A little help please?

[phosphor]

I've been looking for weeks now for my first mechanical keyboard and i know i'm being picky but i cant seem to find anything close. I was hoping someone might have a suggestion. Im looking for something without backlight leds, strange angles and odd extra buttons or knobs. i just want a basic full or tenkeyless that doesnt cost an arm and a leg. Hopefully a cherry mx brown. anybody have any suggestions?

[inanis]

You could get a WASD V2 with MX Browns. It is about as non-bling as you can get.

[aicrono]

You're best bet is trying to pick up a used Filco Majestouch 2 on eBay. I got my TKL Majestouch 2 Ninja w/ MX Blacks for $70 off of eBay, so I'm assuming similar deals are still out there.

If you are strictly buying new, this will probably serve you well: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201083

I have had the V1 of this board for years and its still clacking along.

[merlin64]

I highly recommend a KUL ES87. Got lots of good reviews.

[Data]

I highly recommend a KUL ES87. Got lots of good reviews.

I came to say this, but it was already said.

[CPTBadAss]

Some suggestions:

- Coolermaster QFR
- Filco Majestouch
- Some of the Ducky models
- Kul ES87
- WASD V2

I really like Ducky boards and I own a Filco Majestouch. Love Filco.

[jdcarpe]

Filco, KUL, or QuickFire Rapid. Or grab a Ducky, and leave the backlighting turned off.

[tigersharkdude]

CM Storm - Quickfire Rapid. It's exactly what you asked for; very minimal, no extra keys, no knobs, no lighting, can be had in MX brown

Ive had mine for about 1.5 years and have no issue

[Defect]

Like many have said,

KUL ES87, Filco, QFS, QFR.

You can find used QFRs for as low as $40 shipped, on average $60 shipped.

[tp4tissue]

Like many have said,

KUL ES87, Filco, QFS, QFR.

You can find used QFRs for as low as $40 shipped, on average $60 shipped.

The issue with used QFRs has been 1 or 2 broken keys..

They're easy fixes  for many of Geekhackers,  but not all.

[saturnotaku]

I second the recommendation for the WASD v2. It's about as no-nonsense as you can get and is extremely well made. It's available as a TKL or full-size in just about every Cherry MX switch you can get. You can customize the keycaps to say whatever you want, have them completely blank, or get the keyboard without any caps at all so you can add whatever set you want. It also has a set of hardware DIP switches to change the layout, including Dvorak, Colemak, Mac, Windows key disable, and more.

[KaminKevCrew]

The WASD is definitely a good suggestion! Also, if you're okay with a glossy front, the Daskeyboard model S is a good one. I've heard they don't use Cherry any more, but my ultimate 4 w/browns certainly does, so I think they still use Cherry switches.

[clacktalk]

any board without cherry stabilizers will guarantee you sadness and discomfort, so i guess pick whichever one already suggested that has them

[phosphor]

Wow. There's a lot of suggestions i haven't found yet (the KUL es87) and they look nice (seriously, the KUL and the WASD are tasty) they're all outside my budget. At most, i can swing $100 plus flat rate shipping so as nice as the WASD looks, it'll have to wait. 

Somehow i mist the Cooler Master Quickfire, and that's certainly an option, but does anyone have an opinion on the Max Keyboard Nighthawk?

And backlighting does raise the price, right?

[phosphor]

Oh yeah, and i'm Linux only if that makes any difference.

[CPTBadAss]

But does anyone have an opinion on the Max Keyboard Nighthawk?

And backlighting does raise the price, right?

Thought you didn't want backlighting? And yes.

[jdcarpe]

I'd stay away from brands other than the ones we've been recommending. There is a reason everyone is echoing the same comments.

[phosphor]

But does anyone have an opinion on the Max Keyboard Nighthawk?

And backlighting does raise the price, right?

Thought you didn't want backlighting? And yes.

I want to avoid backlit keyboards to keep the price low, but i'm not opposed to a white backlit if i can find one in my range.

Like i said, i'm being picky.

[jdcarpe]

Mentioning your budget is helpful. A new member's perspective on things might be very different from a veteran member's.

You said you wanted a keyboard "that doesnt cost an arm and a leg." To some of us that have paid close to $1000 for a single keyboard and its accoutrements, a stock keyboard which costs $200 or less might meet your requirement. Some collectors have paid $2000 or more for rare specimens. Another new member said they had an "unlimited budget" for a gaming keyboard, which turned out to be about $300. It's simply a matter of perspective.

[saturnotaku]

Mentioning your budget is helpful. A new member's perspective on things might be very different from a veteran member's.

You said you wanted a keyboard "that doesnt cost an arm and a leg." To some of us that have paid close to $1000 for a single keyboard and its accoutrements, a stock keyboard which costs $200 or less might meet your requirement. Some collectors have paid $2000 or more for rare specimens. Another new member said they had an "unlimited budget" for a gaming keyboard, which turned out to be about $300. It's simply a matter of perspective.

OP actually did mention it:

Wow. There's a lot of suggestions i haven't found yet (the KUL es87) and they look nice (seriously, the KUL and the WASD are tasty) they're all outside my budget. At most, i can swing $100 plus flat rate shipping so as nice as the WASD looks, it'll have to wait. 

[KaminKevCrew]

Another new member said they had an "unlimited budget" for a gaming keyboard, which turned out to be about $300. It's simply a matter of perspective.

Just came across that post. I'm more into headphones, and the things you can get in that area, but I've been trying to get more into keyboards, and I've been realizing that you can spend about as much on a keyboard as you can on a headphone. Although I think headphones still take the cake for cost (if you include DACs/amps, etc.) Yeah, definitely excellent to have a budget.

For ~$100, I would go for something like the Rosewill posted above, OR go for a 60% board, since they are so much cheaper. If you could deal with all of the different layers, something like a Pok3r or poker 2 is pretty close to $100, or you could even just buy one in good condition, used. That would probably end up working just fine (again, if you can manage the different layers.)

[fohat.digs]

If you can't really swing the cream of the cream, the CM Quickfire Rapid is probably the ideal choice.

[Oobly]

If you want new, the Quickfire Rapid is the best for under $100 or possibly a Ducky Zero. You could also get a WASD V2 barebones TKL (87-key), but then you have to find a keycap set for a fair price. That said, though, the stock keycaps on most boards are pretty rubbish and if you get a barebones you can put a really nice set on straight away and you're not paying for junk keycaps.

Second hand, you could get a Filco Majestouch 2 or similar.

[KaminKevCrew]

If you want new, the Quickfire Rapid is the best for under $100 or possibly a Ducky Zero. You could also get a WASD V2 barebones TKL (87-key), but then you have to find a keycap set for a fair price. That said, though, the stock keycaps on most boards are pretty rubbish and if you get a barebones you can put a really nice set on straight away and you're not paying for junk keycaps.

Second hand, you could get a Filco Majestouch 2 or similar.

I would probably go with one of these, were it me.

[rowdy]

KeyCool used to be a fairly good option, with PBT keycaps standard.  But then they changed to Kailh switches or something, and I don't know if they are considered as great any more.

My older KeyCool with MX reds (white case, white PBT keycaps) is still going strong.