Filco, are they worth looking into?

[bMind]

NCIX Canada charges $35 to US   NCIX US / Amazon doesn't have any 87 MX Brown Ninjas

em..they do?

http://www.amazon.com/Filco-Majestouch-2-Tenkeyless-FKBN87M-EFB2/dp/B004ZJPSGI

Ok .. Amazon does but they are not $149.99.  The cheapest one on your list was $165 + $30 shipping.

Well..yeah..price sux..ordered MJ2 yesterday for $188 + $22 shipping..

[Belfong]

Wow.. Didn't realize Filco is so expensive. It's almost the same price, if not more than, WASD.

[Belfong]

Wow.. Didn't realize Filco is so expensive. It's almost the same price, if not more than, WASD.

[Belfong]

Edit: Aik, Tapatalk timeout an triple post!

[ZeodoHokill]

I think Filco keyboard have high quality, though it's keyboard have some different in feeling, it's switch feel heavier relatively.

[bMind]

Wow.. Didn't realize Filco is so expensive. It's almost the same price, if not more than, WASD.

I was really considering all options, like QFR, Ducky, WASD, etc., but in the end decided to get something tad better, even if that's my first mech and someone might call it too much..

[dante]

Maybe some of you can answer a question I haven't seen answered anywhere - I understand the standard Majestouch has a coating on it to protect the legend.  However after time when it comes off it can look a bit disgusting.

Do any of you know if they coat the Ninja or Blank keys?  I'm assuming they don't because it would be pointless; But I've never had an opportunity for side by side comparison.

[Cafiend]

My ninja keys started to shine within a year. doubt they have any coating.

[mauri]

I really dislike the ninja caps, they're so goddamn slimy

[JPG]

The keycaps, while functionnal, are not the "strong point" of the filco. But they are easy to change if you have the money for!

[Cafiend]

Once I got my dolch set it felt so much better. I am going to buy another Filco in reds. Love my baby.

Were does Leopold stand? As they are around $90 us. Might be an option for those on the fence.

[swill]

A CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is just as good as a Filco.

I don't know that I would agree with this.  I have two Filcos and a QFR.  I agree that the price difference between the QFR and the Filcos does not make sense, but I still feel that the Filco is a better board.  The QFR is a good quality board and is absolutely worth the money if you are trying to go mech without investing a lot of money. 

One complaint I have with the Filcos (as well as the QFR for that matter) is the switches a very obviously not lubed.  On both of my Filcos the backspace was very scratchy within a week.  I just did simple slider lube with some plastic safe grease without taking the switch apart and this resolved the issue, but I was pretty annoyed that it was required within a week of getting the board after spending that kind of money on it.

[Danule]

A CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is just as good as a Filco.

I don't know that I would agree with this.  I have two Filcos and a QFR.  I agree that the price difference between the QFR and the Filcos does not make sense, but I still feel that the Filco is a better board.  The QFR is a good quality board and is absolutely worth the money if you are trying to go mech without investing a lot of money. 

One complaint I have with the Filcos (as well as the QFR for that matter) is the switches a very obviously not lubed.  On both of my Filcos the backspace was very scratchy within a week.  I just did simple slider lube with some plastic safe grease without taking the switch apart and this resolved the issue, but I was pretty annoyed that it was required within a week of getting the board after spending that kind of money on it.

what colour switch? i find it interesting that you need to lube after using it for a while, i have found swiches get  smoother with use, but i only have brown.

[swill]

what colour switch? i find it interesting that you need to lube after using it for a while, i have found swiches get  smoother with use, but i only have brown.

It has been the same for both my Brown and Red switches...  The worst is the Backspace key.  I find that the Reds are quite scratchy.  I still have to lube my Filco with Reds, I just have not had a chance yet because it is at work.

After lubing my Filco with Browns, it has been a dream...

[Tony]

If you don't care about money, just get a Filco. If not, then a QFR would be very reasonable.

[Photoelectric]

A CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is just as good as a Filco.

I don't know that I would agree with this.  I have two Filcos and a QFR.  I agree that the price difference between the QFR and the Filcos does not make sense, but I still feel that the Filco is a better board.  The QFR is a good quality board and is absolutely worth the money if you are trying to go mech without investing a lot of money. 

One complaint I have with the Filcos (as well as the QFR for that matter) is the switches a very obviously not lubed.  On both of my Filcos the backspace was very scratchy within a week.  I just did simple slider lube with some plastic safe grease without taking the switch apart and this resolved the issue, but I was pretty annoyed that it was required within a week of getting the board after spending that kind of money on it.

what colour switch? i find it interesting that you need to lube after using it for a while, i have found swiches get  smoother with use, but i only have brown.

