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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Skyway on Sat, 06 July 2013, 23:43:35

Title: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: Skyway on Sat, 06 July 2013, 23:43:35
Hi all. I was looking for advice regarding getting key caps for the blackwidow and I stumbled across this forum and it seems pretty cool.  Basically I'm looking for blank key caps to replace all the keys on my blackwidow (normal version, not tournament or ultimate, its the version with the glossy finish).  Anyways I've read around this forum and noticed something about the bottom row of keys not being replaceable or something?  Could someone clarify that for me?  Also where is the best place to buy a set of blank caps for my whole keyboard?

Thanks in advance everyone!
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: Rule16 on Sat, 06 July 2013, 23:53:28
It would probably be more worth it to invest in a better quality keyboard instead, since that one is likely to break very quickly. Good alternatives are Ducky if you need a numberpad, CoolerMaster Quickfire Rapid, or a Poker II if you only need the main row of keys to be physical.
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: Skyway on Sun, 07 July 2013, 00:11:25
haha i'm totally fine with my blackwidow.  I'm just looking for blank key caps cause I want a different look on my keyboard.  Thanks for the suggestion anyways
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: badcop on Sun, 07 July 2013, 00:23:00
Hi all. I was looking for advice regarding getting key caps for the blackwidow and I stumbled across this forum and it seems pretty cool.  Basically I'm looking for blank key caps to replace all the keys on my blackwidow (normal version, not tournament or ultimate, its the version with the glossy finish).  Anyways I've read around this forum and noticed something about the bottom row of keys not being replaceable or something?  Could someone clarify that for me?  Also where is the best place to buy a set of blank caps for my whole keyboard?

Thanks in advance everyone!

its not that they aren't replaceable, its that you're going to have a hard time finding the right size.  normal winkey keyboards use the following sizes from left to right

1.25 - 1.25 - 1.25 - 6.25 - 1.25 - 1.25 - 1.25 - 1.25

your blackwidow uses (from what i can see in pictures at least.  someone please correct me if im wrong)

1.5 - 1 - 1.5 - 6.25  - 1.5 - 1 - 1 - 1.5

Most of the sets you're going to find, use 1.25 modifers and thats where you have a problem.  On top of that, you have the macro keys with different profiles on each row.  You're going to have to frankenstein a couple of sets of keys to get a full set for your blackwidow.
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 07 July 2013, 00:30:40
Here is a compatibility chart for keycaps: http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/keycap-compatibility

Blackwidow doesn't come out on top, unfortunately.
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: gnubag on Sun, 07 July 2013, 01:51:46
Hi all. I was looking for advice regarding getting key caps for the blackwidow and I stumbled across this forum and it seems pretty cool.  Basically I'm looking for blank key caps to replace all the keys on my blackwidow (normal version, not tournament or ultimate, its the version with the glossy finish).  Anyways I've read around this forum and noticed something about the bottom row of keys not being replaceable or something?  Could someone clarify that for me?  Also where is the best place to buy a set of blank caps for my whole keyboard?

Thanks in advance everyone!

its not that they aren't replaceable, its that you're going to have a hard time finding the right size.  normal winkey keyboards use the following sizes from left to right

1.25 - 1.25 - 1.25 - 6.25 - 1.25 - 1.25 - 1.25 - 1.25

your blackwidow uses (from what i can see in pictures at least.  someone please correct me if im wrong)

1.5 - 1 - 1.5 - 6.25  - 1.5 - 1 - 1 - 1.5

Most of the sets you're going to find, use 1.25 modifers and thats where you have a problem.  On top of that, you have the macro keys with different profiles on each row.  You're going to have to frankenstein a couple of sets of keys to get a full set for your blackwidow.

spacebar of the blackwidow is a 6u btw.
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: terrpn on Sun, 07 July 2013, 09:56:55
It would probably be more worth it to invest in a better quality keyboard instead, since that one is likely to break very quickly. Good alternatives are Ducky if you need a numberpad, CoolerMaster Quickfire Rapid, or a Poker II if you only need the main row of keys to be physical.

that's crap...........

i've had mine for over a 1 year and a half- nothing broke and it is still a tank, hasn't skipped a beat. agreed the keycaps are a real pain, but not impossible if you are patient.

agreed other boards are a better investment if your intent is to switch caps- bwu will be $ to switch out.


Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: badcop on Sun, 07 July 2013, 10:35:00
Hi all. I was looking for advice regarding getting key caps for the blackwidow and I stumbled across this forum and it seems pretty cool.  Basically I'm looking for blank key caps to replace all the keys on my blackwidow (normal version, not tournament or ultimate, its the version with the glossy finish).  Anyways I've read around this forum and noticed something about the bottom row of keys not being replaceable or something?  Could someone clarify that for me?  Also where is the best place to buy a set of blank caps for my whole keyboard?

Thanks in advance everyone!

its not that they aren't replaceable, its that you're going to have a hard time finding the right size.  normal winkey keyboards use the following sizes from left to right

1.25 - 1.25 - 1.25 - 6.25 - 1.25 - 1.25 - 1.25 - 1.25

your blackwidow uses (from what i can see in pictures at least.  someone please correct me if im wrong)

1.5 - 1 - 1.5 - 6.25  - 1.5 - 1 - 1 - 1.5

Most of the sets you're going to find, use 1.25 modifers and thats where you have a problem.  On top of that, you have the macro keys with different profiles on each row.  You're going to have to frankenstein a couple of sets of keys to get a full set for your blackwidow.

spacebar of the blackwidow is a 6u btw.

ahh thats for the heads up.
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: RabRhee on Sun, 07 July 2013, 12:22:26
Some places do have modifiers for that layout, but not seen a blank set on my travels. QWERkeys does an Ansi and ISO version for that layout, they refer to it as the 1x1 windows key version. (With a purple FN key as a separate buy).

http://www.qwerkeys.co.uk/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_72&product_id=76
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: oTurtlez on Wed, 10 July 2013, 10:29:19
I never understood the hate on the Blackwidow line. Regardless that the price is almost into Filco territory, my OG BWU worked fine for the year and a half that I had it, and still works fine for the friend I sold it to. Only gripe I ever had with it is the glossy plastic shell. When I had my BWU, I replaced just the alphas with an alpha kit from WASDKeyboards.
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 10 July 2013, 10:48:59
Maybe DSA blanks from SP (http://keycapsdirect.com/marketplace.php) would be a good option for you. Looks like they just added some pretty good price sets, then buy some a la carte (http://keycapsdirect.com/key-capsinventory.php) for the 1.5 and extra 1 unit keys you need for the bottom row and macros. You will probably still be stuck with the stock spacebar though.
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: Rule16 on Sun, 14 July 2013, 23:23:25
Maybe DSA blanks from SP (http://keycapsdirect.com/marketplace.php) would be a good option for you. Looks like they just added some pretty good price sets, then buy some a la carte (http://keycapsdirect.com/key-capsinventory.php) for the 1.5 and extra 1 unit keys you need for the bottom row and macros. You will probably still be stuck with the stock spacebar though.
Do you know how thick those are lysol? I might have to get those...
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Mon, 15 July 2013, 00:13:19
DSA is like almost 2x as thick as their DCS keys.
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: Rule16 on Mon, 15 July 2013, 17:29:51
DSA is like almost 2x as thick as their DCS keys.
I dont have any of their DCS keys but from the pictures it looks like they're about 1/4 of imsto thickness, correct?
Title: Re: blank key caps for blackwidow
Post by: SkyCorrigan on Sun, 21 July 2013, 00:13:17
Your first problem is that you have a BW