Hello Everyone :)

[MPZ]

 Hi,

So, after ordering all the parts to build myself a new desktop machine after years of laptops, I decided it was time for my first mechanical keyboard. I knew from previous experience in stores and on a friend's Monoprice board that my favorite (by far) Cherry switch is Red. So I did a bit of research, and ordered myself a KUL ES-87. And now I'm falling down the rabbit hole

I won't get into my current situation too much, as I don't think this is the right forum for it, but basically I really like my KUL, but i don't love typing on it. So I started researching again and when I discovered the Novatouch TKL, my curiosity got the better of me and I scooped one off amazon (because easy and free return if it's not the right fit). Comparing it to the KUL, the biggest thing I am noticing is on my KUL, either my shift keys have something wrong with them or I really don't like their implementation/stabilizers. They just feel extremely stiff, and like there's significantly less travel. Anyways, the upshot is I love the smoothness of Topre, but as I am a light switch guy (my hands are pretty small I guess) , I find myself wondering if any Topre switch boards are available in the USA with 40, 35, or 30g switches. That, and if break-in will make the action any lighter on my novatouch. I also have low profile Leopold PBT Keycaps arriving tomorrow (hopefully- there was some kind of address issue on my package, and it was rerouted this morning) so I will see how they change things.   

Cheers,

MPZ

[hking0036]

Welcome to GH! If you're not happy with your KUL you can sell it on the classifieds when the time comes. Also, topre seems to come in 45g and 55g flavors only, but supposedly the real force 45g is smoother than the hhkb so it feels light. I'm not really the one to talk to about topre though, but I'm sure you can find plenty who know more than I around here.

[Joey Quinn]

IIRC the novatouch is a uniform 45g board, if you want something lighter you should try a variable weight 87U. You can buy one at EK if you're interested. Also the novatouch that I tried felt snappier than other 45g boards so maybe a different 45g will suit you better.



https://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,rftenkeyless&pid=rf_se17t0
https://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,rftenkeyless&pid=rf_se07t0

Also welcome to GH!

[rowdy]

Welcome to Geekhack!

Something to consider is the keycaps - Novatouch uses standard MX-compatible keycaps, whereas other Topre boards only support Topre-compatible keycaps, which are quite difficult to find and will limit your customisation options down the rabbit hole, I mean down the track.