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Author Topic: first mechanical kb.  (Read 2932 times)

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Offline aj-kun

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  • Posts: 131
first mechanical kb.
« on: Thu, 04 November 2010, 23:52:11 »
Hi guys,
Noob here, found your site while I was looking up keyboards. I'm currently using a Razer arctosa with the black on black keys....bought it because it was marketed at gamers -.-'

So looking to get my first mechanical keyboard, am most probably going to buy online from Japan and have it forwarded to myself.
Have my mind set on a keyboard with cherry blues...because I want the clicky sound =D
Has anyone tried the Archiss IT Touch Cherry Blue keyboards
http://www.vshopu.com/item/210X-2603/index.html
comes round to about $130ish Aud delivered.

If its bad quality I'll probably just get a Filco with the cherry blues.

Or any other suggestions?
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Offline MyNameIsDan

  • Posts: 65
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 05 November 2010, 00:03:47 »
Welcome to geek hack!

It looks like another version of a ducky keyboard, which was recently concluded to have inferior quality compared to the filcos iirc.

Did you read onto blue cherry? most gamer oriented visitors looked into browns due to hysteresis issue with blues.

You should ask ripster or refer to wiki for precise details.
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Current Keyboard: Filco Majestouch 104 Browns (FKBN104M/EB)

Current Mice: Steelseries Xai (1400cc//800cc) on Steelseries 9HD.

Anyone want to donate me a keycap remover? <3

Offline 002

  • Posts: 192
  • Topre Enthusiast
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 05 November 2010, 00:28:29 »
I can't comment on that board in particular, but as far as Cherry Blues go for gaming, they should be fine.

I used my Filco with blues for various games [mostly FPS games] and haven't had a problem. The noise from the keys takes some getting used to, especially if you don't play with headphones but I never felt like I was playing and better or worse than If I were using my Realforce.

Welcome to geekhack...Prepare your Anu-err Wallet
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Offline aj-kun

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 131
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 05 November 2010, 00:42:45 »
Quote from: 002;242815

Welcome to geekhack...Prepare your Anu-err Wallet

ahh just like the welcome they give at head-fi (last year's obsession)

but yeh I don't really game much anymore, and I'm not exactly the worlds best typist either. just looking to get something nicer than my current keyboard.
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Offline maxlugar

  • Posts: 379
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 05 November 2010, 00:54:46 »
Quote from: You should ask ripster or refer to wiki for precise details.[/QUOTE


That's it!  Ask ripster for advice.  You can rest assured that his guidance will be 100% unbiased and accurate...if you're looking for advice on Legos.

Seriously though, the geekhack wiki is an amazing source of (mostly) factual keyboard data and yes, ripster is a key contriubtor to the wiki.

When you get a keyboard that's "geek girl approved", you know you've got a good one!
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Emperor of the IBM 84-key AT Model F Darkside

Offline maxlugar

  • Posts: 379
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 05 November 2010, 01:08:59 »
Quote from: aj-kun;242805
Hi guys,
Noob here, found your site while I was looking up keyboards. I'm currently using a Razer arctosa with the black on black keys....bought it because it was marketed at gamers -.-'

So looking to get my first mechanical keyboard, am most probably going to buy online from Japan and have it forwarded to myself.
Have my mind set on a keyboard with cherry blues...because I want the clicky sound =D
Has anyone tried the Archiss IT Touch Cherry Blue keyboards
http://www.vshopu.com/item/210X-2603/index.html
comes round to about $130ish Aud delivered.

If its bad quality I'll probably just get a Filco with the cherry blues.

Or any other suggestions?


If looks are not important, and you want an excellent clicky mechnical keyboard, you should consider a sealed NIB Chicony KB-5181 keyboard, available for sale from a few geekhackers.

Yeah, it has been out of production for 18 years but there are still brand new units available for purchase that cost about half the price of a Filco.  More importantly, the blue  "Monterey" key switches are some of the best around.   I like Blue Cherries, but the Montereys are unique in that they provide the sharp tactile bump and audible click sound, but feel more substantial than Blue Cherries. Many who have tried Montereys prefer them over Blue Cherries.

You can find a couple detailed reviews of the KB-5181 here on geekhack.  Contrary to some of the comments on the build quality of the switches, I have spoken with people who have used the KB-5181 as their daily driver for 10 years plus (actually 17 years in one case) and they're still going strong.

