Olivetti BSP Dye Sub. Just wait for it. Imsto isn't as great as cherry original PBT.
I have both sets and I LOVE the GMK Olivetti so much. I'm actually seriously considering selling my IMSTO thick PBTs.
Olivetti BSP Dye Sub. Just wait for it. Imsto isn't as great as cherry original PBT.Isn't the price way hard on those? $110 is already pretty steep for me for a set of caps. Thats about my limit unless they were way special.
I have both sets and I LOVE the GMK Olivetti so much. I'm actually seriously considering selling my IMSTO thick PBTs.Oh nice you have both, can you tell me why you prefer the DS's? Just curious.
Olivetti BSP Dye Sub. Just wait for it. Imsto isn't as great as cherry original PBT.Isn't the price way hard on those? $110 is already pretty steep for me for a set of caps. Thats about my limit unless they were way special.
Jocelyn I do agree with the shiny keys though thats the one thing that sucks about the DS's imo.
I have both sets and I LOVE the GMK Olivetti so much. I'm actually seriously considering selling my IMSTO thick PBTs.Oh nice you have both, can you tell me why you prefer the DS's? Just curious.
I agree I hate shiny keys. I don't really game anymore so hopefully they last a while.
COMPATABILITY
I have to say, Cherry profile is horrible for Costar stabilizer. It grinds the stabilizer wire a little on certain keys because of very little clearance. But somehow the Imsto set has less grinding than the Olivetti Double Shot. So if you use a board with Costar stabilizer then you should beware of this.
COMPATABILITY
I have to say, Cherry profile is horrible for Costar stabilizer. It grinds the stabilizer wire a little on certain keys because of very little clearance. But somehow the Imsto set has less grinding than the Olivetti Double Shot. So if you use a board with Costar stabilizer then you should beware of this.
Anyone else experience this issue?
I picked up an IMSTO thick PBT set from the classified and can't wait to try PBTs for the first time. It wasn't anything close to $150 either so you should give it a shot lightsout714.I actually owned one of the sets we're discussing here. You can see them in my avatar. I got some thick pbts in imstos first GB. I did like them. Brand new they are about 90 shipped. For the two tone. I don't really like any of the single color sets.
Cpt. How long have you had your gmks and are they shiny?
COMPATABILITY
I have to say, Cherry profile is horrible for Costar stabilizer. It grinds the stabilizer wire a little on certain keys because of very little clearance. But somehow the Imsto set has less grinding than the Olivetti Double Shot. So if you use a board with Costar stabilizer then you should beware of this.
Anyone else experience this issue?
I can test this later on my Filco if you're interested.
COMPATABILITY
It grinds the stabilizer wire a little on certain keys because of very little clearance. But somehow the Imsto set has less grinding than the Olivetti Double Shot. So if you use a board with Costar stabilizer then you should beware of this.
Very interested. I don't want to get cherry profile keys just to have a horrible grinding experience.
Oh also Imsto has the straightest spacebar I've seen on any set EVER. Where as the spacebar from Olivetti is kind of warped.
I have several sets of both (although only blanks for PBT). They both will feel different. For aesthetics, DS has sharper legends at the edges, and dyesub looks a tad dull in comparison. You said you care about shine, and ABS does shine fairly quick. You'll start to see wear (not actual shine yet) in only a few weeks, and it'll start to shine in a few months. One other thing that no one else mentioned, was that imsto's PBT caps will become loose as a goose after they've been on and off a few times. Cherry DS will retain the tight fitting longer. In the end, it comes down to which compromise you care about more.
If only there were thick PBT doubleshots....Oh also Imsto has the straightest spacebar I've seen on any set EVER. Where as the spacebar from Olivetti is kind of warped.
Are you sure about that? Most PBT spacebars are bent, including ALL of the imsto sets I have. All ABS cherry ones are straight, so I think you got that mixed around.
Show Image(http://i.imgur.com/GP522Qg.jpg)
As you can see I put a Red Alert (Thin SP ABS caps) backspace, Imsto Cherry replica enter (Thick PBT cap), and GMK Olivetti (Cherry doubleshots/thick ABS caps). I don't feel any grinding. Hyde are you sure you set your stabilizer correctly?
Are you sure about that? Most PBT spacebars are bent, including ALL of the imsto sets I have. All ABS cherry ones are straight, so I think you got that mixed around.
I think I'm am converted to pbt.
