Topre lube their stabs too good!

[typo]

I am not complaining! It is ironic that so many people complain about lousy stabs on MX boards. I have opened some new Topres and most of the R2's had milky-clear silicone lube on the side of a key with a stab between another key. Of course no big deal to wipe off. It is nice to see. This is the keyboard for when you need to type. Anything else serves a multitude of other purposes. Including typing to an extensive degree often times. I just found it to be ironic that they over greased the stabs from the factory. The last thing one would expect. The stabs are like non existent. You do not even know they are there. No matter where you hit the key. Especially on a silenced board. All the keys are silky smooth though.

If one is paying nearly $400 for an all plastic keyboard and then completely customize it for another $2000.00 At least some people feel that there is something to this. Even left stock plastic for just under $400 you could afford yourself a much nicer MX board no doubt. So, Those that like it apparently have a very strong feeling about it. I play with custom MX boards all day. When the serious coding begins only Topre will do. However I will add for those of you that know this stuff. I use a 108 R2. Even though I have no problem using HHKB Layers only serve to slow my remarkable WPM. Not bragging. Just explaining Why I do not use it. I have A brand new PFU Hybrid-Type S right here. Not for sale. I have a bunch of them. The full size is just personal preference because I can maintain an unusual WPM on it. I cannot do so on any MX switch either.

I actually just got a new steel case $$$$. I lost the freaking bag of screws. Useless now It came From Germany. Incredibly he does not know a word of English. Or he does not want to.

Please try to be nice everyone. I thought this was a lighthearted post. I don't see anything here that could possibly be upsetting to anyone. No, you are not going to challenge me in a type-off.

Please behave! It is just a lighthearted discussion. there is no right or wrong about this topic! Just peoples observations. If anyone even posts.

[Leopard223]

Stabilizers are the weakest part of MX keyboards, they require too much tinkering to make them decent and even then, it's not guaranteed. 
Zero progression over the years.

[typo]

I guess Topre is good then. It is like they are not even present.

[Riverman]

Yes, Topre's regular stabilizers are wonderful, which makes it kind of shocking how noisy the ones are that they put on the Realforce RGB.  I had to disassemble both of my RGBs and cake the stabilizers with grease to quiet them down.  They're pretty decent now.  Equally shocking is how the best Cherry stabilizers I've ever felt are on a G80-3000, although they did need to be clipped and lubed.  They add nothing to the noise or feel of any key.  I've never typed on another keyboard that was so uniform.

[yqqdrasil]

Yes, Topre's regular stabilizers are wonderful, which makes it kind of shocking how noisy the ones are that they put on the Realforce RGB.

I couldn't believe how absolutely horrendous those stock stabs sounded on the new RGB model.

[Maledicted]

All hail rattly Costars.

[typo]

You cannot really call the RGB a typical Topre in any way. I do not mean to be a jerk or start an argument. This has been discussed 100 times here. The RGB is just something different.
I will also fully agree that for actual typing some old Cherry boards are much better than even Rama boards. I have some I did not have to clip the stabs or open for anything.

[Riverman]

I dome swapped an RGB and a 30g R2 tonight, partly because I wanted the R2 to be 45g, and partly because I wanted to see what differences I could see between the two.  Whether or not this is the proper place to discuss it is up for some debate, but I can tell you that the cases are absolutely identical, the cord is identical, and the circuit boards are very similar.  Other than some slight differences in component layout and of course the presence of LEDs on the RGB, they look like they came out of the same factory, which they most likely did.  From what I can tell, the only reason the RGB sounds and feels any different than other Topre keyboards is because of the different materials used in the slider housings and the design of the stabilizers.  Just for s**ts and giggles, I put BKE heavy domes in the escape key and the function switcher key (this is a Mac model), and holy crap, are those things heavy.  I couldn't imagine typing on them, but they do make a nice popping sound.

[typo]

I guess that lays that to rest. Yeah I am using BKE light and extra light. The heavy is like cement.


