 October 2011, 07:54:47
Quote from: dorkvader;435161
I don't think you'd absorb enough lead from keycaps to be an issue, especially since lead is probably a small percentage of the total composition (if present at all) but if you're really that worried, get someone chinese to ask the seller.
I wouldn't be worried about skin absorption. However, I do believe you could wear off the keys so that you get very fine lead dust on your hands; better remember to wash your hands before you eat something!
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: JustCallMeCrash on Thu, 20 October 2011, 08:01:35
These look pretty good.  I figure if you use something like a clear coat (or even maybe a carnauba wax) it should be sufficient protection, right?
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: noodles256 on Thu, 20 October 2011, 09:07:04
Quote from: ishtob;435164
there's also a $20 titanium esc key http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9203359244 (http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9203359244)

and a Ti space bar ... -___- with geekhack.org engraved?
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9202926810 (http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9202926810)

start a group buy for the esc. im in
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Thu, 20 October 2011, 09:28:08
geekhack space bar looks cool

will these be available?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]29108[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]29109[/ATTACH]
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: qtan5370 on Thu, 20 October 2011, 11:45:14
The second one allow us to custom it, however, I am lack of time to start a custom group buy, sorry guys. I am opening a new retail store this two months.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Thu, 20 October 2011, 11:51:00
cool! new retail store that's great to hear qtan, hope it goes well!
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Thu, 20 October 2011, 11:51:30
Quote from: whiskerBox;435208
geekhack space bar looks cool

will these be available?
(Attachment) 29108[/ATTACH] (Attachment) 29109[/ATTACH]

yea.. they are like $30-60 before shipping though
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Thu, 20 October 2011, 11:52:25
taobao bee seems really slow.... my test order was pending for like 2 days... now its finally in the "processing" whatever that means >.>
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: Son of Gnome on Thu, 20 October 2011, 14:24:06
Quote from: whiskerBox;435208
geekhack space bar looks cool

will these be available?
(Attachment) 29108[/ATTACH] (Attachment) 29109[/ATTACH]
sweet but that escape key pictured early is so sweet.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Thu, 20 October 2011, 14:35:59
These are great when is the group buy gonna happen.......need some time to go mug some people


Man I didnt even see these
[ATTACH=CONFIG]29179[/ATTACH]


Are these possible to get ? I saw them on their web site
[ATTACH=CONFIG]29182[/ATTACH]
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: noodles256 on Thu, 20 October 2011, 15:08:27
set it upppppppppp
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Thu, 20 October 2011, 21:46:54
anyone who lives in china from this forum? <-- i speak fluent mandarin and i can work with you to do the distribution for US
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: tsangan on Sat, 22 October 2011, 09:51:57
Quote from: whiskerBox;435490
Are these possible to get ? I saw them on their web site
Show Image
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=29182&d=1319140156)
These are amazing ;o
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: kaiserreich on Sat, 22 October 2011, 11:44:33
Quote from: ishtob;435792
anyone who lives in china from this forum? <-- i speak fluent mandarin and i can work with you to do the distribution for US

Contact imsto or qtan
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Sat, 22 October 2011, 13:21:40
qtan said he's going to be busy with open on new retail stores

I haven't talked to into yet
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: Clickey on Sat, 22 October 2011, 16:04:33
I wouldn't want this because the feel and smell of metal is unpleasant, not because of so called lead poisening. Not sure why you would want to press against a solid metal surface unless you had to. Mmmmmm plastic.


Factoid: Crystal glasses contain lead. If you ever drank from one which had liquid sitting in for several hours, you most likely ingested it.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: dorkvader on Sat, 22 October 2011, 21:18:57
Quote from: Clickey;436889
I wouldn't want this because the feel and smell of metal is unpleasant, not because of so called lead poisening. Not sure why you would want to press against a solid metal surface unless you had to. Mmmmmm plastic.


Factoid: Crystal glasses contain lead. If you ever drank from one which had liquid sitting in for several hours, you most likely ingested it.
It's PbO (lead oxide) added to the batch to make it look a lot nicer. Lookup lead glass online. (It's also not crystalline, so I call it lead glass.)