Beige and white with blue legends. Only thing is my enter key is sticking with the costar stabs. It was happening with no other keys on so its not hitting anything. I saw a thread with the same issue the other day need to dig it up. The picks are actually old bit its the same exact setup except the new QFR has no branding. ;)
I need to find someone to mod the stepped caps lock.
Luckily I went through the same situation as you very recently. Considering the choice I'd say you like blue and therefore has good taste so I will say bravo my friend LOL.
Anyway here's my opinion on this matter:
SHORT VERSION
Go with Imsto PBT. In my opinion they're better made and fit my Filco better (read long version for the reason).
LONG VERSION
PRICE
I bought my imsto PBT set through group buy for $75, where as the Olivetti ABS Double Shot I got it for $95 from Originative. Shipping I think cost about the same. But if you buy it without group buy I think the price should be similar between the two.
COLOR
Personally I bought the all white with blue letter Imsto dyesub (no grey modifier), and I actually prefer this over the Olivetti's setup (grey modifier) as I think all white looks more "modern". Another to keep in mind is that Imsto's "white" is more like neutral light grey. Olivetti's "white" is more like light grey with a tint of creamy yellow. I find Imsto's set match better with my beige Filco and the Olivetti just look very "old". In this case I prefer the Imsto set but look is "preference".
TYPING FEEL
Like people said Olivetti Double Shot is very smooth, where as the Imsto PBT has a very fine texture to it. I find I'm ok with either one. Though initially I wasn't a fan of PBT as I find it too harsh since the plastic is very hard and when you bottom out it's a very hard thock. And I thought I like ABS better because it's a bit more forgiving, but I think PBT is growing on me and I kind of don't mind it now. I find the typing feel is not too noticeable on the 1x1 keys but with the large keys, you start to notice how solid the thick keys are compare to the typical thin keycaps. Oh and keep in mind that Imsto uses a dash on the F and J and Cherry set use a scoop. I find scoop throws me off and I much prefer the dash.
COMPATABILITY
I have to say, Cherry profile is horrible for Costar stabilizer. It grinds the stabilizer wire a little on certain keys because of very little clearance. But somehow the Imsto set has less grinding than the Olivetti Double Shot. So if you use a board with Costar stabilizer then you should beware of this.
BUILD QUALITY
This might shock a lot of people but I find the Imsto set is more "refined". Like I think the GMK tooling is made a long time ago and has been continuously used until today. You can tell from the uneven keycap thickness. For example the top and bottom wall is 1 thickness, and the left and right wall is another thickness. Where as the Imsto cap have uniform thickness on any side walls. Also the plastic "nub" on the top side of the keycap is smaller and less noticeable on the Imsto cap too. Oh also Imsto has the straightest spacebar I've seen on any set EVER. Where as the spacebar from Olivetti is kind of warped.
CONCLUSION
So all things considered, Imsto PBT Set end up working better for me and it's the one I kept. However I've only tried Cherry PBT very briefly before but it felt pretty nice. So I'd probably suggest you get either Imsto or Cherry PBT over Cherry Double Shot. But I also realize that things with keyboard is heavily influenced by personal preference. So take our advice with an open mind lol.
EDIT: Oh I think I might've liked the blue on Cherry Double Shot better. I think it's closer to Sky Blue where as Imsto is more leaning towards Navy Blue.
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I have already talked to imsto, I said we want 7x spacebar and 1.5 keycaps... but he did't think there is a huge amount of need..so ...maybe he will make them some time but not recentlyOlivetti BSP Dye Sub. Just wait for it. Imsto isn't as great as cherry original PBT.Isn't the price way hard on those? $110 is already pretty steep for me for a set of caps. Thats about my limit unless they were way special.
You pay almost as much for an imsto set depending on where you get it. But there is a pretty noticeable difference in feel between imsto and cherry pbt.
I am also a convert to PBT keycaps. Ducky Shine caps are the only caps I prefer that are not PBT. But otherwise, I like thin and thick PBT--depending on the switch type, because of the profile difference. The dry powdery feel is very pleasant, and of course the resistance to shine is nice on the cosmetic side. I still appreciate and want ABS caps when they are in nice-looking sets, but wish they were made of PBT instead.
I have tried thick GMK doubleshots on modifiers, SP's thin doubleshots, old WYSE caps, various Filco caps, Ducky Shine caps, thin PBT caps (OEM profile), a set of thick dye sub Vortex PBT caps (Cherry profile), zinc keycaps, and aluminum spacebars.
