Leopold vs filco

[bavman]

How to do the Leopold keyboards currently sold by EKB compare to filco mj2's in terms of quality or whatever else you would want to consider?

[watduzhkstand4]

The looks of the Leopold isn't as appealing as the Filcos imo. The 104 has such round corners it almost makes it look cheap. I can't wait to see how this 104 Leopold reds compares to my 87 Filco blues.

[vun]

Don't they have different stabilizers as well?

[itlnstln]

Yes. Leopolds use Cherry-style stabilizers.

[daerid]

Leo's have Cherry Style stabilizers, which have a much different feel to them than the normal keys. Filco uses Costar style stabilizers, which give them a much more similar feel to the non-stabilized keys.

Personally, I prefer Costar, but I'm probably gonna get a Leo FC500R for work, since it's the cheapest 104 key with browns I've found.

[squarebox]

18KRO over USB on the Leopold.

The FC500R that I got only has 6KRO over USB and full-NKRO over PS/2.

[itlnstln]

Squarebox, have you compared your Leopold to a Filco?  If so, is there one you like better than the other?

[Chobopants]

I had a Leopold for a week or two, couldn't stand the stabilizers at all. Made the board feel cheap and crappy. Sold it to another member here right away and bought another Filco.

[kwantz]

ffffffffff fannn boyyyy

[watduzhkstand4]

I had a Leopold for a week or two, couldn't stand the stabilizers at all. Made the board feel cheap and crappy. Sold it to another member here right away and bought another Filco.

I have to get mine first to see and compare to my Filco.

[RiGS]

I had a Leopold for a week or two, couldn't stand the stabilizers at all. Made the board feel cheap and crappy. Sold it to another member here right away and bought another Filco.

That's the spirit!

[itlnstln]

I have a feeling that the Leopold would feel very similar to my Duckys.

In fact, I have a very suspicious feeling that somewhere down the OEM channel, they might be made in the same place (or certain parts, anyway).  Either that, or one did a great job in copying the other.  

-The cable channels, mini USB port connector spacing are both very similar
-Cherry-style stablizers (not a huge deal here)
-The ABS Ducky caps look very similar in apperance, specifically the windowed caps.

The spacebar mounting point on the Leopold would suggest they may have different OEMs, though.

Time to pop them open!

[RiGS]

Leopold is made by Datacomp, just like the Steelseries.

[bavman]

I'm thinking oof buying a Leopold but shipping puts it at almost 125. I feel its better to jjust look for a used filco since new ones now in us are at 160.

[itlnstln]

Leopold is made by Datacomp, just like the Steelseries.

So it's probably a copy job by Ducky then, unless they were sourcing parts from Datacomp as well.  I'll have to pop open a Ducky and check.

[squarebox]

Squarebox, have you compared your Leopold to a Filco?  If so, is there one you like better than the other?

I personally still prefer Filco in terms of looks and feel.
Like others have mentioned, Costar stabilizer does it's job without changing the feel of the switch whereas Cherry stabilizer tend to make the switch feel different (mushy in a way).

[itlnstln]

Good stuff.  I think I might skip the Leopold then.  I like Filco stabilizers better and doesn't offer anything new in terms of functionality apart from the detachable USB.  It also doesn't seem that it offers anything different than my Duckys.

[RiGS]

Is it possible to mod the mounting plate to fit the Costar stabilizers? This post is interesting.

This is an example of the cutouts for the Cherry stabilizer (white lines) and the slots for the Costar stabilizers (blue lines). If I modify the cutout for the Cherry ones (very) slightly, the Costar ones will fit, but I have no idea if they will stay put. On the other hand this should not affect the function of the Cherry stabilizers in any way.

Show Image

Smart persons salvaged the stabilizers from their Cherry double shot donor boards. This would mean having stabilizers of the correct length. Unfortunately Cherry PCB mount stabilizers cannot be modified into plate mounted ones like with their switches. The bar and its mounts are separate pieces though. So taking the mounts from another, plate mounted, stabilizer solves this. Cherry stabilizers bars are also sort of easy to shorten. So getting a longer one can solve the issue of not finding the correct length.

I know HaveANiceDay really want to make this work with Costar stabilizers. I don't know which lengths they come in on different boards. It might be possible to bend a piece of wire free hand that will fit, but they are much more complicated than the Cherry bars. Putting Costar stabilizer mounting slots in the right position on the mounting plate is of course no problem, I just don't know how much good it will do.

[itlnstln]

^ That's an interesting idea, but nothing I would invest time in.  The Cherry-style stabilizers don't bother me that much.

[squarebox]

Good stuff.  I think I might skip the Leopold then.  I like Filco stabilizers better and doesn't offer anything new in terms of functionality apart from the detachable USB.  It also doesn't seem that it offers anything different than my Duckys.

Leopold are in the hype now because they are the closest thing you can get to a Filco R
I once had a Ducky 9008 and sold it off after a few use. I couldn't stand Cherry stabilizers and poor QC.
I guess I would be selling the FC500R soon because of the Cherry stabilizers.

