You will have something truly special if you can offer this at the price point you say you will
But it does lead to a lot of questions on my end on what "the catch" is in how you will be achieving this price point. Will you be machining the keycaps or through metal injection molding/casting? What bead blasting level will you be using? How are you doing the anodization? What's the tolerance level you will be achievement? What does "easily adjustable stem" mean (from the look of your stems, they don't seem that much different from typical alu keycap stems). I'm going to guess you mean that typical house tools will allow one to tighten or loosen the stem to fit different stems.
I realize the questions I ask may seem slightly conflict of interest-y but as someone in the same space, that price point seems too good to be true other than if you:
1. Own the CNC machines + anodization (which seems possible considering
2. Literally just paying for material cost
3. Operating in a crazy high volume (which doing the math at 100 sets, doesn't seem super high)
4. You're running your own fulfillment and logistics
5. Not using vendors to help you sell
Anyways. You don't need to answer my questions if you feel you're revealing too much.
Again, if you can pull this off at the price point, I would be incredibly impressed. And I root for you the entire way.
I would be incredibly impressed if you can maintain the alpha sets at $200 dollars. Manufacturing quality metal keycaps is not cheap, especially in high tolerances. I am curious how you're able to maintain such a low price point?
Accounting for machining, sandblasting (which I believe you have), anodizing, and other treatments, that's quite low of a cost per keycap.
I am guessing you are doing all of this in house, which can keep costs low.
Appericate your support on our project! Since I saw that video on Linus Tech Tips showing a full metal caps board really made me wanted one, I mean who wouldn't if the price is reasonable. That has been the starting point for this project. Discussing with multiple manufactures and optimzing the machining process started at the start of this year, the whole process was long and frustrating. Some designs seen on other metal novelty caps have to be left out to control cost (engraving on the inside) although I'm hoping to include in the future group buys.
To shed some light in your questions:
- We are planning to run fulfillment and logistics by ourselves, keep marketing to the minimum and overheads to the lowest possible
- Hight volume does allow us to have more leverage with manu to ensure adequate production time frame
- No vendors for this project since we cannot afford vendor commission at this price point
- ALL caps regardless its size will be CNC machined, sand blasted then anodized
- We are thinking about tweaking sand blasting level to give it a slight rougher surface texture but I'm very happy with the proto set I'm currently typing on
- Stems are easily adjustable with house tools (I've been using small piler and flat head screw driver), we are designing a specialized tool (optional purchase) to be released during GB phase to tighten and loosen stems
- Anodizing colours are chosen to show off its metallic property hence no E-white or other crazy colours available at this point (will be offered in the future)
