It mostly comes down to mouse space and hand travel.

From an ergonomic standpoint, a nav-less board keeps the widest part (the numpad) on the far right, which still forces your right hand to stretch way out to reach the mouse. TKL wins because it chops off that bulky section, letting you keep your mouse closer to your natural shoulder width.

Plus, a physical numpad is pretty much obsolete for most ergo users now. It’s way more efficient to just map a numpad layer directly under your home row. Holding a thumb key turns your alphas into a number pad instantly—meaning zero hand movement. A nav-less board just adds unnecessary physical width.

THIS!

Having the keyboard "less wide" greatly improves ergonomics in my opinion...
With fullsize boards, you have to decide between putting the alpha-cluster off-center, or having the mouse too far on the right.

Comparison:

I'm starting to think the right approach for this would be to offer two Base Kits: a TKL Base Kit targeting around $99, and a Grand Base Kit targeting around $150, without any child kits.

That way, people can simply choose whichever Base Kit best fits their needs, and everyone's happy.

I'm not entirely sure yet how MOQ is handled when a set offers two Base Kits during the group buy, but I assume the starting MOQ would be higher than usual. If that's the case, the set would need strong vendor support.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the idea with you. We'll see how it evolves in the future

Really interesting project. I would be in if there was an option to get the back without the engraving. Is that being considered?

Welcome to the forum! Honestly, having your own CNC shop is an absolute dream for anyone in the keyboard hobby.

I couldn't agree more with your stance on group buys. The current GB model introduces way too much uncertainty, long waiting periods, and anxiety. As a buyer, I much prefer the In-stock (现货) or small-batch approach. There’s nothing better than paying for a premium tool and having it shipped within days.

Haha exactly! Pink isn't illegal either. What if I build a massive, neon-pink full-size board just to commit the ultimate keyboard crime? 🌸 Let the wrists burn in style!