Beige and white with blue legends. Only thing is my enter key is sticking with the costar stabs. It was happening with no other keys on so its not hitting anything. I saw a thread with the same issue the other day need to dig it up. The picks are actually old bit its the same exact setup except the new QFR has no branding. ;)I have the exact same problem with the enter key. The first time I put my thick pbt enter Key on my filco, the enter key get stuck at the bottom after I press down. The costar stabilizer get stuck with the keycap. I use a knife to plane it a little bit, it feel better. But there it is still horrible when I press to the bottom. The final solution is put the keycap in some really hot water, and fix the shape of it.
I need to find someone to mod the stepped caps lock.
Btw, where can I get a GMK Olivetti set ?
Oh great. ;)Btw, where can I get a GMK Olivetti set ?
Originativeco.com has em
Looks like you have also taken a long and circuitous path to arrive at the conclusion that PBT caps are the best for typing. It is strange, but I am still allowing myself to be seduced by the visual appeal of good double shots, knowing full well that I will not enjoy typing on them. Recently, I bought several old Wyse and Cherry keyboards for their double shot keycaps (and special keycap sizes) to decorate some new contemporary keyboards. I populated the new boards with the venerable caps, hoping that something might have magically changed and that the ABS would somehow feel right this time. Wrong!
I've got one of Feng's thin PBT sets on my pink Filco, and it's actually quite good in terms of how it feels, but I find that to be a strong function of switch type. For example, I prefer OEM profile caps with any kind of Clears--Ducky Shine caps being most preferable. I like low Cherry profile thick PBT on linear switches, etc. I some switch-keycap combinations feel a lot more "right" than others. I don't think I like thin standard ABS for anything--maybe MX Blues.Interesting. I just got my CM QFR Stealth TKL with Cherry MX Greens. So far I am using the stock thin ABS caps and liking it fairly well. This was my first experience with green switches, and I really like them. It will be difficult to go back to anything else. It could be that the green switches are so good that they mask the negative effects of using thin ABS keycaps. In any event, the QFR with greens has become my second-favorite board next to my IBM Model M SSK (which has the stock IBM dye sub PBT keycaps).
Beige and white with blue legends. Only thing is my enter key is sticking with the costar stabs. It was happening with no other keys on so its not hitting anything. I saw a thread with the same issue the other day need to dig it up. The picks are actually old bit its the same exact setup except the new QFR has no branding. ;)
I need to find someone to mod the stepped caps lock.
Congrats !!! That was a good choice and the keycap is looking nicely on your board.
But yes I find really only enter key grinds (with imsto set, cherry set somehow almost all the big keys grinds). Refer to the links I posted 3 posts up. So what you want to do is take a small knife and shave off a little bit of the front side of the INSIDE of the keycap. By front I mean the side that's close to you.
Refer to the pictures 3 posts up. Good luck !!!
I have both sets as well. The legends on the GMK (ABS) set look sharper, but the Imsto (PBT) set feels better. It would be great if someone would produce a dye-sub PBT set that looks and feels as good as the dye-sub PBT keycaps on the IBM Model M and SSK.The pbt double shot that make by vortex may be is what you are looking for.
I have the exact same problem with the enter key. The first time I put my thick pbt enter Key on my filco, the enter key get stuck at the bottom after I press down. The costar stabilizer get stuck with the keycap. I use a knife to plane it a little bit, it feel better. But there it is still horrible when I press to the bottom. The final solution is put the keycap in some really hot water, and fix the shape of it.
And I didn't get a non-straight space bar too. Actually, the space bar is the best large key.(I mean the key that have stabilizer)
I have the exact same problem with the enter key. The first time I put my thick pbt enter Key on my filco, the enter key get stuck at the bottom after I press down. The costar stabilizer get stuck with the keycap. I use a knife to plane it a little bit, it feel better. But there it is still horrible when I press to the bottom. The final solution is put the keycap in some really hot water, and fix the shape of it.
And I didn't get a non-straight space bar too. Actually, the space bar is the best large key.(I mean the key that have stabilizer)
Can you explain how you fixed it with hot water? I shaved mine so it grinds less now, but when I bottom all the way down it still grinds a tiny bit. So I might try to fix it with water.
And yes the spacebar is indeed the best large key, no grinding and perfectly straight. :D