Regarding the color pattern in the 40% kit, I recommend adjusting the numrow colors. Because finger movement on orthorlinear and column-staggered keyboards is straight up and down.

Most row-staggered 40s keyboards don't have a numrow, but the V4N4G0N has a partial one. Maybe take a pole to see if there is any interest in numkeys for small row-staggered boards?

Any thoughts from 40s users?

glwic

After testing some more switches, I found another one I really like: The Siliworks Type R Tactile.
It is similar to the Banana Switch. Currently testing them stock -VS- Lighter spring-modded...

So, now it's down to:
 
- Gateron/Everfree Greyfish
- Gateron Jupiter Banana
- Siliworks Type R
- ZealPC Zealios V2
- Kalih Brown Box V2

Quote from: dvorcol on Thu, 02 April 2026, 19:26:16

You could remove the alternate home keys from the 40% kit. This color pattern only works with the QWERTY layout.

Show Image

Could you please provide me with some alternative imges? Since I have very little knowledge about the 40 layout, but I would be more than happy to adjust them. :thumb:

Sorry I didn't explain better. I'm just suggesting a way to slightly reduce the price of the 40% kit.

Uniform profile sets like PBS and DSA only need 6 extra keys to support alternative layouts like Dvorak and Colemak. It's common for PBS 40% sets to have them: non-homing F & J plus homing H, U, N, and T. As a Dvorak user I usually request adding these six keycaps to PBS 65% and 100% kits too, but it doesn't work when there is a color pattern in the alphas.

At this point in my keyboard journey, I've accepted that I'm pretty much entirely sold on 60% boards. I started with full size keyboards back in the early 2010s and have slowly gone down to 60% in the the early 2020s. However, I've gotten picky even among 60%. I rotate pretty much exclusively between WKL boards and HHKB-layout boards. Lately, I use my Squid60 (WKL) and Frog Mini (HHKB) a lot. Oldies but goodies.

As for switches, I'm partial to lighter tactiles, so anything like the Gateron Mini I or Gateron Baby Kangaroo will be my kind of switch. I'm not difficult however, I also enjoy a lot of linear switches or heavier tactiles.