My daily driver is an IBM Model M, which I regard as the "Steinway Grand" of mechanical keyboards. Typing on anything else is like playing music on a plastic toy piano. Nevertheless, because I would like to place the mouse closer to the centerline, I have recently acquired some tenkeyless (TKL) boards, and I am looking for a good mini (60%) keyboard as well.
My first TKL was a Filco Majestouch-2 TKL Ninja with Cherry blue switches. Within the current universe of mechanical keyboards (excluding the IBM Model M, which is in a class by itself), the build quality of the Filco is excellent. It is heavy and level with rubberized feet, so it stays firmly planted on the desk. However, my accuracy and speed are not as good on the Filco as on the IBM.
Today I received a Ducky Shine 2 Chinese edition with Cherry brown switches and red LED backlighting. Right away, I noticed that the build quality was not up to the Filco standard, and certainly not up to the IBM standard. First, the keyboard is not level: it wobbles on the desk, either with or without the feet extended. Second, the feet are not rubberized, so the keyboard slides on the desk.
Nonetheless, there are some things I like about the Ducky. I have never before used a backlit keyboard, and I found the LEDs very helpful in my dimly lit office. I have seen other backlit keyboards, and I am glad I chose red LEDs -- they do not scatter the light as much as blue LEDs, giving subdued, focused, and highly legible legends. In normal light, the Chinese characters on the keycaps are visible and they lend an exotic flavor to my Western environment. Of course, red LEDs and Chinese characters on the keycaps are not unique to Ducky. The smooth surface of the keycaps on the Ducky feels good, and I like the even feel of the stabilizers in the spacebar and other large keys.
Another unexpected bonus found in the Ducky I ordered was the Cherry brown switches. From what I had read, I expected to prefer the dual tactile and auditory feedback of blue switches over the tactile-only feedback of the browns. However, based on my limited experience with the Ducky, I think I actually prefer browns, although these fall far short of the typing experience on the IBM buckling spring switches.
To summarize, for the best typing experience, I prefer an IBM Mlodel M (and not the cheap imitations made by Unicomp; the Lexmark-made ones come close to the genuine IBMs). Among modern mechanical keyboards, I find that Filco has better build quality than Ducky. However, if I wanted/needed extras such as backlighting, the Ducky Shine has a good implementation of these features.
Based on my positive experience with Cherry browns in the Ducky, I now wish I had gone with browns in the Filco. I am going to try the O-ring treatment to see if this helps. In addition, my quest for the best TKL or smaller board continues, and based on the excellent layout and what I have heard about Topre switches, I have ordered the Leopold FC660C; it is back-ordered from Elitekeyboards, but I hope to receive it by the end of July.
I hope these comments on my own experiences with finding the right mechanical keyboard prove helpful in your own search.
