[IC] ePBT SimpleJA - GB has begun

[ai03]

SimpleJA

Current status: GB is live; GB thread here.


SimpleJA attempts to recreate the vintage "cross-positioned" legends which were common on many vintage Japanese keyboards.

Many hours of research were conducted to create legends that are as genuine to the originals as possible.

Historically used legends from vintage boards were implemented wherever possible; those that did not exist were crafted carefully to match the others.




Design Decisions

The basic white/beige color scheme was chosen as a neutral colorway that matches both the vintage style of the keyset as well as newer sleek keyboards.

The modifier keys were kept all-Japanese for a uniform look.





Kits

Base Kit
Enough keys to fill most form factors below TKL size.

Spacebars Kit
1x 6U Convex
2x 3U Convex
1x 2.75U Convex
1x 2.25U Convex
1x 2U Convex
2x 1.5U Convex
2x 1U

Numpad Kit
Keys to fill a numpad, whether regular, all-1U, or part of a 1800 layout.
The order of the 1U modifiers are based on the style found on the NEC PC-8801 and PC-9801 series.

Ortho Kit
Many 1U keys which can help fill ortholinear and smaller ergonomic boards.

Function Kit
Includes both a vertical M1-M10 cluster for XT/AT inspired layouts, as well as a F13-F24 cluster for 122-key inspired battleships.

Renders

The legends in the renders appear a tad thinner than the source graphic for some reason.





Timeline

Once samples are confirmed and pricing is set, GB will begin.


Push updates

If you would like to receive push updates for the project, please join my Discord server and obtain the simple-ja role by running the following command: .iam SimpleJA

[ai03]

FAQ

Q. Who will produce this keyset?
A. Likely EnjoyPBT. I still need to get quotes and all if there is enough interest.

Q. How much will it cost?
A. Unknown as of now, although I'll guesstimate that it'll be close to existing ePBT sets. If there seems to be enough interest, I'll grab a quote and report back.

Q. What keyboards did you reference for the legends?
A. Quite a few. Mainly the NEC PC-82/88/9801 series, Sharp X1/68000, Fujitsu FM-Towns, Oasys, and various others.

Q. I don't like the winkeys. Can I use something else in its place?
A. The 拡張機能 (Extended Functionality) keys will likely be the best replacement.

Q. Why are there so few convex keys in the spacebar kit?
A. Mainly due to ePBT mold limitations.

Q. Will there be other colorways available for the legends later?
A. Possibly in the future, but for now I'll stick to the milk white/beige coloring.

Q. Why is the row numbering on the kit images reversed?
A. For some reason, ePBT numbers them that way, reverse of the usual.

Q. Why are <insert keys> missing?
A. Because I'm terribly uneducated regarding keyset compat beyond the typical ANSI. If I'm missing something obvious, please let me know and I'll add it in ASAP.

Q. What boards are those in the renders?
A. Polaris and KBD8X MKII.

Q. Are the F13-F24 keys in the function kit really necessary?
A. Yes.

[Pwner]

Yes

[fcoury]

Love it. There's a Leopold vibe to the legend proportions that I really dig.

[Paddel06]

Finally a set with the bottom ろ!

[jaang]

Excited for this, can't wait!

[KawabataLuis]

Count me in

[InvidiousIgnoramus]

I'm setting aside money immediately. That function kit is an absolute deal breaker for me, finally being able to have function columns with proper rowing. Accurate legends is a major plus too!

[.Udon]

GB when

[_ODIN_]

Very nice, highly interested.

Gesendet von meinem H8416 mit Tapatalk

[Capsy]

Well that's some entry into keyset design Ai

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Tom_Kazansky]

vertical functions keys...
Numpad: 1u Enter, "," key

  ohohohohohohoh


this set match so well with my upcoming board
guess I'm buying everything except ortho... 

[ullr]

I'm in, looks great OP. Love the JIS support.

[barkerjames]

LOVE

[macclack]

So clean. Definitely in.

[pixelpusher]

I mean, if I can get like 4 of each stabilized key included in the base set for when they don't fit properly on the stabilizers

P.S... can we get these in GMK instead?

[ai03]

I mean, if I can get like 4 of each stabilized key included in the base set for when they don't fit properly on the stabilizers

P.S... can we get these in GMK instead?

