GMK Olivetti vs IMSTO thick pbt

[CPTBadAss]

Btw, where can I get a  GMK Olivetti set ?

Originativeco.com has em

[jonathanyu]

Btw, where can I get a  GMK Olivetti set ?

Originativeco.com has em

Oh great.

[muad]

They really are beautiful but every time I think back to how sticky they feel I immediately feel better about not having any! I really don't mind the shininess but the feel is important! The issue now is how difficult it is to get pbt keycaps. I love the feel of the SP DCS PBT keycaps but they don't make sets of them. What I would really like are hhkb/realforce caps that fit on cherry mx stems!!!

Looks like you have also taken a long and circuitous path to arrive at the conclusion that PBT caps are the best for typing. It is strange, but I am still allowing myself to be seduced by the visual appeal of good double shots, knowing full well that I will not enjoy typing on them. Recently, I bought several old Wyse and Cherry keyboards for their double shot keycaps (and special keycap sizes) to decorate some new contemporary keyboards. I populated the new boards with the venerable caps, hoping that something might have magically changed and that the ABS would somehow feel right this time. Wrong!

[Hypersphere]

I am adapting to ABS keycaps. The feel of them seems to be somewhat dependent on the ambient relative humidity (i.e., better when the humidity is low, but I do not have definitive data on this).

If I were to get PBT keycaps now, after checking GH classified, I would probably go with one of the sets on offer from geek_feng on eBay. Otherwise, I would check with Originative from time to time to see if Sherry is offering a new PBT set.

[Photoelectric]

I've got one of Feng's thin PBT sets on my pink Filco, and it's actually quite good in terms of how it feels, but I find that to be a strong function of switch type.  For example, I prefer OEM profile caps with any kind of Clears--Ducky Shine caps being most preferable.  I like low Cherry profile thick PBT on linear switches, etc.  I some switch-keycap combinations feel a lot more "right" than others.  I don't think I like thin standard ABS for anything--maybe MX Blues.

[Hypersphere]

I've got one of Feng's thin PBT sets on my pink Filco, and it's actually quite good in terms of how it feels, but I find that to be a strong function of switch type.  For example, I prefer OEM profile caps with any kind of Clears--Ducky Shine caps being most preferable.  I like low Cherry profile thick PBT on linear switches, etc.  I some switch-keycap combinations feel a lot more "right" than others.  I don't think I like thin standard ABS for anything--maybe MX Blues.

Interesting. I just got my CM QFR Stealth TKL with Cherry MX Greens. So far I am using the stock thin ABS caps and liking it fairly well. This was my first experience with green switches, and I really like them. It will be difficult to go back to anything else. It could be that the green switches are so good that they mask the negative effects of using thin ABS keycaps. In any event, the QFR with greens has become my second-favorite board next to my IBM Model M SSK (which has the stock IBM dye sub PBT keycaps).

[Photoelectric]

Well that's how I felt about my Filco back when it had stock Blues and keycaps--the thin ABS went well with the click.  Greens are exactly like Blues but with a heavier spring.

[nocturn4l3030]

Beige and white with blue legends. Only thing is my enter key is sticking with the costar stabs. It was happening with no other keys on so its not hitting anything. I saw a thread with the same issue the other day need to dig it up. The picks are actually old bit its the same exact setup except the new QFR has no branding.
I need to find someone to mod the stepped caps lock.

Congrats !!!  That was a good choice and the keycap is looking nicely on your board.

But yes I find really only enter key grinds (with imsto set, cherry set somehow almost all the big keys grinds).  Refer to the links I posted 3 posts up.  So what you want to do is take a small knife and shave off a little bit of the front side of the INSIDE of the keycap.  By front I mean the side that's close to you.