Looks like if you store wine in it for 2 days, the lead content will be equivalent to the normal daily lead intake (so not really dangerous). Just don't store anything in there longterm.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: Oqsy on Sat, 22 October 2011, 21:59:51
(http://img04.taobaocdn.com/imgextra/i4/652953252/T27K81XfJbXXXXXXXX_!!652953252.jpg)
Those things look like total crap.  The surface looks like it was molded with hairs and dead bugs in it.

Contrast that with the ones posted later:
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=29179&d=1319139794)
Look how well finished those are.  That cherry one is superb! :D

The caps in the OP need a lot of work to be worth the trouble.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: slueth on Sat, 22 October 2011, 22:42:10
^ I agree, i really like the cherry one.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Sat, 22 October 2011, 23:07:23
look at the price difference though... the crappy looking one is alot cheaper
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Sun, 23 October 2011, 00:47:49
I would be willing to pay more for the nice ones. and maybe if we buy enough they will give us a discount. either way the more expensive ones are where its at. Man I want one of those metal Tab keys so bad!
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: qtan5370 on Sun, 23 October 2011, 01:03:04
Well, I will be back to China on Dec, I will have my own brand keyboard with someone, and Most important is, I will have model that can make caps!(from my keyboard model)

So, let's look for next year for great staff.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: RColinTaylor on Sun, 23 October 2011, 02:15:36
Quote from: qtan5370;437145
Well, I will be back to China on Dec, I will have my own brand keyboard with someone, and Most important is, I will have model that can make caps!(from my keyboard model)

So, let's look for next year for great staff.

Please tell me it will be named QTan and will feature a checkerboard of Clears and Reds.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: ishtob on Sun, 23 October 2011, 07:50:56
that would be awesome! lol
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: Flikstrr on Tue, 25 October 2011, 04:17:55
just someone tell me how to get a decepticon one and ill pay handsomely!
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: popol on Tue, 25 October 2011, 06:45:21
the only one looking good to me in alu is this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aluminum-Customized-Cherry-MX-Key-Cap-/330620175557?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item4cfa7f84c5
and you can get it cheaper
looks far better than the clack factory skulls IMO. less childish, more devilish. and in alu
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Tue, 25 October 2011, 09:37:02
I still think this is a cool groupbuy and we shouldn't abandon it.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: noodles256 on Tue, 25 October 2011, 10:25:36
someone start it! in for 1 esc key
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Tue, 25 October 2011, 10:52:35
in for 1 tab key

[ATTACH=CONFIG]29983[/ATTACH]
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Wed, 26 October 2011, 12:53:22
I think that I might just do an order through Obook as their fee is only 15%
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: Son of Gnome on Wed, 26 October 2011, 17:00:05
Quote from: whiskerBox;439835
I think that I might just do an order through Obook as their fee is only 15%

whats the price on the tab and caps key?
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Thu, 27 October 2011, 19:57:14
Quote from: Son of Gnome;440036
whats the price on the tab and caps key?


I think it is about $19 for the tab key and about $21 for the caps lock
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Sun, 30 October 2011, 13:41:01
I just sent an email for a quote on the tab key. So will see how much it really ends up costing I will keep you guys posted.

UPDATE: Final cost $31.00 not bad through obook shipping and all
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: dotancohen on Thu, 03 November 2011, 05:43:09
Quote from: dorkvader;435161
I don't think you'd absorb enough lead from keycaps to be an issue, especially since lead is probably a small percentage of the total composition (if present at all) but if you're really that worried, get someone chinese to ask the seller.

Or buy one, and do spectroscopy to it. (AES, EDS, XRD, SIMS, Mass Spec, etc.)


Why bother with a spectroscopy when you can simply _paint_ them and have a nice layer of enamel between your fingertips and the metal? Or is the advantage of a metal keycap the "feel" on the fingertips?

Tip: use lead-free paint!
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: dorkvader on Thu, 03 November 2011, 11:19:52
Quote from: dotancohen;444809
Or is the advantage of a metal keycap the "feel" on the fingertips?
Bingo.