Merely a humble suggestion.  The aesthetics may be too much of a hurdle.
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Emperor of the IBM 84-key AT Model F Darkside

Offline aj-kun

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 131
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 05 November 2010, 01:30:11 »
Thanks for the links and suggestions guys.
@maxlugar
I'm actually quite fond of beige keyboards...so the Chicony isn't too bad, I just prefer a tenkeyless version. My pc is actually a quad-core amd housed in an old grey box =D. (looks like ****)
I'd like a beige Filco but the keyboardco is out stock.
Can't find any beige Filcos on the Japanese websites I've been to either.
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Offline Azuremen

  • Posts: 317
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 05 November 2010, 07:47:01 »
Someone likes... beige?

That aside, I game on blues on a regular basis with no issues. I actually prefer the Blues in my Rk-9000 (effectively a rebadged Filco[I think{from what I've read}]) to the Blacks in my 6Gv2 for StarCraft2, but kind of like the Blacks more for FPS games. Probably because I can't always look to see what group is actually selected in SC2, I have to know from the tactile, while I can tell if I hit 4 because my Shock Rifle is out in UT :p

For typing, the Blues win hands down over the Blacks.
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Filco Tenkeyless Tactile Click ~ Kinesis Professional ~ White label Model M ~ DX HHKB Killer
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Offline keyboardlover

  • Posts: 4022
  • Hey Paul Walker, Click It or Ticket!
    • http://www.keyboardlover.com
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 05 November 2010, 07:52:11 »
I don't believe the chicony has nkro right? So it wouldn't be much good for gaming...
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Offline keyb_gr

  • Posts: 1384
  • Location: Germany
  • Cherrified user
    • My keyboard page (German)
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 05 November 2010, 12:12:06 »
Quote from: Azuremen;242901
Someone likes... beige?

Not too much choice in light-colored boards with two-tone key sets otherwise, huh?
Quote from: keyboardlover;242903
I don't believe the chicony has nkro right? So it wouldn't be much good for gaming...

By that logic, the vast majority of gamers would have to suffer horribly. Such a blanket statement is of little value.

The old Chicony matrix actually is quite interesting. It can accept an awful lot of characters per row at once. IIRC (would need to fire it up on PS/2), it'll basically do ASDFGHJKL and such, at the cost of blocking in the numpad area. The value for gamers is not likely to be very high, as things like ASX still fail, but still.
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Hardware in signatures clutters Google search results. There should be a field in the profile for that (again).

This message was probably typed on a vintage G80-3000 with blues. Double-shots, baby. :D

Offline aj-kun

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 131
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #10 on: Sun, 07 November 2010, 23:20:45 »
Thanks again for the advice guys.
Ended up ordering a black filco tenkeyless cherry blue kb from diatec.
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.diatec.co.jp/shop/det.php%3Fprod_c%3D589&act=url

Using this buying service
http://www.tenso.com/en/

I hope I filled everything out alright, :|
Google translated my whole way through the transaction
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Offline chet0

  • Posts: 19
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 07 November 2010, 23:37:07 »
That's pretty cheap... you're from Oz as well, right?

How much was the total price?
« Last Edit: Sun, 07 November 2010, 23:40:41 by chet0 »
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Keyboards owned: XD87 with lubed aliaz, a few Topres, Logitech 815 (tactile).

Offline aj-kun

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 131
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #12 on: Mon, 08 November 2010, 00:16:28 »
Well I could've gotten it cheaper from Amazon...but it didn't come with limited edition keys and key remover, nor could I buy another red esc key or colour wasd combo in the same package.

I think estimated total is going to be around $170ish

So still cheaper than auspcmarket.

If I ordered directly from amazon, I could've gotten it for around 9000 yen, which would be <$145 delivered.

I also got a free mousepad...I might tell my delivery service to remove that if it makes my package any smaller....(there was no option to deselect it either)

(AUSSIE DOLLAR IS PRETTY AWESOME AT THE MOMENT)
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Offline aj-kun

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 131
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #13 on: Mon, 08 November 2010, 20:55:54 »
Omg what are you doing to that wombat!!!
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Offline aj-kun

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 131
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #14 on: Sun, 14 November 2010, 22:41:04 »
Arrived in the mail.


Took around less than a week since I purchased it for the keyboard to arrive from japan which is pretty awesome IMO.
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Offline 002

  • Posts: 192
  • Topre Enthusiast
first mechanical kb.
« Reply #15 on: Mon, 15 November 2010, 01:09:23 »
Quote from: aj-kun;246885

Took around less than a week since I purchased it for the keyboard to arrive from japan which is pretty awesome IMO.


5% of that journey would be in Japan
The other 95% would be our ridiculous Customs office and Australia Post scratching their arses.

I still laugh thinking back on the reaction of horror I got from the Japanese clerk at the post office when I said I was sending parcels to Australia while I was on holiday.

He insisted that I triple check my parcels - I guess they get a lot of boomerangs.

Oh - cool keyboard by the way :)
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