KBT RACE S Limited Edition

[cytoSiN]

Someone convince me that a KBT RACE S Limited Edition (White LED / Brown Switches) is worth $169 shipped to the US.  Or convince me that it's not...I don't really care, I just need a push off the fence...

http://rabbitwebfactory.com/pages/kbt_race_limited_edition

[tp4tissue]

Get off the fence. Back lite is for children.. the keycaps lettering wear is "inevitable"

No one ever looks at your keyboard and thinks any "moar" of you. almost always less... whether or not the keyboard is cool/goodlooking


You will never look at the keyboard for the 2 weeks that it'll still seem "fresh" to you...

Unless you're an indefinite touch typer... The way it looks will only fade into the back of your mind...

[mashby]

You can get a Race from MechanicalKeyboards.com for less money.

I have the pink key/white led version of the Race S and it's a decent keyboard. That being said, you need to know what you're getting with the Limited Edition over a standard Race.

• White Plastic Tray/Case
• White PBC
• White or Pink Key Caps

If none of those features appeal to you, then I'd say get a standard Race. However, if you're still liking the idea of a Limited Edition S, then I'd drop MechanicalKeyboards.com a line, or PM ShakeR because I think they still have a Pink Race S there in the store. I know it's listed as "Out of Stock" on the web site, but I got mine when I visited them and I'm pretty sure they have another one there and it's only $88.

Hope that helps!

[cytoSiN]

Get off the fence. Back lite is for children.. the keycaps lettering wear is "inevitable"

No one ever looks at your keyboard and thinks any "moar" of you. almost always less... whether or not the keyboard is cool/goodlooking


You will never look at the keyboard for the 2 weeks that it'll still seem "fresh" to you...

Unless you're an indefinite touch typer... The way it looks will only fade into the back of your mind...

I'm interested in the Race because it's the smallest form factor that will work for my purposes (60% is too small for the work I need to do).  I want the small form factor, and the backlighting, because I intend to travel with it...it will be nice to have the backlighting when ambient light isn't an option.  My interest in the S vs. the regular version was because I like the white on white, and I haven't seen anything else like that without modding or extra parts.  I may not be looking at it while I'm typing on it, but it will be sitting on my desk, and while you obviously disagree, aesthetics play a role for me in a general sense.  That said, I do think they're charging a premium for the combination of all of those features.  And having never used one of these keyboards, I'm not sure if the build quality is worth the price.

You can get a Race from MechanicalKeyboards.com for less money.

I have the pink key/white led version of the Race S and it's a decent keyboard. That being said, you need to know what you're getting with the Limited Edition over a standard Race.

• White Plastic Tray/Case
• White PBC
• White or Pink Key Caps

If none of those features appeal to you, then I'd say get a standard Race. However, if you're still liking the idea of a Limited Edition S, then I'd drop MechanicalKeyboards.com a line, or PM ShakeR because I think they still have a Pink Race S there in the store. I know it's listed as "Out of Stock" on the web site, but I got mine when I visited them and I'm pretty sure they have another one there and it's only $88.

Hope that helps!

Thanks, that's useful.  I was aware of the differences, but didn't think I could get the S from MK.  Also, where do you see $88?  I only see $115 and up on MK's website, but I'll definitely call them after the New Year to follow up.  Also, pink's not really what I was going for.  I intend to travel with the keyboard for work, and while I don't mind pink in general, or attracting attention to a keyboard in general, I don't want the attention to be because I'm bringing a pink keyboard to business meetings.

At this point, I'm leaning towards not getting it, as I think it's very overpriced for a plastic tray, but I'm also not sure I'm ready to spend 200+ just for a metal tray.  This hobby is killing my wallet either way

[Leslieann]

MK offers the faulty pink model for $88.
To get a White LE you can expect to pay more. I wouldn't expect to find one for under $150 (looks liek Rabbit upper their price a bit since I bought from them), just how it is. Also, be aware, the white chassis is off-white with a delicate eggshell white paint over it. It scratches easy. I planned from the start to replace it, but yes, it can get expensive fast. Add a case, and some keys and you will breach $300 on this keyboard very fast.

