Greetings!

[ynrozturk]

Hi guys, I've been lurking here for a while now and today I decided to just join. I'm pretty picky with the forums I join because most forums have crap communities - this place seems to be great. Along the line of XDA, but specifically for keyboards. Perfect!

Little background on me - born and raised in Toronto, currently living in Istanbul, Turkey. I've only gotten into mech keyboards around 2 years ago, when I was sick and tired of the cheap rubber dome Logitechs I was using. Like most other people, I remembered those glorious keyboards from my childhood - the IBM's, and thought that I could find something equally as good. I had no idea what I was getting myself into!

Due to my location, options however are sadly limited. I only own one mech keyboard so far - a Razer Blackwidow TE. Don't give me that look.. I can feel that look. Sadly at the time, it was one of the only available options here, and it's still the only one in a TKL configuration. Since when we've had a few more options like Logitech, Zowie, etc. but nothing along the lines of Filco or Ducky.

To be honest though, I'm quite pleased with my Razer. It's been going strong for a long time and I like the feel of it. Hell, at least it's not rubber dome, but I'm sure a Filco would blow it out of the water. I'll be going on a business trip to the US at the end of this year so I plan on picking up a few good keyboards.

Look forward to chatting with you guys! And thanks to everyone who so kindly shares their knowledge around here.

[SeriouSSpotS]

Welcome to GH

[tricheboars]

the only thing that matters in regard to location on this site is how much you are going to pay for shipping and customs. otherwise you can get whatever you want over the internet and through this site.

welcome.

[ynrozturk]

Thanks for the welcome.

Amazon UK ships to Istanbul, however at ridiculous shipping fees. Not to mention custom fees. I almost pulled the trigger on a Filco a few months ago when I suddenly stopped, did the math and said to myself "Dude, you're about to drop $250 on a keyboard... excluding custom fees", which would easily be another $50, maybe even more. That's a total of $300, just way too much.

So I think it's better if I just wait until I go to the US and just bring them from there.

[eth0s]

Welcome to GH.  You are a lucky man to be living in Istanbul.  Very awesome city.

As for your Razer Blackwidow TE, I have no idea what kind of switches it uses.  2mm travel with 50 g actuation force, according to Razer.  Which sounds like a Cherry ML switch, but I dunno.  Also it has 10 key rollover, which is weird as well.  Usually it's 2KRO, or 6KRO, or nKRO.  I don't think I've seen 10 before. 

w/e, any keyboard is better than no keyboard, and any mechanical is better than a rubber membrane keyboard.  It sounds like a pretty nice keyboard.   

As for availability, you are living in the middle of the greatest bazaar on Earth.  Turks are incredible merchants, who buy and sell anything.  I can't believe you can't find somebody selling good keyboards in that city.  If truly nobody is selling keyboards in Istanbul, then I am shocked.

[ynrozturk]

The Razer I have has Cherry MX Blue switches, but they're different somehow. Not exactly like the Blues in the Filco I had tried. They feel the same, but the sound is a little less quiet. Razer did some modifications to this board, but I'm not sure what exactly.

Istanbul without a doubt is a great city, but the merchants you speak of don't really deal in tech. You can find all sorts of things here, but when it comes to stuff like keyboards, earphones, or just very high quality peripherals in general, you're going to have a hard time finding them. One of the best brands in audio, Shure, only started distributing goods here since 2009. Since then, I've always had to order my earphones from the US, paying outrageous custom fees.

Go to 99% of tech shops and they won't have the slightest clue of what a mechanical keyboard is, let alone a Ducky or Filco.

[eth0s]

The Razer I have has Cherry MX Blue switches, but they're different somehow. Not exactly like the Blues in the Filco I had tried. They feel the same, but the sound is a little less quiet. Razer did some modifications to this board, but I'm not sure what exactly.

Istanbul without a doubt is a great city, but the merchants you speak of don't really deal in tech. You can find all sorts of things here, but when it comes to stuff like keyboards, earphones, or just very high quality peripherals in general, you're going to have a hard time finding them. One of the best brands in audio, Shure, only started distributing goods here since 2009. Since then, I've always had to order my earphones from the US, paying outrageous custom fees.

Go to 99% of tech shops and they won't have the slightest clue of what a mechanical keyboard is, let alone a Ducky or Filco.

Hmm, that sucks.  Well, TBH, I haven't been to Istanbul since 1995.  Back then, the Russians used to flood into Istanbul every summer, and they used to bring some fabulous fur coats with them to sell or trade.  heh.  Turks had no use for the coats, but they bought them anyway, to sell to European and American tourists.  You could get a Russian Sable coat back then for a ridiculously cheap price.  (Turkish rugs too, were ridiculously cheap as well.)  I just assumed that the Turkish merchants had kept up with the times and were selling tech stuff now.  But I guess for the last 2,000 years the Turkish merchants have been making money selling rugs, spices and clothing, and they don't see any reason to change now.  However, there is a disconnect with the official statements from the Turkish Govt., which is trying to extol Turkey's prowess in manufacturing, especially home appliances and automobiles.  Also they brag of their technical prowess.  So I dunno where the disconnect is between the govt. and the merchants of Istanbul.

[ynrozturk]

The merchants are happy the way they are it seems, they don't really see the need to branch out and sell different things. It's a lot different than it was in 1995, though. The city I mean. But don't even get me started on the politics. It's come to the point where I am considering moving. And I love this city.