Besides, who cares about safety measures, when you can justify some spectroscopy! If I had one of these, I'd loan it to a friend (with more access to the equipment than I do), so we could figure out the metals content.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: AgentZen on Sun, 06 November 2011, 10:35:19
Nope. Nope. Nope. No way. Not a chance. I want nothing to do with mystery metal from China. Chinese companies that were caught with lead paint on products imported to the US weren't exactly being honest and forth coming, so just want to warn you all out there... All you need is for lead to start wearing down into your finger tips and years down the road you may not be able to father or give birth to a healthy child. Take it for what its worth.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: peda on Sun, 06 November 2011, 14:13:05
Guys,  Stop that lead-poisoning by keycaps ****. In the end somebody will believe you...

First of all, the here discussed keycaps are a zink-alloy and there are no commonly used zink-alloys which contains lead.

Secondly the level even from a pure lead keycap is not enough to lead to poisoning.

Please don't produce drama without the ground for it.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: tsangan on Sun, 06 November 2011, 14:17:27
Quote from: brsp25;446677
Nope. Nope. Nope. No way. Not a chance. I want nothing to do with mystery metal from China. Chinese companies that were caught with lead paint on products imported to the US weren't exactly being honest and forth coming, so just want to warn you all out there... All you need is for lead to start wearing down into your finger tips and years down the road you may not be able to father or give birth to a healthy child. Take it for what its worth.
this + your sale thread, trollololol?
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Mon, 07 November 2011, 01:02:29
Quote from: brsp25;446677
Nope. Nope. Nope. No way. Not a chance. I want nothing to do with mystery metal from China. Chinese companies that were caught with lead paint on products imported to the US weren't exactly being honest and forth coming, so just want to warn you all out there... All you need is for lead to start wearing down into your finger tips and years down the road you may not be able to father or give birth to a healthy child. Take it for what its worth.


The more expensive keys that we are talking about here are made of titanium or aluminum
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: tsangan on Mon, 07 November 2011, 14:38:44
Quote from: whiskerBox;447139
The more expensive keys that we are talking about here are made of titanium or aluminum
Got any Taobao links for aluminum key? All I could find are titanium ones
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Mon, 07 November 2011, 16:52:42
Quote from: tsangan;447476
Got any Taobao links for aluminum key? All I could find are titanium ones


http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9203085472

^thats the link to the tab key and you can click on the seller and see his other keys he has they are pretty nice and Obook has reasonable rates

Also Google chrome has a translate add-on that will translate entire pages which was super helpful ;)

Now where you get that pink skull? looks like something I would mug you for!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]31224[/ATTACH]
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: tsangan on Mon, 07 November 2011, 19:25:39
Sadly all his stuff are titanium and or "special" alloy, i need it specifically aluminum or steel, damn guess I gotta keep looking then.

Oh the pink skull, just like you said I mugged someone for it ;D
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: himynameisbunny on Mon, 07 November 2011, 23:56:05
I CBF reading through the last 3 pages, so did anybody figure out that Son of Gnome was being very punny and not very serious?
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Tue, 08 November 2011, 00:20:51
If this post was in a thread where I magically had mod abilities all the pb gossipers would be banned

[ATTACH=CONFIG]31245[/ATTACH]
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: tapk69 on Tue, 22 November 2011, 09:07:03
i would love to buy the celtics ESC metal key .. if somebody knows chinese please contact me
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Tue, 22 November 2011, 09:24:03
Quote from: tapk69;457350
i would love to buy the celtics ESC metal key .. if somebody knows chinese please contact me


buy it through Obook.com or maybe imsto can hook you up
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: kaiserreich on Tue, 22 November 2011, 10:48:01
The guy doing these titanium metal keys is the same guy doing the Poker Aluminum cases.
So yes, imsto can definitely hook you up.
Title: Taobao metal keys
Post by: whiskerBox on Wed, 30 November 2011, 10:57:37
Here some other keys I have recently seen listed on taobao, It seems as if there is now an influx of different metal keys online

[ATTACH=CONFIG]33541[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]33542[/ATTACH]