As for Tp4tissue's statements, the white on the keys is quite thick and won't be gone through any time soon and I personally like back lighting. Even if you swap the keys, the reflection of light off the circuit board looks great. I think it looks nice, and is nice to use. Even if you don't look at the keys when you type, it looks nice on the desk. To each their own.

[TotalChaos]

I intend to travel with the keyboard for work, and while I don't mind pink in general, or attracting attention to a keyboard in general, I don't want the attention to be because I'm bringing a pink keyboard to business meetings.

C'mon man.  Get in touch with your feminine side. 

[mashby]

Thanks, that's useful.  I was aware of the differences, but didn't think I could get the S from MK.  Also, where do you see $88?  I only see $115 and up on MK's website, but I'll definitely call them after the New Year to follow up.

Be sure to uncheck the "In Stock" option when you do a search, but here's a direct link

Also, pink's not really what I was going for.  I intend to travel with the keyboard for work, and while I don't mind pink in general, or attracting attention to a keyboard in general, I don't want the attention to be because I'm bringing a pink keyboard to business meetings.

At this point, I'm leaning towards not getting it, as I think it's very overpriced for a plastic tray, but I'm also not sure I'm ready to spend 200+ just for a metal tray.  This hobby is killing my wallet either way

I agree with you on the pink keys, but it gets you the white-on-white for $88, you just have to look at the cost of replacing the key caps against the cost of buying one with the white keys. LeslieAnn has a nice photo of her board with some replacement keys at this link so you can see how things look.

[cytoSiN]

MK offers the faulty pink model for $88.
To get a White LE you can expect to pay more. I wouldn't expect to find one for under $150 (looks liek Rabbit upper their price a bit since I bought from them), just how it is. Also, be aware, the white chassis is off-white with a delicate eggshell white paint over it. It scratches easy. I planned from the start to replace it, but yes, it can get expensive fast. Add a case, and some keys and you will breach $300 on this keyboard very fast.

As for Tp4tissue's statements, the white on the keys is quite thick and won't be gone through any time soon and I personally like back lighting. Even if you swap the keys, the reflection of light off the circuit board looks great. I think it looks nice, and is nice to use. Even if you don't look at the keys when you type, it looks nice on the desk. To each their own.

Thanks for the feedback.  Checked out your thread and your keyboard looks sick!  Good to know that the case scratches easily.  For now, I'm leaning towards NOT buying this, and working on building a phantom slowly over time.

[sammsorensen]

I would try to keep it under or around $100 for a race.

[Leslieann]

Thanks for the feedback.  Checked out your thread and your keyboard looks sick!  Good to know that the case scratches easily.  For now, I'm leaning towards NOT buying this, and working on building a phantom slowly over time.

It's a nice keyboard, but at the end of the day you have to justify the price. Keep reading though.

For me, it started simple enough, I want(ed) a 75% keyboard with aluminum chassis. The Race looked like the best option (of the few options that there are, and even fewer with an available aluminum chassis), even if right from the start it was at the limit I wanted spend on the initial board. Then I found the white version and liked the looks more. While it may cost more, I figured the rarity was worth a little extra, so I let the price slip a bit more. I didn't expect it to be as much or hard to find as it was and when I finally found it, it was a bit more than I wanted to pay (again), but figured okay, fine... Then they hit me with a high shipping fee, and by then I was pretty committed to the idea for several reasons which will become clear.

I figure it this way, as with many of these keyboards, you can replace everything on them except the main circuit board so it should last a long time. Expensive or not, mine's easy to work on, easy to clean, easy to look at, so while it cost more, in the long run it will be worth it. Once I get the aluminum chassis, that will eliminate the biggest problem I have with it. Very few keyboards are perfect, someone can find issues with Kmacs, and Phantoms too, especially after you take peoples preferences into consideration. Pick the problem you want to deal with, and a price you can live with.

I too thought about doing a Phantom (and still may), but I can be impatient and I found the smaller size of this to be intriguing and wanted to give it a go (as well as one other reason). Knowing what I know now, instead of a Phantom, I would probably go with a Cooler Master or even a Filco, then look for a case and plate. Cheaper, faster, and easier to get than a Phantom.