Big Edit:
Wait. The RGB has the cup rubber in "strips", no? The PFU Limited has it in a full keyboard sheet save for a small strip? Plus the RGB just "handles" cheap to me. That may very well be the keycaps though. I have one with GMK on it with O-rings that feels like a different board as I remember. I do not really mess with backlit boards any more. I do not need to see the legends. Or need any legends for that matter. The issue is all of these boards for the most part will last upwards of 20 years. I have never had 100% of LED's last 2 years. Perhaps bad luck. I have maybe 5 or 6 Topre RGB's with at least some bad LED's. Now you are going to ask why do I have so many. If I tell the truth someone is going to start flaming me. The truth is it was not I that acquired them. Plus I am not sure they were outright paid for either. I mean why would anybody have that many of them? No, I am not saying they were stolen, Duh. I am saying they were traded ETC.

One apparently had a metal case from what I read here. It was either a lie or I do not know where it might be. The story goes that something like 15 Grand was put into that board. You can search for it too. My family, myself included have a history of embellishing things. The Illuminati I just did was in fact truthful. I really have no clue what prompted me to do something so stupid. The board was worth it if one really wanted it. I most certainly did not need to ship like that. Anyway I am by no means calling you out. If you take the case and everything I am not sure that the RGB is the same animal. If you get the Ivory PFU the case is AES. Which is high end stuff. The RGB case is Acrylic so it will ring. I am not trying to challenge you. If you are correct, so be it. I just took a PFU and got a complete customization kit from this kid. I have a nice Aluminum case, go figure LED's around the edge.Snazzy keycaps, custom programmable controller,BKE, Detachable USB 'C' port, some other goodies. I said it was very expensive. It was in fact very reasonable.

I think It just made me what I always wanted in an MX board. If you can find the post. Myself and no one else here even knew this guy. He was perfectly honest. The stuff was good quality for a fair price. Now I have something I am very happy about. A standard Realforce is perfect but cosmetics count too. I really do not know why everyone is messing with MX boards. Realforce or HHKB is for if you are serious about typing. I guess the point of MX is gaming. I am not flaming or judging anyone. To me it is just a vast departure. Now that you can get the cosmetics you can't go wrong IMO,YMMV. Personally, there is no substitute. Put BKE and sweeten the deal even more. One preference for me. Never HHKB. I must have 108. I do own a number of HHKB Hybrid type-S. Of course many people are just the opposite.

[Riverman]

The RGB has a lot more individual domes than the R2.  There are two fairly big sheets that cover most of the alpha section, some strips of three or four for the F key row, and then a ton of singles.  The Type Heaven was similar, if I remember right, so I was surprised that the R2 had most of them in a single sheet.  I'm sure that makes for much quicker assembly at the factory.  The next time I have a reason to take one of these apart, I'm just going to pull all the domes and springs off.  The alignment nubs on the slider housings make getting the domes aligned dirt simple.  Trying to get them centered on the PCB and then flipping the plate over and down on top of the PCB has caused too many problems for me in the past.

I've put quite a few different sets of keycaps on my RGB.  I've had Cherry-profile dye subs, OEM profile doubleshots (the originals and PBT versions), and most recently, extremely thick PBT SA keycaps from Signature Plastics.  Those have been my favorites so far.  They do make a difference in how the keyboard feels, but it's not drastic.

I do share your fear of LEDs burning out, so I really have no interest in RGB boards.  I just like the Realforce RGB because you can put aftermarket keycaps on it.  The downside is that Topre's housings are a little wide, and I've had a few sets that just won't work (they stick or make clicking sounds) without grinding down the insides of the keycap.  I had to do that on the SA keycaps and on a set of Varmilo keycaps.  I have another set of cheap ones from AliExpress that I love, but they won't work at all.  They make all kinds of noises, but only on the RGB.  They're currently on a Cherry G80-3000, where they work perfectly.

[typo]

I mentioned in that other thread the $20 Vortex keycaps are actually rather decent. When I take apart a regular R2 I just do it upside down. Still a pain. I just avoid any RGB board now like you. They just do not last. Certain LED's can outlast us but not RGB. I don't mean to be a jerk but everyone should learn to type. They could get better keyboards then. Unless they just think it is cool. Half burned out is not cool IMO. I put in BKE so it is no longer one sheet anyway. They make MX adapters for Topre keys. Many different ones. I have yet to find one that feels any good though. So yeah, that is a big deal about the RGB. You are right about that. I so wish either there were caps for Topre or it had MX stems. Although at least the stock keycaps are not junk. You know you can buy some cheap boards they are very bad. By the time you fully mod a PFU it is not so cheap. Even just stock it is a very good keyboard I feel.