Best quality keyboard in your opinion?

[ZippY_S]

Write your examples)

[SpAmRaY]

Custom? Retail? Stock? Modified? Any guidelines here?

[3K]

Razer Black Widow 2014

[BLaZe]

Razer Black Widow 2014

*blackwidow chroma ofc, those fancy fancy leds are so cool 

[chyros]

Sorry, but I don't see how anything from before 1990 could possibly end up here . I don't own a Black Widow thingymajigbob, but I've got a handful of old boards sitting here I'd happily pitch it against .

[Homenubbie]

Razer Black Widow 2014

 

[Steezus]

With the question being pretty vague I'd say customs in general. If you're asking for a specific board than the Orion v2 has some of the best machining and anodization I've seen, with the TGR-Jane as a close second.

[HoffmanMyster]

Stock Retail: Realforce 10AE 55g
Stock Any: Model F (in your desired layout)
Custom: (insufficient data)

[Melvang]

Stock, IBM F
Custom, assuming it works, I would say the F62 and F77 from Ellipse group buy.

[derb2k2]

Razer Black Widow 2014

[arrowM]

I love my Realforce 87U 55g. Magical keyboard.

[Macsmasher]

Realforce keyboards are built like tanks. I love my HHKB, but I'd say the RF is better built.

[Leslieann]

For quality, almost nothing will top the old IBM Model F and M keyboards, this isn't nostalgia, they were simply made at a time when computers were not disposable.
At the time computers were expensive so few questioned an expensive keyboard, and boy where they expensive. Sure companies tried making cheaper ones, and almost all have been banished to record books as some of the worst keyboards ever made.

As of today, the only fair mechanical keyboard comparison is Cherry, as they are the only ones making the keyboard from top to bottom. Most mechanicals are a collection of parts made by various companies. Filco, Razer and others have no control over switch quality, they buy them in bulk and assemble them into a keyboard, or (almost always) pay someone else to do it. That's modern manufacturing to a degree, IBM probably outsourced some of the Model M and F, but they owned the switch mechanism. This is also why it's a pointless comparison. The question isn't who has the best quality, there's only 4 or 5 companies making most of the mechanical keyboards on the market, only a couple switch makers (most are clones) and a couple stabilizer makers. So basically all you are doing is picking who has the nicest design and used the parts you like most.

[y11971alex]

Write your examples)

In terms of construction quality, the best keyboards are probably to be expected out of the '60s and '70s era, in which IBM (or any number of such companies) can charge you an arm and a leg for a single peripheral, just like Topre keyboards now.  A single video terminal in the '60s cost close to a quarter of a million dollars, and to appear at least slightly ethical, the construction will show it.

This is the IBM 2260, which according to the accounts of an old IBMer, cost about $1,000 (including the display, though).  Its brother, the IBM 2250, would cost you a healthy $220,000 or more for a complete terminal+controller setup, though most of that went into the terminal itself, and the keyboard was just a part of the whole.  I don't think detachable keyboards became a separately sold item until the end of the '70s.

[wockytocky]

If you mean best bang for the buck or best value, the quickfire rapid is extremely solid for the price and without doing any sort of customization

[bocahgundul]

Realforce is the way to go if you don't like searching for older board. That realforce is built like a tank

[Dongulator]

If your not saying Leopold fc660c  you must be high as ****.

[Solo]

If your not saying Leopold fc660c  you must be high as ****.

This is definitely a worthy contender for a stock board.

[cryptokey]

No competition. 



But yeah, we need some criteria.  It seems like many are mentioning Realforce (which makes me glad mine's coming this week) but there's many other boards which are comparable in quality but vastly different.

[Elrick]

Keyboard that is made now, would have to be any REALFORCE model due to it being simply another fully, 100% Japanese creation, built to their ludicrously high standards.

Have heaps of them, some still sitting in their boxes and all work perfectly with any Windows set up on any PC  .

[Connly33]

This thread is getting a bit ridiculous lol, but it's such a vague question, i think my solid aluminum custom 60% is pretty good quality , the razer post's have to be troll's... or i really hope so.

[fohat.digs]

Pre-Model M IBMs.

Northgate Omnikeys are particularly good, too.

[falkentyne]

Ducky Year of the Goat edition.

Now if you want something older and yet newer:
http://www.modelfkeyboards.com/

Be prepared to pay money.

[y11971alex]

Ducky Year of the Goat edition.

Now if you want something older and yet newer:
http://www.modelfkeyboards.com/

Be prepared to pay money.

For now at least, that one is beyond my means.  )

[Elrick]

Now if you want something older and yet newer:
http://www.modelfkeyboards.com/

Good choice here, definitely the BEST Mechanical Keyboard you can get in 2016    .

[daerid]

Quality is so subjective. For instance, I think my RF 87U is probably the highest quality keyboard I've used. But I know many don't share that opinion.

[kekman]

probably those hp membranes, there must be a reason they're used in every office!

[Elrick]

Quality is so subjective. For instance, I think my RF 87U is probably the highest quality keyboard I've used. But I know many don't share that opinion.