^ That's an interesting idea, but nothing I would invest time in.  The Cherry-style stabilizers don't bother me that much.

I have to agree that not everyone is affected by the Cherry stabilizer.
My younger brother didn't even bother about the Cherry stabilizer and poor QC of the Ducky 9008 that he's currently still using.

[itlnstln]

Word.  I'm digging the WASD, anyway.  Thanks.

[Chobopants]

ffffffffff fannn boyyyy

Nope. I just like quality when I'm paying that much money. Everything from the housing to the printing on the keys to the stabilizers felt cheap. From the reviews that I've read WASD might be even better than Filcos and that's what I've been recommending to people since I read itlnstln's review. I gave the Leopold a shot and it felt like crap.

Sorry if having a high bar makes me a fan boy. You'll see me recommending Topres over Filcos around here too to people that want some cup rubber oneness. I recommend based on wants and price sensitivity. When Leos were 99$ I was still recommending them to people who wanted to save a few bucks even though I didnt like mine. At 125$ after shipping I'm having trouble doing that, especially with WASD having so many options.

[cirE]

I'm in the market for a Tenkeyless and can't decide if I should go for another Filco or a Leopold. I kind of want blank keys, and the easiest/cheapest way to get a tenkeyless board with blank keys is to just order an Otaku Leopold from Elite. I don't know of anywhere that sells Filco Tenkeyless boards with blank keycaps already on them. I guess Filco thinks Ninja is close enough to blank? Heck, at this point Keyboardco doesn't have any stock left at Amazon, so I couldn't even settle for a normal Majestouch-2 or Ninja if I wanted to. It's pretty much a Leopold from Elite, or scavenge the Classifieds here.

[squarebox]

Nope. I just like quality when I'm paying that much money. Everything from the housing to the printing on the keys to the stabilizers felt cheap. From the reviews that I've read WASD might be even better than Filcos and that's what I've been recommending to people since I read itlnstln's review. I gave the Leopold a shot and it felt like crap.

Sorry if having a high bar makes me a fan boy. You'll see me recommending Topres over Filcos around here too to people that want some cup rubber oneness. I recommend based on wants and price sensitivity. When Leos were 99$ I was still recommending them to people who wanted to save a few bucks even though I didnt like mine. At 125$ after shipping I'm having trouble doing that, especially with WASD having so many options.

I agree on the paying for quality part but I wouldn't say WASD is better than Filco although they are both from Costar.
WASD, Thermaltake Meka G1 and Mionix Zibal are basically the same model with slighty different internal, this "gap" makes me rage...

[itlnstln]

WASD is a little better than the Filco but only on the stabilized keys since WASD gives them a good lube job before sending them off.  The stabilized keys are very smooth and quiet.  Apart from the stabilized keys, I don't really think there is much difference in feel between different keyboards with plate-mounted Cherrys; they all feel pretty much the same (other than any influence from key caps).  The only reason I might buy a new keyboard from time to time is due to features that might be exclusive to a particular 'board, key caps,  or for looks (which is why I like the WASD).  I really like the understated looks of the WASD.  There's no logo screaming at you, there's no printing on the lock lights, and the engraved caps blend into the 'board.  It's really a nice piece of equipment.  From a typing standpoint, though, the lubed stabilizers are only an incremental upgrade.

[MissileMike]

As an owner of both Leopold and Filco- I like them both equally.  Build quality is dead even- both are great.  My Leopold feels slightly heavier.

I like the cabling better on the Leopold.  I like the stabilizers better on the Filco.  Neither of those things are a big issue to me at all, though.  The keycaps suck equally on both.

So if I needed a board tomorrow, I would go for the Leopold because it's less expensive.

[Chobopants]

I agree on the paying for quality part but I wouldn't say WASD is better than Filco although they are both from Costar.
WASD, Thermaltake Meka G1 and Mionix Zibal are basically the same model with slighty different internal, this "gap" makes me rage...

Haha, yeah that gap would annoy me. I'm happy enough with 3 Filcos right now anyway.

Availability of Filcos is a little low right now in the states and customization + price of the WASD seems pretty rad, though. Gap fixable with different keycaps I'm assuming? I'm putting KBC PBTs on every Cherry board I own anyway so I guess I look at stock keycaps less than most people.

Edit: post count hidden now? interesting!

[Evil_Spork]

I preferred the stabilized key feel on the filco to the leopold.

[itlnstln]

I don't really know if the Cherry-style stabilizer translates well to a plate-mounted 'board.  The Cherry-style stabilizer works fine on a PCB-mounted 'board, but it does feel a little tight/mushy on a plate-mounted 'board.

[Chobopants]

I find it so curious how people can tolerate cherry-style on a plate-mounted board. I seriously thought there was something wrong with it and it caused me physical pain trying to actuate those keys (these were blues).

[N8N]

Nope. I just like quality when I'm paying that much money. Everything from the housing to the printing on the keys to the stabilizers felt cheap. From the reviews that I've read WASD might be even better than Filcos and that's what I've been recommending to people since I read itlnstln's review.

