[IC] Ferat S1800 – an 1800 layout southpaw

[flametwist]

[IC] Ferat S1800 - A Southpaw 1800 for people who live between the mouse and the numpad

Designed in the Czech Republic. Named after a vampire.

---

The story

In 1981, the Czech filmmaker Juraj Herz made *Upír z Feratu* ("The Ferat Vampire") — a cult sci-fi horror about a sleek black-and-red racing car that runs on human blood instead of petrol. Every time you pressed the pedal, it drank.

I'm a mechanical engineering student from the Czech Republic, and I've spent more hours than I'd like to admit with my left hand reaching across a TKL to hit the numpad while my right hand stays glued to the mouse — CAD, spreadsheets, the usual. So I designed the keyboard I actually wanted: numpad on the left, mouse hand free, and an aesthetic borrowed from the angular, industrial design language of the 1980s.

I called it Ferat. The prototype is black and red. Of course it is.

---

Who this is for

If you spend your day in SolidWorks, Fusion 360, AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, or living inside Excel / Power BI / accounting software - and your right hand basically lives on the mouse - a southpaw layout is far from a novelty. It's a 30-40% reduction in how far your left hand has to travel, all day, every day.

If you've been wanting to try one but found the existing options either unavailable or too "gamer," Ferat is meant for you.

---

The layout

Modified Southpaw 1800:

- Numpad on the left
- Full F-row
- Exploded arrow cluster (no cramped inverted-T)
- Supports ISO and ANSI
- Supports stepped Caps Lock for the purists

---

Build & specs

Case: Full CNC aluminium, two-tone
Mount: Burger mount
Typing angle: 8°
Front height: 19 mm
Weight: Internal brass weight
Unbuilt weight: 2.6 kg
PCB: Hotswap, MX-only, custom design
Daughterboard: Universal S1 (USB-C)
|Layouts: ISO, ANSI, stepped Caps

Designed by a mechanical engineer, so yes - the internals were laid out with the same attention as the external surfaces.

---

Design language

The 80s industrial aesthetic - think early CAD workstations, Braun, analogue technical instruments - is the visual reference. Hard edges, honest materials, no unnecessary decoration. Two-tone case to break up the mass.

The prototype colorway is black and red - a nod to the Ferat itself. Final colorways will be decided based on your feedback in this thread and the IC form. Tell me what you want to see.

You can find the improved renders on Imgur here.


---

Where we are

- Improved renders below (photography of the prototype coming soon - the prototype is in production now)
- Price: TBD - will be set based on quoted manufacturing costs at MOQ
- MOQ: 100 units
- GB timing: TBD - depends on interest reached here

---

Register your interest

If Ferat is something you'd seriously consider buying, please fill out the interest form

The form takes 30 seconds and helps me gauge:
- Preferred colorways
- Preferred plate materials (if I offer options)
- Whether ISO or ANSI dominates demand
- Rough price ceiling

You can also reach me on Discord: **flametwist** or by email: **ferat@flametwist.cz**

---

Questions I want your honest answers to

1. What colorways would make you pull the trigger?
2. Is there anything about the southpaw 1800 layout you'd change?
3. What's your honest price ceiling for a board like this?
4. ISO or ANSI?

Roast it, question it, tell me what's missing. That's exactly what an IC is for.

Thanks for reading - and if you've never heard of Upír z Feratu*, do yourself a favour and look it up.

- Honza

[HoffmanMyster]

Approval bump

[treypop]

Personally I feel calling this an 1800 is a stretch.

[jonna]

Why wait before finishing the proto and getting a quote? It's a bit early on to be doing an IC considering how much pricing can change between the proto and production revisions if major changes have to be made to the initial prototype print.

[headshot]

yeah no

[tavapataor]

Personally I feel calling this an 1800 is a stretch.

How so? It's only got two fewer keys than a Model M. The same number if you include WKs.

[tavapataor]

Why wait before finishing the proto and getting a quote? It's a bit early on to be doing an IC considering how much pricing can change between the proto and production revisions if major changes have to be made to the initial prototype print.

It does come off as more of a WIP.

[treypop]

Why wait before finishing the proto and getting a quote? It's a bit early on to be doing an IC considering how much pricing can change between the proto and production revisions if major changes have to be made to the initial prototype print.

Is a model m an 1800? No it's not and an 1800 has a very thin divider between the numbpad and the main section. We can't just call every keyboard with a compact arrow cluster and 1800. It's an 1800 when the numbpad is modified to accommodate the compact numpad for space saving. This design does not save any space. They could maybe inspired by in 1800 layout but it is not in 1800.

This is what 1800s are originally designed after.

Show Image

[tavapataor]

No it's not and an 1800 has a very thin divider between the numbpad and the main section. We can't just call every keyboard with a compact arrow cluster and 1800. It's an 1800 when the numbpad is modified to accommodate the compact numpad for space saving. This design does not save any space. They could maybe inspired by in 1800 layout but it is not in 1800.