Sure; if you pay the several hundred thousand dollars for the molds, I'll happily do it for you

[pixelpusher]

I mean, if I can get like 4 of each stabilized key included in the base set for when they don't fit properly on the stabilizers

P.S... can we get these in GMK instead?

Sure; if you pay the several hundred thousand dollars for the molds, I'll happily do it for you

I wish there was some way to fix the darn stabilized keys.  I've got 3 sets of ePBT that I can't use.  They look and feel nice, but I kinda need my space bar to come back up after I press it down

[ai03]

I mean, if I can get like 4 of each stabilized key included in the base set for when they don't fit properly on the stabilizers

P.S... can we get these in GMK instead?

Sure; if you pay the several hundred thousand dollars for the molds, I'll happily do it for you

I wish there was some way to fix the darn stabilized keys.  I've got 3 sets of ePBT that I can't use.  They look and feel nice, but I kinda need my space bar to come back up after I press it down

1. Heat spacebar with hairdryer until somewhat pliable
2. Ever so slightly overbend beyond neutral
3. Dunk into cold water or under running water, retaining the shape
4. Dry completely. Enjoy

[smoian]

I really like this!

[nguyenhimself]

Heh, accidental kaomoji.



I'm in. This is the sort of wacky-yet-classic sets that ẸnoyPBT should be known for. Keep it weird!

[nguyenhimself]

[deleted upon reconsideration]

[hpdung99]

Finally JIS support xD

[ddnomad]

Do like the keyset! Looking forward to the GB.

[Nigolski]

very interested!

[pixelpusher]

I mean, if I can get like 4 of each stabilized key included in the base set for when they don't fit properly on the stabilizers

P.S... can we get these in GMK instead?

Sure; if you pay the several hundred thousand dollars for the molds, I'll happily do it for you

I wish there was some way to fix the darn stabilized keys.  I've got 3 sets of ePBT that I can't use.  They look and feel nice, but I kinda need my space bar to come back up after I press it down

1. Heat spacebar with hairdryer until somewhat pliable
2. Ever so slightly overbend beyond neutral
3. Dunk into cold water or under running water, retaining the shape
4. Dry completely. Enjoy

The space bars I have from my slate set are all perfectly flat. If you measure from stem to stem they are about ~1mm off.  Flatness isn’t the issue for me

[hpdung99]

Since this is kind of a JIS support set, is there any chance that we can get a 4.5u spacebar?

Also because I'm not so sure, is the current set fully support a minila air JIS?

[ai03]

Since this is kind of a JIS support set, is there any chance that we can get a 4.5u spacebar?

Also because I'm not so sure, is the current set fully support a minila air JIS?

I'm pretty sure that EnjoyPBT doesn't own all of the molds required for full JIS bottom row.

[senryo]

Will there be 9009 themed accents to match this color?

[RSC]

101% in for this! Looks amazing.

[stoic-lemon]

This is really cool.

[dantambok]

100% in baby!

[voight-kampff]

very nice

[equalunique]

This set meets so many of my requirements, it's pretty amazing!

To completely work on Filco JIS boards, it's gonna need a 4.5u spacebar: https://imgur.com/a/kBFKi7j

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

[ullr]

Unfortunately I don't think that Enjoy PBT has 4.5u or 2.5u space bars that so many JIS boards use. I wonder if there isn't some other manufacturer they could be sourced from, though.

[equalunique]

Unfortunately I don't think that Enjoy PBT has 4.5u or 2.5u space bars that so many JIS boards use. I wonder if there isn't some other manufacturer they could be sourced from, though.

Well, maybe they'll see the interest here, and decide to make some? They went ahead and created 3u convex spacebars. Both 2.5u & 4.5u would follow a similar process.

If not then I will go with SA 128K since SP already has the necessary molds for a bottom now - they've done it already for Filco's fullsize and TKL JIS boards. The likleyhood of compatibility is higher, but unfortunately not cherry profile.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

[nguyenhimself]

Unfortunately I don't think that Enjoy PBT has 4.5u or 2.5u space bars that so many JIS boards use. I wonder if there isn't some other manufacturer they could be sourced from, though.

Well, maybe they'll see the interest here, and decide to make some? They went ahead and created 3u convex spacebars. Both 2.5u & 4.5u would follow a similar process.

