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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: cameronmcleod71 on Fri, 05 January 2018, 13:50:12

Title: How was you experience using a white keyboard
Post by: cameronmcleod71 on Fri, 05 January 2018, 13:50:12

Hello, I've bin looking for a new mechanical keyboard with speed switches and I've decided on the ducky shine 6 golden white edition or black. I keep hesitating on buying the golden white because I'm scared after a few years the keyboard will loose its aesthetic and turn a off white or yellow. I am just wondering how other people's experiences were with using white keyboards, and if they still look that fresh white color.

Title: Re: How was you experience using a white keyboard
Post by: absyrd on Fri, 05 January 2018, 13:58:27

Retrobrite when/if they turn yellow and you care that much. Or paint it.

Title: Re: How was you experience using a white keyboard
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 05 January 2018, 14:26:43

I believe that plastic for electronics manufactured today do not yellow as easily as older plastics did.
Older plastics for electronics contained the flame-retardant (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_retardant) additive PBDE (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polybrominated_diphenyl_ethers) and it was the bromine in that that accelerated yellowing. These days, brominated flame retardants should have been completely phased out, replaced with chemicals not containing bromine.

And yes, a case can be painted (white paint is common) and you could upgrade to keycaps made from PBT plastic which don't yellow (or at least, very little).

Title: Re: How was you experience using a white keyboard
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 06 January 2018, 04:16:56

I bought a KeyCool TKL with MX reds a few years ago (maybe 5 years ago).

It is whiter than white i.e. not beige at all.  It also has PBT keycaps, which are quite nice.

I discovered that I don't like MX reds, so the keyboard has not had a lot of use, however its colour has not aged at all - it is still as white as.