I thought I had it all figured out ... Then I saw ....

[enoy21]

Hi all , New guy here that has been lurking the past few days filling the brain with endless bits of info from this site. So first , Thank you all.

I'm wanting to get my first mechanical keyboard and I had a few things narrowed down and thought I had it nailed.... Then enter .... WASD.

So After reading up alot , I had narrowed it down to one of two keyboards before 20 minutes ago.

Das Model S ultimate (blues)

Filco tenkeyless Ninja (browns)

I went to the local shop here and they were kind enough to let me try out their old Compaq 11800 Cherry Brown keyboard. This thing was falling a part , case split , track ball missing..... and it felt AWESOME. I bottom out on damn near every keystroke so it was still pretty loud , but I really like the higher pitched click of the blues that I've heard online and through a friends over the phone. ( he has the Razer )   I have no way to test the blues , but I absolutely love the sound and am pretty sure that I will really like the stiffer feedback.  I game alot and realize that the blues are not as good for that , but I'm no pro and mainly just play FPS and the occasional MOBA. I tend to fully release keys when typing or playing and gently rest overtop of them without pressing when playing so I don't think it will bother me.

Much like the post below ( restricted from linking )


I had wanted the Filco in Blue switched but since Amazon has no idea when they will get more I'm guessing that option is out.
I'm also concerned about all of the recent posts concerning ping and QA since no longer shipping through EK.
As for Leopolds I'm concerned with the amount of people who dislike the stabalizers in the Leopolds as I do NOT want a mushy or loose feeling keyset. (although they offer the aesthetics and size that I want)

So I was all set to order the Das ... The biggest drawbacks being the tenkey and more importantly the glossy finish.

Then I see someone on here talking about the WASD brand.  There seems to be a real lack of information and reviews due to how new they are and I'm reluctant to spend that much money on something I can't spend hours upon hours studying through the eyes of others in lieu of actually testing myself. I prefer to read as many varying reviews as possible to avoid bias and single minded thoughts.  

This Keyboard I am hoping will last me many years and is to replace my Saitek Eclipse 1.


I also am all about supporting an upstart offering what people want and to help them get off the ground running if it's a quality item.

So to my questions :

Has it yet been confirmed that WASD uses the same stabilizers as the beloved Filco ?
After some time with it , has their been any direct comparisons to the DAS ?
After more time with it , is it still considered on par or better than the Filco ?

I understand that the body and keys feel very sturdy and hefty which is a big plus to me.

I likely will not get a custom and will just go with a solid black (I'm terrible at looking at keys and I'm hoping this will help to force me to stop)


Can someone help remove my paralysis due to analysis ? Please ?

Thank you all for the excellent info and opening me to he entire new world of mechanical.

[enoy21]

Thanks Ripster, Do you guys have it in the workings to get one ?  I had planned to make a purchase as early as tomorrow but would be willing to hold off a bit to see some more detailed reviews and information.

Didn't I read that the Leopolds were designed by the same guy as the Filco , and made by the same company , but using cherry stabalizers instead of the ..... other ones ( drew a blank ) and not as well liked ?

Basic black will be the biggest concern and I love the look of the Filco Ninja tenkeyless. I don't really need a bunch of bells and whistles as my Saitek only has the backlighting and that's not as big of a concern to me ( What good is backlighting without any key labels ? )

[enoy21]

Oh wow I just read itlnstln's review on it ....  He may have just sold me on this board.

[Atenacius]

I own a Das and the gloss doesn't bother me. I do have to say that it scratches easily. I notice tiny scratches from cleaning. They're in the same grainas my cleaning motions, which were with the cloth provided. Glossy plastic just isn't as easy to keep pristine as say glass is. Fresh out of the box the keyboard is a sight to behold but that's just my own preference. They're both built well and you can't go wrong with either one. Doubleshots are definitely a good addition to both.

[enoy21]

Yeah that's my biggest concern. I don't mind the look when new... But I tend to keep a fairly dusty room , and would get finger/Hand prints on it as I move it to make room for JS in flight games.   I've read that it scratches up pretty easily so I'm worried about the appearance in say 6 months to a year.

[redpill]

I'd suggest blue switches, IMHO they are more enjoyable than browns.

[Atenacius]

I've had it since December and it still looks great. There are no major scratches (you really have to look for the tiny ones). Dust is more noticeable but you would just have to wipe it down once in a while. I keep mine on a keyboard tray so it spends a lot of time slid under the desk, protected from dust when it's not in use. I personally believe that I can do all I can to protect it but any natural wear from use adds a personal touch. With the Filco however, you scarcely need worry about cosmetic issues

[spdx]

I'd suggest blue switches, IMHO they are more enjoyable than browns.

yup. except your co-workers sitting next to your cube.

[hashbaz]

I can't find itlnstln's review.  Link anyone?

[iindigo]

I'm actually planning to grab a WASD sometime in the near future, provided nothing decides to eat the money I have set aside for it. Posting a review would be an excellent way to test it out, so I'll see if I can write one up... might do a video too if I can figure out where my dvcam's power adapter ran off to.

[enoy21]

I can't find itlnstln's review.  Link anyone?

http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:21078&do=comments

Post #10 And the owner/founder posted in there as well I believe.