Consider this, a Race aluminum chassis about $100, the Filco aluminum case is over $300, and the Phantom... who knows how much it will cost and how long it will take. All said and done you can do a Race any way you want for well under $400. The Filco would be closer to $500 and the Phantom would likely break $800.  So yeah, I paid a bit extra for my Race, but in the end, it saved me a bundle.

[cytoSiN]

Thanks Leslieann, that's great perspective.  The biggest reason I was leaning towards the Race in the first place was because it's smaller than the Phantom.  But I hadn't considered total cost and timing.  I'll reassess those things after the New Year and decide based on those factors.  Happy new year everyone!

[mashby]

Excellent points Leslieann and well said.

For me, I was looking to get back into mechanical keyboards and was on the fence between the Race, Pure and Poker. I was pretty sure that I wanted MX Blues, but it was all so new that I was even uncertain about my switch choice. Thankfully, I live near MechanicalKeyboards.com so I drove out there one afternoon to just play with a bunch of keyboards.

I was coming from the Apple BT keyboard, which has a very small footprint, but looking at the Pure felt like it was too much of a trade-off. For example, I use the Function keys quite a bit and having to press a Fn key might be become cumbersome. Spending $100+ for something that might work didn't seem like a smart move and it was clear that the only way I would know if a keyboard was right for me was to buy one and work with it.

MK didn't have a lot of MX Blues available in the models I was looking at, but they did have the Race S and it was priced lower than all the others because of "imperfections" on the back of the keys. That didn't bother me in the least and I figured that this was a gateway keyboard to "cut my teeth" on and that I'd mod it to dial it in, or buy a different keyboard all together. Either way, $88 was a great deal and that my wife would love it should I opt to move on to something else. 

Things I Like
1. White PCB - I didn't think it'd make that big of a deal, but I do like the LED backlighting. The white PCB is really nice and not something I could easily change. With these boards, clearly the PCB will affect the overall look of your backlighting and white on white is nice.

2. MX Blues - Coming from buckling springs, the blues are nice. I added O-Rings to dampen the bottoming out clack sound, but I love the switch.

Things I Don't Like
1. The Size - it's too big. I've ordered a Pure and I'm on the hunt for a Poker, but the 75% is just a little too big for me. It's minor, but when you compare it to what I've been typing on for the past 4 years it is larger.

2. Right Shift Key - I mistakenly hit the Up Arrow all the time and on the Mac it has the effect of selecting a large chunk of text that you've typed and deleting it. You can undo it, but it happens enough that it's become frustrating.

3. Key Caps Feel - They feel kind of chalky. I don't have enough experience with key caps to know if it's the ABS, or what, but I'm not wild about their feel. That's an easy thing to change though and I'm just now looking into other options.

3. Key Cap Backlighting - The LED lights up at the top of the key and for most keys it looks great. For keys like the number row, however, the lower portion of the key is only partially lighted and it looks dingy. If I opt to replace the keycaps, then I think I'd get caps without the knock out so that the space between the keys is lit, but not the keys itself.

Really Nice Board
All of my gripes are pretty minor and overall I really enjoy the keyboard. Out of all of the Race options I've seen, I'm happy that I chose the Limited Edition model.

Of course, as my comments have already hinted at, I've clearly caught keyboard fever, so please take my comments with a grain of salt. I have a Pure CNC en route, I've ordered a Poker Plate and currently signed up for the Phantom Group Buy. I feel like I'm working my way into my ideal keyboard, but I'm also having a lot of fun exploring along the way. I have no doubt that over the years I will have a small collection of TKL keyboards.

Good luck with your own journey. 

[Leslieann]

The white PCB is also part of what sold me. I also agree about the keys, but it's not terrible, just strange at first (BTW, it's the ABS they used, not all ABS feel that way). I don't like PBT keys either, they feel very cheap. They have a better texture, but a cheaper plasticy feel.

Part of the lighting issue you are seeing stems from the o-rings you added, they block a lot of light getting around to the front. painting the inside of the keys white would help correct it some, just avoid the character part. The same happens on the Black Widow when you add o-rings, except on those it actually dims half the main character too. The pcb will still glow around the keys even if you have normal keys, I have a few on my board that way, I still need to add something to hide the LED glowing through. The pcb looks nice that way and gives it almost a surreal, mechanical look. How many keyboards show the internals at all?