NGL I think that's probably the weakest objection to just about anything that I've ever read.

[flametwist]

Why wait before finishing the proto and getting a quote? It's a bit early on to be doing an IC considering how much pricing can change between the proto and production revisions if major changes have to be made to the initial prototype print.

Is a model m an 1800? No it's not and an 1800 has a very thin divider between the numbpad and the main section. We can't just call every keyboard with a compact arrow cluster and 1800. It's an 1800 when the numbpad is modified to accommodate the compact numpad for space saving. This design does not save any space. They could maybe inspired by in 1800 layout but it is not in 1800.

This is what 1800s are originally designed after.

Show Image

Yes, as I've written in the post itself - it's a modified 1800 layout. I was inspired by the 1800 layout and then I added a 75-esque navigation key column. As such, this is a custom layout.

[jonna]

Why wait before finishing the proto and getting a quote? It's a bit early on to be doing an IC considering how much pricing can change between the proto and production revisions if major changes have to be made to the initial prototype print.

Is a model m an 1800? No it's not and an 1800 has a very thin divider between the numbpad and the main section. We can't just call every keyboard with a compact arrow cluster and 1800. It's an 1800 when the numbpad is modified to accommodate the compact numpad for space saving. This design does not save any space. They could maybe inspired by in 1800 layout but it is not in 1800.

This is what 1800s are originally designed after.

Show Image

To be fair, it is a little pedantic, though I do see where you're coming from. I am pretty sure it'd fall more under the "1800 Compact" category (which doesn't really have a defining standard layout) than a traditional 1800.

[flametwist]

[IC] Ferat S1800 - A Southpaw 1800 for people who live between the mouse and the numpad
(Attachment Link)
Designed in the Czech Republic. Named after a vampire.

---

The story

In 1981, the Czech filmmaker Juraj Herz made *Upír z Feratu* ("The Ferat Vampire") — a cult sci-fi horror about a sleek black-and-red racing car that runs on human blood instead of petrol. Every time you pressed the pedal, it drank.

I'm a mechanical engineering student from the Czech Republic, and I've spent more hours than I'd like to admit with my left hand reaching across a TKL to hit the numpad while my right hand stays glued to the mouse — CAD, spreadsheets, the usual. So I designed the keyboard I actually wanted: numpad on the left, mouse hand free, and an aesthetic borrowed from the angular, industrial design language of the 1980s.

I called it Ferat. The prototype is black and red. Of course it is.
(Attachment Link)
---

Who this is for

If you spend your day in SolidWorks, Fusion 360, AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, or living inside Excel / Power BI / accounting software - and your right hand basically lives on the mouse - a southpaw layout is far from a novelty. It's a 30-40% reduction in how far your left hand has to travel, all day, every day.

If you've been wanting to try one but found the existing options either unavailable or too "gamer," Ferat is meant for you.

---

The layout

Modified Southpaw 1800:

- Numpad on the left
- Full F-row
- Exploded arrow cluster (no cramped inverted-T)
- Supports ISO and ANSI
- Supports stepped Caps Lock for the purists

---

Build & specs

Case: Full CNC aluminium, two-tone
Mount: Burger mount
Typing angle: 8°
Front height: 19 mm
Weight: Internal brass weight
Unbuilt weight: 2.6 kg
PCB: Hotswap, MX-only, custom design
Daughterboard: Universal S1 (USB-C)
|Layouts: ISO, ANSI, stepped Caps

Designed by a mechanical engineer, so yes - the internals were laid out with the same attention as the external surfaces.

---

Design language

The 80s industrial aesthetic - think early CAD workstations, Braun, analogue technical instruments - is the visual reference. Hard edges, honest materials, no unnecessary decoration. Two-tone case to break up the mass.

The prototype colorway is black and red - a nod to the Ferat itself. Final colorways will be decided based on your feedback in this thread and the IC form. Tell me what you want to see.

You can find the improved renders on Imgur here.

(Attachment Link)
---

Where we are

- Improved renders below (photography of the prototype coming soon - the prototype is in production now)
- Price: TBD - will be set based on quoted manufacturing costs at MOQ
- MOQ: 100 units
- GB timing: TBD - depends on interest reached here

---

Register your interest

If Ferat is something you'd seriously consider buying, please fill out the interest form

The form takes 30 seconds and helps me gauge:
- Preferred colorways
- Preferred plate materials (if I offer options)
- Whether ISO or ANSI dominates demand
- Rough price ceiling

You can also reach me on Discord: **flametwist** or by email: **ferat@flametwist.cz**

---

Questions I want your honest answers to

1. What colorways would make you pull the trigger?
2. Is there anything about the southpaw 1800 layout you'd change?
3. What's your honest price ceiling for a board like this?
4. ISO or ANSI?

Roast it, question it, tell me what's missing. That's exactly what an IC is for.

Thanks for reading - and if you've never heard of Upír z Feratu*, do yourself a favour and look it up.

- Honza

Update (2026-05-31): Reformulated the text, added new render album.