That has nothing to do with Filco--Filco doesn't make or test Cherry switches.  That's just poor luck.  I've never experienced that with any switches, and I've gone through a LOT.  I love my Filcos--I've had 3 to date, one left right now.  I'm actually wondering if that grinding had to do with stabilizers rather than with switches themselves--both of those caps use Costar stabilizers.  Just taking off the caps and putting them back on again can fix alignment and reduce grinding.  Lubing stabilizers is even better.

[Dubsgalore]

If you are going for looks, i wouldn't go for a filco  ) they all look the same

They are sturdy, but what Ivan said on the first page is the most accurate description

Filco is ok and all, but nothing special. They used to be premier MX keyboards, but now days many other manufactures have caught up in quality as far as I am concerned and offer more features, nicer aesthetics in some cases while being less expensive.

[swill]

A CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is just as good as a Filco.

I don't know that I would agree with this.  I have two Filcos and a QFR.  I agree that the price difference between the QFR and the Filcos does not make sense, but I still feel that the Filco is a better board.  The QFR is a good quality board and is absolutely worth the money if you are trying to go mech without investing a lot of money. 

One complaint I have with the Filcos (as well as the QFR for that matter) is the switches a very obviously not lubed.  On both of my Filcos the backspace was very scratchy within a week.  I just did simple slider lube with some plastic safe grease without taking the switch apart and this resolved the issue, but I was pretty annoyed that it was required within a week of getting the board after spending that kind of money on it.

what colour switch? i find it interesting that you need to lube after using it for a while, i have found swiches get  smoother with use, but i only have brown.

That has nothing to do with Filco--Filco doesn't make or test Cherry switches.  That's just poor luck.  I've never experienced that with any switches, and I've gone through a LOT.  I love my Filcos--I've had 3 to date, one left right now.  I'm actually wondering if that grinding had to do with stabilizers rather than with switches themselves--both of those caps use Costar stabilizers.  Just taking off the caps and putting them back on again can fix alignment and reduce grinding.  Lubing stabilizers is even better.

You are probably right.  It was most likely the stabilizers that made it feel bad.  I lubed the stabilizers at the same time and the problem went away.

[Mirek028]

I'm pretty much poised to grab the filco as many recommend it - but I see most comparisons are done with the QFR, which is TKL.
Is there no full size board with QFR qualities (i.e. being described as the best buy for entry level mech KBDs)?

I see a lot of pro-filco comments but a lot of those seem to be based on personal experience/preference.

[Linkbane]

I'm pretty much poised to grab the filco as many recommend it - but I see most comparisons are done with the QFR, which is TKL.
Is there no full size board with QFR qualities (i.e. being described as the best buy for entry level mech KBDs)?

I see a lot of pro-filco comments but a lot of those seem to be based on personal experience/preference.

CM does make the Trigger, which is fullsize, but the branding is a bit obnoxious and I'm not sure about the quality. Maybe a Rosewill? They're very cheap and apparently pretty well built, newegg sells and builds them often at large discounts. Only fullsize, also.
However, I haven't heard anything really about them on the forums.

[Photoelectric]

Trigger and those Rosewills are both "made" by Costar, just like Filcos and QFRs.  Different designs, different PCBs, as Costar is just a middleman among different factories.  They should all be fairly good quality though.

[Linkbane]

Trigger and those Rosewills are both "made" by Costar, just like Filcos and QFRs.  Different designs, different PCBs, as Costar is just a middleman among different factories.  They should all be fairly good quality though.

Knew that Trigger was made by Costar, but definitely didn't know about Rosewill. The only reason that I'd have any doubts about the Trigger is just the seeming direct relation between excessiveness of features on a keyboard compared to its quality.

So then if he was going to look for a decently priced fullsize, Rosewill seems like the way to go.

[exitface]

QFRs have quality control issues (see Amazon), personally my left alt and meta keys have stopped working. I attempted to resolder the switch but the entire trace came off the PCB (like this http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39219.0). QFRs (like most keyboards) have single-layer PCBs, Filcos have dual layer, which would help if you ever have to do any soldering. That being said, Vortex and a few of the Duckys also use dual layer PCBs.

