Sources for Alps or Matias Keycaps and Spacebars

[Hypersphere]

It seems that interest is increasing in Matias switch keyboards, such as the Infinity 60 kit and the KBP V60 Matias Mini as well as those made by the Matias company. I like Matias switches, but the downside is a lack of replacement keycaps, especially nice dye-sub PBT or doubleshot ABS.

There also seems to be some confusion about the stabilizers that are used in these recent Matias switch keyboards and how to find modifier keys that would be compatible with the current stabilizer inserts and wires.

It could be useful to compile information about sources of Alps / Matias keycaps, including modifiers, spacebars, and stabilizers.

[jacobolus]

There also seems to be some confusion about the stabilizers that are used in these recent Matias switch keyboards and how to find modifier keys that would be compatible with the current stabilizer inserts and wires.

It could be useful to compile information about sources of Alps / Matias keycaps, including modifiers, spacebars, and stabilizers.

There’s more info already in some of the other threads you’ve started about this topic.

But in short:

Infinity 60 kit: requires keycaps for MX/Costar-style stabilizers.
keycap sources:
  - certain old cheap keyboards with thin pad-printed ABS, e.g. Chicony boards
  - keycaps from Signature Plastics
(hopefully future MassDrop kits can be designed to use Matias’s new stabilizers instead, which should be cross-compatible with both types of keycaps)

V60, or Matias keyboards: requires keycaps which use Alps-style stabilizers, except the spacebar, which is MX/Costar-style
keycap sources:
  - Most old keyboards with Alps-mount switches (for everything but the spacebar)
  - Matias or their suppliers
  - Tai Hao

One way to improve this situation would be to 3d-print stabilizer inserts which would fit into one type of keycap but then fit the other type/position of stabilizer bar. I think this should be possible, but it requires someone do the 3d modeling, and then go through a few iterations ordering from Shapeways or wherever to get everything working properly.

[Hypersphere]

Thank you very much for your informative response! Up until now, I have become quite familiar with Cherry mx, IBM buckling spring (Model F and Model M), and Topre keyboards. The V60 Matias Quiet Click Mini is my first Matias-switch keyboard, and I am currently completely unfamiliar with Matias or Alps / Alps-type switches and stabilizers. However, I have purchased some Alps donor boards, which should arrive this week. I look forward to gaining some firsthand experience with Alps/Matias starting by swapping keycaps and ultimately by disassembling and reassembling keyboards. In the meantime, the knowledge you have shared is quite helpful.

[RoflCopter4]

There is hardly anything in the way of Alps style keycaps. The best would probably be those on an old Apple keyboard, but those aren't totally standard.

[Hypersphere]

There is hardly anything in the way of Alps style keycaps. The best would probably be those on an old Apple keyboard, but those aren't totally standard.

It can be a challenge, but I am finding that with a bit of digging, it is possible to find some good Alps-mount keycaps. In addition to Apple keyboards, as jacobolus and others have pointed out, there are Alps-compatible keycaps to be found on some keyboards from Acer, Chicony, Data General, Dell, Ducky, IBM, KBP, Matias, Northgate, Ortek, SIIG, Wang, Zenith, and others. For the moment, I have populated my V60MTS with lasered mods from a Dell AT101W and doubleshot alphas from a SIIG Suntouch Jr. Recently, I found an IBM portable with dye-sub PBT caps for a good price on eBay (thanks for the tip about this, jacobolus!). In addition, I just now received a reply from Matias saying that they will soon have keycaps for sale on their web site.