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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Vintage on Tue, 06 November 2012, 08:32:06

Title: PBT Keycaps options?
Post by: Vintage on Tue, 06 November 2012, 08:32:06

Hey GH.

So I really wanna get some PBT caps for my first board but I am not sure as to what I want. My first board is probably going to be a CM Storm QFR w/MX Brown (hopefully unbranded :D). As far as I know the main choices are SP PBTs, IMSTO, Lysol's Group buy (cherry replica), and the KBC caps sold by Qtan and Feng. Right now I am leaning towards the KBC stuff as it is the most reasonably priced and has front printed black on white option which looks decent, but I am also interested in the cherry replica dyesubs in lysols group buy because they seem to be a great price for dyesubs and many GHers love Cherry profile.

So my question is, are there any pics comparing "thick" cherry style caps to the KBC ones? There seems to be no pictures that show how thick the KBC caps are.

Also since the KBC caps are not dyesub, does that mean the legends will fade over time? 

Thanks in advance.

Title: Re: PBT Keycaps options?
Post by: kmiller8 on Tue, 06 November 2012, 08:49:24

boop

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/WhiteFireDragon/keyboard/imstoPBTthickness.jpg)
^ Courtesy of WhiteFireDragon

Title: Re: PBT Keycaps options?
Post by: Vintage on Tue, 06 November 2012, 08:59:15

lol thanks. I assume the standard PBTs are like the KBC ones?

I imagine that the cherry style caps are also lower profile than the standard caps. Hmmmmm... tough decisions  :'( 

Title: Re: PBT Keycaps options?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Tue, 06 November 2012, 11:14:39

Cherry profile is approximately 1.5mm lower than stock oem key. KBC pbt use same mold as thier abs key, so just like stock keycap of Filco etc but made of pbt instead.

Title: Re: PBT Keycaps options?
Post by: Hyde on Tue, 06 November 2012, 12:56:22

Quote

Also since the KBC caps are not dyesub, does that mean the legends will fade over time?

I think it depends on which set you get, if the font has color then it's most likely dyesub.  If it's just black grey then it's probably lasered.

Laser should last you a while though because it's physically burning the keycaps to black.

Quote

Cherry profile is approximately 1.5mm lower than stock oem key. KBC pbt use same mold as thier abs key, so just like stock keycap of Filco etc but made of pbt instead.

Yeah I'm torn between these also, I kind of want a black blank PBT set for my Das.  But they don't offer in Cherry Profile, and I kind of don't want blue/grey  :(

Title: Re: PBT Keycaps options?
Post by: Hyde on Tue, 06 November 2012, 14:42:21

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=31861.0

On another note this group buy is closing next Friday (Nov 16th) so if you want in now is your last chance  :P