[Nakapfao]

Like a lot of people have pointed out in this thread, I don't see any reason to go Filco over CM. I love my Quickfire Stealth and, honestly, I don't care if Filco's a tiny bit more durable. I don't use my keyboard as a pogo stick. I got my CM for $60, wasn't sure if a keyboard that cheap would be worth it, but now I laugh at the idea of getting any ABS board for $120.

[Linkbane]

QFRs have quality control issues (see Amazon), personally my left alt and meta keys have stopped working. I attempted to resolder the switch but the entire trace came off the PCB (like this http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39219.0). QFRs (like most keyboards) have single-layer PCBs, Filcos have dual layer, which would help if you ever have to do any soldering. That being said, Vortex and a few of the Duckys also use dual layer PCBs.

From 99% of people, I've heard that it's a well-built board, and considering how many we have, a few errors seem to fall in line with normal defects.
What's a meta key, by the way? Haven't seen those on a non-space cadet board.

[Puddsy]

QFRs have quality control issues (see Amazon), personally my left alt and meta keys have stopped working. I attempted to resolder the switch but the entire trace came off the PCB (like this http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39219.0). QFRs (like most keyboards) have single-layer PCBs, Filcos have dual layer, which would help if you ever have to do any soldering. That being said, Vortex and a few of the Duckys also use dual layer PCBs.

From 99% of people, I've heard that it's a well-built board, and considering how many we have, a few errors seem to fall in line with normal defects.
What's a meta key, by the way? Haven't seen those on a non-space cadet board.

The one next to RCTRL. It's FN on a QFR.

[swill]

QFRs have quality control issues (see Amazon), personally my left alt and meta keys have stopped working. I attempted to resolder the switch but the entire trace came off the PCB (like this http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39219.0). QFRs (like most keyboards) have single-layer PCBs, Filcos have dual layer, which would help if you ever have to do any soldering. That being said, Vortex and a few of the Duckys also use dual layer PCBs.

From 99% of people, I've heard that it's a well-built board, and considering how many we have, a few errors seem to fall in line with normal defects.
What's a meta key, by the way? Haven't seen those on a non-space cadet board.

^  There are many out there because it is very good value and very few complaints.  The numbers are pretty good...

[exitface]

QFRs have quality control issues (see Amazon), personally my left alt and meta keys have stopped working. I attempted to resolder the switch but the entire trace came off the PCB (like this http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39219.0). QFRs (like most keyboards) have single-layer PCBs, Filcos have dual layer, which would help if you ever have to do any soldering. That being said, Vortex and a few of the Duckys also use dual layer PCBs.

From 99% of people, I've heard that it's a well-built board, and considering how many we have, a few errors seem to fall in line with normal defects.
What's a meta key, by the way? Haven't seen those on a non-space cadet board.

^  There are many out there because it is very good value and very few complaints.  The numbers are pretty good...

Sorry, I actually meant the super/os key rather than the meta key.

Yeah, chances are you'll get a decent board from CM, and if you do, I'm sure you'd be happy - but if you do plan to do any modding, I would go with a board with a higher quality PCB. I'm still undecided myself if Filco is worth more than double the CM board.

[kansas city shuffle]

1. Are they worth the money, do they have good construction etc?
[I think they are worth every penny I have the Filco Majestouch-2, NKR, Click Action, USA Keyboard FKBN104MC/EB2 (blue switches) and I think it's great for typing, I don't do any gaming on it.]
2. What are they like to type on, what keycaps do they use? PBT/POM etc?
[It's a joy to type on with the clicky blues and not much resistance when the key comes back up. Keycaps are ABS.]
3. Would you recommend one to a friend or whatever?
[Definitely would recommend one if you want a quality keyboard.]

[Aliwia]

Filco is too expensive for what it offers imo. If it was PBT caps or something special, you can say its worth the price but it doesnt even have a detachable cable, PBT caps, backlighting. If you say its high quality, so are lots of other boards that have much better extras than Filco can offer. But then again, costar.

[dustinhxc]

Filco look so nice, they have the same shape as my Rosewill but better quality lol .. So tempting.. Maybe Ill get one when my Rosewill goes out or for an extra keyboard to put a different set of keycaps on  Maybe for christmas!

[Belfong]

Go for WASD Keyboards. They are as good as Filco and is based on standard key caps size so you can mod it too!

[dustinhxc]

Go for WASD Keyboards. They are as good as Filco and is based on standard key caps size so you can mod it too!

Awesome I do like their V2! 