I considered a Poker style, and while I like the size, I need my extra keys. I not only use arrows, home and end a lot, but I also use the extra keys for macros while gaming. The biggest reason I passed though, was I wasn't ready to cut off that much keyboard right away, and in many ways, I'm glad I didn't. While I don't really miss the tenkeys, I miss the fullsize shift key and I can see me missing the others a lot.

 
For those still reading and considering a Race, don't think I and the others are bashing it. I like the keyboard, but like I said, you can find something wrong or some one who dislikes some aspect of every keyboard available. The more you know what to expect, the better informed of a purchase you can make, which is all we are trying to do. For all it's faults mentioned, some are easily fixed, others less so. The owners of other keyboard considerations will probably tell you of things they dislike as well about those keyboards too, but they probably still like them as well.


By the way, those Apple keyboards are nice, but I really dislike chicklet keyboards, my fingernails often get snagged on the bottom edge of the key above the one I'm hitting if my aim is off just a little. It's not that my nails are long, it's just the squarish profile of the keys catch them. The Race is angled just enough to miss. As for blues, I like the feel, hate the function. For gaming they are terrible, Jailhouse Blues on the other hand... Best. Switch. Ever.

[mashby]

The white PCB is also part of what sold me. I also agree about the keys, but it's not terrible, just strange at first (BTW, it's the ABS they used, not all ABS feel that way). I don't like PBT keys either, they feel very cheap. They have a better texture, but a cheaper plasticy feel.[/url]

That's good to know. I'm just now getting into key caps and everyone seems to rave about PBT, so it's nice to know that all ABS caps are like those on the Race S.

Part of the lighting issue you are seeing stems from the o-rings you added, they block a lot of light getting around to the front. painting the inside of the keys white would help correct it some, just avoid the character part. The same happens on the Black Widow when you add o-rings, except on those it actually dims half the main character too.[/url]

Well, I noticed it before the rings were installed, but I'll have to play around with the rings to see if it improves. However, having the keys themselves light up isn't that important to me. I like how the board likes up, so I figure I'll probably put solid caps on anyway.

The pcb will still glow around the keys even if you have normal keys, I have a few on my board that way, I still need to add something to hide the LED glowing through. The pcb looks nice that way and gives it almost a surreal, mechanical look. How many keyboards show the internals at all?

Agreed. I really like the look of your board. I too think the backlighting on the Race (and possibly Pure) is very unique.

I considered a Poker style, and while I like the size, I need my extra keys. I not only use arrows, home and end a lot, but I also use the extra keys for macros while gaming. The biggest reason I passed though, was I wasn't ready to cut off that much keyboard right away, and in many ways, I'm glad I didn't. While I don't really miss the tenkeys, I miss the fullsize shift key and I can see me missing the others a lot.

That was my thinking too which is why I opted for the Race as well. Of course, I do have a Pure currently shipping to me, you know, just to test that theory. 

For those still reading and considering a Race, don't think I and the others are bashing it. I like the keyboard, but like I said, you can find something wrong or some one who dislikes some aspect of every keyboard available. The more you know what to expect, the better informed of a purchase you can make, which is all we are trying to do. For all it's faults mentioned, some are easily fixed, others less so. The owners of other keyboard considerations will probably tell you of things they dislike as well about those keyboards too, but they probably still like them as well.

You're exactly right. Regardless of what keyboard someone chooses, the fact that we have options to modify and tweak means that we can know we customize our devices and dial them up to the most minute degree. For that reason, we have a tendency to become quite picky.

By the way, those Apple keyboards are nice, but I really dislike chicklet keyboards, my fingernails often get snagged on the bottom edge of the key above the one I'm hitting if my aim is off just a little. It's not that my nails are long, it's just the squarish profile of the keys catch them. The Race is angled just enough to miss. As for blues, I like the feel, hate the function. For gaming they are terrible, Jailhouse Blues on the other hand... Best. Switch. Ever.

Your modified Blue is very interesting.  I don't do much in the way of gaming, so the built-in keyboard on my MacBook Air and my previous desktop keyboard hasn't really been much of an issue, but as soon as I found that I could get a compact mechanical keyboard, I jumped at the chance.