For the money it's hard to beat WASD.  I think the styling of the Filco is nicer but other than that they're comparable in pretty much every way that I've had reason to compare them.  I do think the actual finish of the case is more attractive on the WASD, but I like the small, squared off look of the Filco better.  Both would be improved I think with a channel for the cord on the underside of the case, and with the use of lower-profile (Cherry-style) keycaps (Oh, wait, I already did that to the Filco.  And have another set of Cherry doubleshots laying around...)  But the look of the WASD with the laser etching is spiffy, so...

I've been using my modded Filco at work and have switched back to my WASD at home and I think that those are my two favorite boards now.  This even though I find the sound of the blues (WASD) somewhat annoying.

Now that I've felt the goodness that is plate mounted switches, all my Cherry boards seem somehow less satisfying.

[watduzhkstand4]

now I'm very curious to feel the difference in stabilizers between my Filco and my Leopold when it arrives.

[IvanIvanovich]

I find the stab difference to be more pronounced on tactile switch on the Cherry style, especially on plate mount. For linear I could care less as I really don't notice the difference much. Cherry style isn't so bad on tactile pcb mount either. But plate and Cherry stab, big difference in feel, Costar wins with plate and tactile.
As far as other Filco vs Leopold is mostly aesthetics since the quality is so close. If you disregard the stabs its rounder body vs squarer body, detachable cable or not, lock led location and logo or not. If they were both the exact same price, it would be an even tougher call. But Leopold gets the edge slightly there. Leopold biggest con? Non standard stem spacing on the spacebar, which is a nuisance if you like to switch caps.

[RiGS]

Leopold biggest con? Non standard stem spacing on the spacebar, which is a nuisance if you like to switch caps.

Both group buy R4 and KBC pbts have the new correct spacebar.

[IvanIvanovich]

I saw that *some* new kbc has Leopold stem, but will still be a nuisance until all old stock is sold and is available in every kbc color both abs and pbt. GB R4 is still who knows how far off in the future. It is still a valid annoyance right now.

[watduzhkstand4]

I finally got my Leopold Otaku Cherry reds today and I won't lie there is no comparison between the Filco stabilizers and the Leopold ones. The Filco ones had the detachable stem and the Leopold has the plate mounted ones. It feels much better when it bottoms out when you type on the Filco as compared to a soften bottom out on the Leopold. (**** even the space bar feels 'dampened!') The feel can be easily related to typing on a cheapo membrane keyboard. Another thing I'm not too fond of is the sound of the keyboard. When I type on the Leopold, it sounds like the keyboard is empty and hollow. I guess I can say that it sounds cheap. As for the Filco, the sound vibrates through the entire keyboard uniformly. It's almost like comparing to closing the car door of a Geo and the car door of a Benz. Overall, I think the keyboard is OK but it's no where as refined as the Filco.

Here is a picture of it in anyone is interested

Numpad = Double shot by Jэяяу, on Flickr

[fantus]

Whew from other reviews i had read that the Filco and Leopold were exactly the same with a few minor differences. I had just purchased a Filco from amazon for $160, this really makes me feel better that I'm not wasting an extra $20 (it costs $140 for a Leopold to ship to Canada). Thank you.

[PlayerZero]

I have a feeling that the Leopold would feel very similar to my Duckys.

In fact, I have a very suspicious feeling that somewhere down the OEM channel, they might be made in the same place (or certain parts, anyway).  Either that, or one did a great job in copying the other.  

-The cable channels, mini USB port connector spacing are both very similar
-Cherry-style stablizers (not a huge deal here)
-The ABS Ducky caps look very similar in apperance, specifically the windowed caps.

The spacebar mounting point on the Leopold would suggest they may have different OEMs, though.

Time to pop them open!

Leopolds, Duckys, Filcos, etc. are probably all put together in the same Chinese factory...

Anyway, I love my Leopolds, except for the stabilizers, which, as many others have mentioned, leave quite a bit to be desired.

[watduzhkstand4]

Whew from other reviews i had read that the Filco and Leopold were exactly the same with a few minor differences. I had just purchased a Filco from amazon for $160, this really makes me feel better that I'm not wasting an extra $20 (it costs $140 for a Leopold to ship to Canada). Thank you.

Although it's much easier to slap the keys on to the Leopold, I'd rather waste more time and trouble dealing with the stabilizers on the Filco
 

Like I keep saying.  Nobody ever gets fired for buying a Filco.

[watduzhkstand4]

Whew from other reviews i had read that the Filco and Leopold were exactly the same with a few minor differences. I had just purchased a Filco from amazon for $160, this really makes me feel better that I'm not wasting an extra $20 (it costs $140 for a Leopold to ship to Canada). Thank you.

But they use imported Japanese virgins to test the Filcos.  And  now they have a copyrighted Camoflauge MultiCam(tm) keyboard.  Probably after they fired Carl Matsu for not being more creative.  Of course I could be spreading some FUD here.
(Attachment Link) 26256[/ATTACH] (Attachment Link) 26257[/ATTACH]
(this for sure will get reported on Monday so gotta get it in now)

The poop colored WASD keys look ok