Refer to the pictures 3 posts up.  Good luck !!!

can i ask where'd you pick up these keycaps?  or was it a group buy? =T

[jonathanyu]

just installed my gmk olivetti on my filco. before this , i used imsto thick pbt, so that i think i can compare them now.
for the imsto pbt, the legend is more fuzzy/ foggy. the gmk olivetti is more clear.
i think the gmk olivetti is more smooth . but both of them are really smooth compare to SP keycaps.
the gmk have a scooped f & j. imsto have a line on f & j. i like the imsto more on these two caps
i like both of imsto thick pbt and gmk olivetti, i can't really say which one is better.
i don't know why, but the spacebar of the gmk olivetti bend up a little bit, and it is not straight.
and there is a really problem on the "T" key in the gmk olivetti set .
here is few picture of it

More

in this picture you can see that the left side of the spacebar really close to the x, but the right side of it is far away from the<

More

More

More

in these three picture you can see that the "t" is shorter than other.
the key that for compare is a "Y"
in the last picture you can see that the "t" is shorter than the "Y" a lot.
and for the last thing, the caps fit the stem tightly which is good, but for the costar stabilizer insert, it is very loose, so i need to put some tape on the stabilizer insert to make thicker. before i put the tape on, the stabilizer insert will fell off when a turn the caps.
but the gmk olivetti is still a great set of keycaps

my bad. i found the "t" with right profile in the bag 

[Danule]

my stabs fell out too, you just need to use a plastic bag or something to make it tighter.

[Hypersphere]

I have both sets as well. The legends on the GMK (ABS) set look sharper, but the Imsto (PBT) set feels better. It would be great if someone would produce a dye-sub PBT set that looks and feels as good as the dye-sub PBT keycaps on the IBM Model M and SSK.

[jonathanyu]

I have both sets as well. The legends on the GMK (ABS) set look sharper, but the Imsto (PBT) set feels better. It would be great if someone would produce a dye-sub PBT set that looks and feels as good as the dye-sub PBT keycaps on the IBM Model M and SSK.

The pbt double shot that make by vortex may be is what you are looking for.
I haven't try it yet, by the legend is not that good

[digi]

GMK all day son.

[Hyde]

I have the exact same problem with the enter key. The first time I put my thick pbt enter Key on my filco, the enter key get stuck at the bottom after I press down. The costar stabilizer get stuck with the keycap. I use a knife to plane it a little bit, it feel better. But there it is still horrible when I press to the bottom. The final solution is put the keycap in some really hot water, and fix the shape of it.
And I didn't  get a non-straight space bar too. Actually, the space bar is the best large key.(I mean the key that have stabilizer)

Can you explain how you fixed it with hot water?  I shaved mine so it grinds less now, but when I bottom all the way down it still grinds a tiny bit.  So I might try to fix it with water.

And yes the spacebar is indeed the best large key, no grinding and perfectly straight. 

[jonathanyu]

I have the exact same problem with the enter key. The first time I put my thick pbt enter Key on my filco, the enter key get stuck at the bottom after I press down. The costar stabilizer get stuck with the keycap. I use a knife to plane it a little bit, it feel better. But there it is still horrible when I press to the bottom. The final solution is put the keycap in some really hot water, and fix the shape of it.
And I didn't  get a non-straight space bar too. Actually, the space bar is the best large key.(I mean the key that have stabilizer)

Can you explain how you fixed it with hot water?  I shaved mine so it grinds less now, but when I bottom all the way down it still grinds a tiny bit.  So I might try to fix it with water.

And yes the spacebar is indeed the best large key, no grinding and perfectly straight. 

i put the cap into hot water for like 1-2 mints . and then put in on table, and use my finger to push the wall of the cap to the table.
i know it is hard to know what my process because of my poor English 
i will add a picture a little bit later to explain how i do it.

btw, after the last two busy week. i don't know what happen to my space bar, but it bended up really horrible. i can see the stabilizer spring under the space bar when i am using my keyboard. 

[melt]

here's my Duck POker with the Olivetti set and some CMYK mods... if that helps?