[emguy]

I own a Filco and a QFR. Both are TKL and with mx red switches. The filco was purchased only five days after I received the QFR, because I want to have the menu button on my keyboard so I can remap this key with softwares. The filco is one of few keyboards that come with the standardized us layout with no Fn keys, which means that every key stroke sends key code to the PC. Comparing to QFR, the typing experience is slight better, and I definitely enjoy typing with Filco more. Fiilco is over-priced, but the first moment that I type on it after unboxing, I knew this would be my favorite keyboard.

Comparing to QFR, filco offers me
(1) a better plastic chassis;
(2) more elegant keycaps;
(3) a menu button instead of a Fn button.

However, I do wish the USB cable on filco can be detached.

 

[Grim Fandango]

My ninja keys started to shine within a year. doubt they have any coating.

To be honest, while I love my filcos, for the price they should really include better keycaps. Going with the ninja is not worth it if it is just to avoid wear. If you get black keycaps and type a lot, you will develop shine on them in no time at all, and it will be more noticeable than with the normal padprinting.

When you are specific about your keycaps, then the only thing left to do with a Filco keyboard is replace them, even though many other brands (and much cheaper keyboards) offer higher quality PBT keycaps applying better techniques to get the legends on the keycaps and the legends have a better more consistent look (not only are the Filco ABS keycaps pad printed, but the printing is sloppy).

[dante]

A note on the QFR: Try to test one to see if you like the black exterior.  It took me 3 seconds after receiving my QFR to jump on Coolermasters site to order a replacement grey one which IMO is much superior.

[spremino]

I bought a Filco and regretted it, because of its ABS key caps, that got shiny within weeks, but I will add that I am a heavy typist. If you want durable key caps then you will have to buy a PBT set from someone else. Otherwise, since it looks like you are in Europe, consider a Ducky with PBT, if it's available in your language.

[Puddsy]

I bought a Filco and regretted it, because of its ABS key caps, that got shiny within weeks, but I will add that I am a heavy typist. If you want durable key caps then you will have to buy a PBT set from someone else. Otherwise, since it looks like you are in Europe, consider a Ducky, if it's available in your language.

but ducky also has ABS caps?

[spremino]

but ducky also has ABS caps?

Cheaper models do, whilst more expensive ones don't, and the price difference is less than having to buy a separate PBT set.

I fixed my comment, though.

[spremino]

but ducky also has ABS caps?

At the moment, cheaper models have ABS, whilst more expensive ones have PBT, and the price difference is less than having to buy a separate PBT set.

I fixed my comment, though.

[Puddsy]

The shine 3 has ABS caps, unless I'm crazy. It was just the G2 pro that has PBT.

[spremino]

The shine 3 has ABS caps, unless I'm crazy.

Isn't that ironic? The name of the keyboard tells you what to expect from its key caps. I wonder whether it was intentional.

[rowdy]

The shine 3 has ABS caps, unless I'm crazy.

Isn't that ironic? The name of the keyboard tells you what to expect from its key caps. I wonder whether it was intentional.

The "Shine" part actually refers to the LEDs.

Ducky has other keyboards without LEDs that are not part of the Shine lineup.

[spremino]

Isn't that ironic? The name of the keyboard tells you what to expect from its key caps. I wonder whether it was intentional.

The "Shine" part actually refers to the LEDs.

I know, but I felt that the name was ironic.

[Novus]

I bought a Filco at first because I wanted the best and I just wanted to make on purchase and stick with it.
Except after spending time on this forum, you realize what you think is the best isn't really the best and you always want something better OR you just want to do some kind of ridiculous mod on your keyboard because you can

 ...Anyways...
Then I discovered, what I bought off the "shelf" wasn't necessary the best and I switched out the kys for a set of PBT keycaps.
So this got me thinking, A filco keyboard is 150 bucks give or take and then a set of keycaps is an additional 30-70 bucks (depending on what you are looking for).

This is pretty expensive option for a solid keyboard which while great, is unadorned with some features.

Before we go further, I have tested some other keyboards that I could get my hands on and I will say the Filco does feel more solid.  Some mechanical keyboards really do feel like utter crap.
I know from first hand experience the Filco is better than alot of keyboards like the CM storm, Corsair K-something, some other stuff (can't list it off the top of my head).

So what I'm wondering is how does Filco stack against let's say keyboards that come with PBT or POM keycaps like the Noppoo or Keycool?
The ducky YOTS caught my eye because it has an aluminum case. Does having an aluminum casing make the typing experience different or is this mostly just an aesthetic thing?

Fake Edit: Man I just read what I wrote and I sound like a mad OCD guy in a box.