It is but when comparing the current Ellipse F77 to any REALFORCE, well it's obscene to even do that here on Geekhack    .

[jacobolus]

Which quality are we talking about?

Most interesting keyswitch mechanism? Most ahead of its time? Heaviest? Most portable? Most adjustable? Quietest? Loudest? Fastest to type on? Most pleasant typing experience? Prettiest? Best keycaps? Smoothest keypress? Most reliable? Rarest? Most expensive? ...

[snarfarlarkus]

Quality is so subjective. For instance, I think my RF 87U is probably the highest quality keyboard I've used. But I know many don't share that opinion.

I agree that it is subjective. I also agree that the 87U is one of the highest quality keyboards I've owned albeit not being one of my favourite switches. There is zero play nor flex in the case, its very rigid and has sublime keyswitch feel and that to me makes it quality.

To OP: What does quality mean to you?

[kekman]

Serious talk though, I have to agree with most of the replies above, pretty much all of Topre's boards are peerless in quality. Well constructed, high quality materials, and extremely clean soldering.

[jacobolus]

Best quality keyboard is the one in my head. All the keycaps made out of unicorn horns; pneumatic keyswitch mechanism; case milled out of a block of sodium metal with a platinum coating; very special wireless connection to a computer, the protocol is a pair of colorful hyperintelligent birds which chirp to each-other using a securely encrypted chirp system; special ergonomic layout designed for a man with six fingers on each hand.

[Bucake]

IBM F 122
but i haven't tried anything older, like beam springs or hall effect stuff

[jaffers]

Custom. No comparison

[seville57]

Ducky Year of the Goat edition.

Now if you want something older and yet newer:
http://www.modelfkeyboards.com/

Be prepared to pay money.

Yes, YOTG and Shine 3.

Don't like the "bigfoot" Shine 4/5 RGB boards.

[HoffmanMyster]

Where is OP to clarify question 

[FLFisherman]

Where is OP to clarify question 

Some OPs just like to watch the world burn.

[Vittra]

Sitting in a chair, drinking fine whisky, reveling in the chaos hat has been caused. That's where.

[robertsig]

Mine is my Realforce (Topre) 87U in white/gray with uniform 45gr keys.  Too bad it's discontinued.

[iLLucionist]

My KUL-ES87. Guess Realforce / Model M/F is better, but I don't have those (yet..)

[sitch]

Filco, realforce 

[SamirD]

Quality to me is a function of build-quality.  To that extent, the IBM F/M are up there, but the Realforce I have definitely shines as a modern equivalent.

[bocahgundul]

Quality to me is a function of build-quality.  To that extent, the IBM F/M are up there, but the Realforce I have definitely shines as a modern equivalent.

I hear that you get your hands on realforce right? how do you like topre? 

[ctm]

In terms of durability, I can't think of anything that's more durable than IBM Model F on top of my head. They are built like tanks and the capacitive mechanism does not suffer from wear.

[SamirD]

Quality to me is a function of build-quality.  To that extent, the IBM F/M are up there, but the Realforce I have definitely shines as a modern equivalent.

I hear that you get your hands on realforce right? how do you like topre? 

At first I didn't think it was all that, but the more I used it, the more it impressed me.  I like it quite a bit.  At some point I'll invest in this board, but it really, really has to grow on me first and show that I can type faster with it:
http://www.elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,rf104&pid=yk2100

[raymogi]

OEM keyboard wise, Realforce by a long mile.

[bocahgundul]

Quality to me is a function of build-quality.  To that extent, the IBM F/M are up there, but the Realforce I have definitely shines as a modern equivalent.

I hear that you get your hands on realforce right? how do you like topre? 

At first I didn't think it was all that, but the more I used it, the more it impressed me.  I like it quite a bit.  At some point I'll invest in this board, but it really, really has to grow on me first and show that I can type faster with it:
http://www.elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,rf104&pid=yk2100

Yep the topre is like a fine wine 

[SamirD]

Quality to me is a function of build-quality.  To that extent, the IBM F/M are up there, but the Realforce I have definitely shines as a modern equivalent.

I hear that you get your hands on realforce right? how do you like topre? 

At first I didn't think it was all that, but the more I used it, the more it impressed me.  I like it quite a bit.  At some point I'll invest in this board, but it really, really has to grow on me first and show that I can type faster with it:
http://www.elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,rf104&pid=yk2100

Yep the topre is like a fine wine 

I would say it's more like a typical great Japanese made product--functional, well-designed, and well made--and therein lies its beauty and appeal for me. 

[frogthejam19]

I'm still pretty new to mechs but I got my 87 U 55g Yesterday and my god! It is amazing! It feels so sturdy and has great heft. The typing on it is spectaular too. I touch type but it wasn't with the Homerow. I've been practicing with the home row for 2 weeks now and doing it on Topre feels so rewarding the thock makes me so happy!

[Magna224]

A custom of course! The realforce and model M/F are really solid too. There's quite a few keyboards that I don't have any complaints about quality wise.