How come there's is no topre doubleshots?

[firewarrior]

How come no one does a topre double shot?

And why is the topre black keys always the black on black style?

[Pylon]

1. People don't have tooling to do Topre keys. Sixty or another member said that SP needed $80,000 to tool molds for Topre if it were to do Topre double shots.
2. Topre keys are already extremely good. I don't see much of a market for investing the above.

[Mr. Perfect]

Add the cost of double shots to a Topre? Just how much money have you got to blow on a keyboard, anyhow?

[bhtooefr]

AFAIK, you can have PBT double-shots.

PBT is a material, double-shot is a molding technique.

People also like double-shots due to the quality of the lettering, and that it can be any color.

Topre uses dye sublimation, which also makes good quality lettering, and can do multiple colors on one keycap, but it can only be darker than the plastic - hence the black/black. (This, by the way, is also why you can't easily get black lettered keys on a buckling spring keyboard - double shots are impractical due to how buckling spring keys are made, dye sublimation can only do black/black, pad printing is poor durability (but it's what was done for the black Model M13, and some early black Unicomp boards), and nobody's tried lasering (but that should work).)

[calavera]

It's like asking why a Ferrari doesn't come with a Hyundai engine.

[Mr. Perfect]

pbt is far superior to doubleshot, which if i recall, are what the topre keys are made of.  there's only 3 reasons people like doubleshot keys:
1) we can order custom keys at minimal cost and effort
2) it's the only key where greater mass is available without significant added cost
3) options, there's lots

you'll notice that both of those reasons have to do with money and availability.  something most topre owners aren't worried about when spending up to $300 for an unmodified keyboard.

4) It's physically impossible to wear off the legend, unless you wear off the whole damn key cap.

That's the one that's got me sold. I've worn out the legends on laser printed caps so they're right out, but haven't had dye sublimated caps to try over the long haul yet though.

[bhtooefr]

Well, let me put it this way.

I've never seen the lettering wear off of a Model F or M, and those are dye sub.

[keyboardlover]

Dye sub legends can wear over time (probably takes a lot of wear though). Ask sixty for pics if you don't believe me.

[The Solutor]

topre's dye sub'd keys already kick ass.

 

I have the "weird" idea that the purpose of a legend is to be readable, from that point of view, the black variant kick nothing.

[keyboardlover]

I can see mine fine with office lighting. I agree that they are very high quality. I agree with rip that they are second to cherry corp doubleshot quality.

[CurtisLeon]

AFAIK, you can have PBT double-shots.

PBT is a material, double-shot is a molding technique.

AFAIK, it's impossible to mold PBT doubleshots. It has to do with the plastic being too hard to work with, mold, and cut properly.

[RiGS]

AFAIK, it's impossible to mold PBT doubleshots. It has to do with the plastic being too hard to work with, mold, and cut properly.

It is certainly possible, but it is very hard to make the keycaps consistent.