If not then I will go with SA 128K since SP already has the necessary molds for a bottom now - they've done it already for Filco's fullsize and TKL JIS boards. The likleyhood of compatibility is higher, but unfortunately not cherry profile.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

I imagine, ROI-wise, it’d be a hard sell for them.
The 3.0u’s mold exists because the Filco Minila Air is a big hit in various Asian countries, including China.
It’s practically the main reason why every set needs a 3.0u keycap.
Only Japanese folks use JIS, and judging from the recent Tokyo meetup, they don’t seem to mind non-JIS layouts.

[Genuine.Senpai]

Bookmarked this thread for an hopeful update. I'd buy it.

[Emir]

Kind of difficult to pass up, let's get it

[Blank]

must have

[ai03]

Seems like there's enough positive feedback so far to go ahead; I'll tune up the kits and send it into ePBT for a quote.

[barrel]

Surely in such a beautiful Japanese Keyset we can't be missing out on JIS Support, can we? There's basically two kinds of JIS You'd actually have to cater to; Realforce JIS (Proper JIS) and HHKB JP (Lots of 1Us)

Here is a picture of a Realforce JIS Board, I'll get accurate key sizes in a little bit.

Meanwhile, here is a picture of a HHKB Type JP, something I know a few people here have with Novatouch stems who would most likely love your set.


Generally you need a 1U backspace, a Yen key on the top row, two 1.25U keys for changing scripts and 4.75U Spacebar (I think) for JIS.

[vexl]

this looks awesome, i'm interested

[nguyenhimself]

Surely in such a beautiful Japanese Keyset we can't be missing out on JIS Support, can we? There's basically two kinds of JIS You'd actually have to cater to; Realforce JIS (Proper JIS) and HHKB JP (Lots of 1Us)

Here is a picture of a Realforce JIS Board, I'll get accurate key sizes in a little bit.

Show Image

Meanwhile, here is a picture of a HHKB Type JP, something I know a few people here have with Novatouch stems who would most likely love your set.

Show Image

Generally you need a 1U backspace, a Yen key on the top row, two 1.25U keys for changing scripts and 4.75U Spacebar (I think) for JIS.

This is not a Topre set though?

[ullr]

Customs occasionally support JIS right shift (GH60, Clueboard, Noxary 268 pcb but not plate - off the top of my head) but much more rarely a bottom row with enough keys for a JIS layout, and the vast majority of mass produced JIS keyboards have spacebars that don't really exist in custom sets (2.5u, 4.5u). To me it makes sense to compromise most on the bottom row for this reason. It appears that there are at least just enough 1u and 1.25u keys though? There aren't enough 1.5u keys for some other Realforce layouts on the other hand.

[voight-kampff]

Regarding the colours, personally I would prefer a greyish set, there are guite a few beige kits with japanese sublegends already.

Sent from my MIX using Tapatalk

[stoic-lemon]

I'd say ai03 is pretty familiar with Japanese keysets.

[Pheyn]

Regarding the colours, personally I would prefer a greyish set, there are guite a few beige kits with japanese sublegends already.

Sent from my MIX using Tapatalk

+1 for this. I mean, I'm probably still in even if it ends up beige. But if you look at all the epbt sets out there, like 90% are beige so I'd be down for a more granite/muted look instead.

[barrel]

Surely in such a beautiful Japanese Keyset we can't be missing out on JIS Support, can we? There's basically two kinds of JIS You'd actually have to cater to; Realforce JIS (Proper JIS) and HHKB JP (Lots of 1Us)

Here is a picture of a Realforce JIS Board, I'll get accurate key sizes in a little bit.

Show Image

Meanwhile, here is a picture of a HHKB Type JP, something I know a few people here have with Novatouch stems who would most likely love your set.

Show Image

Generally you need a 1U backspace, a Yen key on the top row, two 1.25U keys for changing scripts and 4.75U Spacebar (I think) for JIS.

This is not a Topre set though?

Plenty of people use Novatouch or JTK MX Compatible stems on those boards and wat something that fits into a Japanese aesthetic, it's also more options in terms of split spacebar layouts, I just happened to choose Topre boards because they're what I wanted to show it off on.

[riesz]

Very interested if this stays PBT.