The realforce was the last keyboard I really wanted to try. I am glad I did : )
But the HHKB is a better fit for me.
The HHKB has more of a tactile feel than the Realforce. While I can emulate the key layout with xmodmap to be like the HHKB, the HHKB small form factor and out of the box key layout make it a win for me.
I thought my dislike for the numpad was bad, I now seem to have developed a dislike for
actually having to move my hand over to the navigation cluster : ) worse yet, once you emulate the HHKB the nav cluster becomes unneeded. Oooh, can't have that lol.
The HHKB also seems to make a fair bit more noise which I like.
The build quality on the Realforce is exemplary though. It may be the most solid keyboard I have ever typed on, and that inlcudes the IBM Model M mini.