question about some keyboards

[Poison]

Hello guys,

I was looking for some keyboards comparision and i found this website. I feel sad that i didn't found this website earlier, because you guys do a lot with keycaps, so i will probably spend some good hours looking, but first i need some advices about a keyboard i want to purchase.

In this moment i use a Corsair k70 rgb mx brown and i want to change it with a TKL version. I dont care about lights, just a perfect board with MX blue switches for writing and some gaming.

From what i've read by now, there are just a few competitors on "top tier" keyboards, like Filco, Das, Ducky, Leopold and KUL. Can somebody tell me wich manufacturer have the best build quality, longevity of mx switches sound and easy customizable keycaps, stabilizers (i dont really know what is this and what is the real difference), quality of the keycaps also and so on ?

And after, maybe a nice looking and soft wrist pad ?

I am really sorry that my english is not impecable.

Cheers,

Edit: and if not mx blue, something similar, clicky and durable ? I used only mx brown and i just want more feedback.

[Rad]

If you HAVE to get a board with Cherry MX switches, get a Leopold. But you should really just get an HHKB. One and done.

[Poison]

If you HAVE to get a board with Cherry MX switches, get a Leopold. But you should really just get an HHKB. One and done.

Can you tell me why HHKB ? And i see this doesn't have Cherry MX, just Electrostatic Capacitive Key Switches and i never heard of. And this is not TKL, is smaller, like a mini keyboard. How are switches feel ?

And leopold is better in quality and overall than ducky or filco ?

Thank you

[rowdy]

Welcome to Geekhack!

Your English is perfectly fine

Where are you?  It might dictate what keyboards are available to you.

From the brands you have listed, there's not much between then (except DAS).

Filco generally comes with ABS keycaps, most of the others have stock PBT options.  But you can swap keycaps on most keyboards yourself to get the material, legends and colours that you want.

Are you looking for ANSI or ISO?  ANSI is easiest - find a keyboard with a standard bottom row (1.25 1.25 1.25 6.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25) and almost any keycap set will fit.

ISO is more difficult - although keycap sets have increasing support for different ISO layouts, some of the more esoteric ones are still challenging to find.

KUL apparent has excellent customer support, which may contribute to your decision.

[xtrafrood]

I vote for Leopold and KUL for sure. If you need LEDs people seem to be very pleased with Ducky keyboards.

[Poison]

Thank you for the fast reply

I am from Europe so i will order from amazon uk or de, depends of the availability. I am from far away, so a customer support is not something that i personally need, since the shipping cost for RMA it will cost a lot. And seems that KUL is not on amazon

So alright, i will remove Das from the list. I read they use a also glossy body, so is not for me.

Ansi or Iso, well, standard US layout keyboard, like corsair k70.

So seems that if i will change the keycaps, is all about the price difference between the keyboards ? Because i dont mind if is with or without lights. And i saw there is Ducky with or without lights too.

I was heading to Filco, but after your replies, seems that KUL (i cant find it anywhere) and Leopold are better ? And if yes, wich models ?

What about wrist rest ? Wood, leather and a specific manufacturer ?


Thank you,

[Poison]

I was looking more on reviews and seems that KUL is the better choice ?

But KUL Es-87 in europe on a NL website, but is not in stock.

[Poison]

Up... ?

[demik]

you've come to the right place!

whenever we don't speak about artisans and keycaps in general.. we sometimes mention keyboards!

[xtrafrood]

Technically Leopold is the better choice. I believe Leopold keyboards ship with PBT keycaps rather than the thin ABS keycaps KULs ship with. If you want a solid keyboard that is more available in your region Leopold is a great choice.

[iLLucionist]

If you want Cherry, I'd personally go the KUL ES-87 route and replace the crappy stock ABS caps. But I have no personal experience with Leopold.

But yeah... Topre is love. Buy HHKB or 87U and fall in love! You won't regret it.

[derb2k2]

it sounds like you're more gaming-inclined so stick with MX, imo.

Also, in deciding between leopold and KUL, keep in mind that KUL allow you to change the CTRL key to the home row, just left of your pinky. This is great for shortcuts and such. I believe the Leopold 750s don't have this.

but for writing i'd go for topre, and HHKB in particular. Best typing experience.


And actually, Realforce is up there man. Just a sick board all around. PogChamp

[Poison]

Thank you for the recomandations.

After i checked HHKB Pro 2, looks super nice and a lot of people prefer this keyboard for typing, but for gaming is not that great, right ? Is missing the left CTRL button + console between the tab and space. I can live with a combination of FN+ for backspace, but what about console and ctrl ?

And what about the materials used on HHKB ? It is good like Filco, KUL, Leopold ?

Kul is a nice option, but is not available anywhere in europe with the switches i like. I can order just Filco and Leopold.

Please try to enlight me with HHKB i will know for sure what to order later today.

[xtrafrood]

HHKB2 ships with dye-sublimated PBT keycaps. #topreislove

[Poison]

That is good to know, but is alright for gaming ? And can you replace the missing buttons like ctrl and console ' ? And quality of the board itself, not only keycaps, wich can be easly replaced

[Malenky]

HHKB is great for typing and there's no reason why you can't game on it. I think it's a bit unfair of people to try and push you down the HHKB route, when you mention a few things that give us clues at to your usage.

• The left ctrl is still there, its just where you would expect to see caps lock on a normal keyboard. While this is great for a lot of uses, you may still want the standard position of ctrl for gaming, due to muscle memory etc.
• You mention the console key, which I take to mean the key that is to the left of the number 1 key. That key is simply on the far right, where a normal backspace would be.
• The "delete" key, directly above the return key, is usually set to be backspace as default, using one of the "dip switches" on the back of the keyboard. No need to use Fn + Del.

The HHKB is a great keyboard, but I imagine you would have different expectations as to what constitutes a good keyboard right now.

I would recommend going with one of the other recommendations and skipping the HHKB.

[Poison]

HHKB is great for typing and there's no reason why you can't game on it. I think it's a bit unfair of people to try and push you down the HHKB route, when you mention a few things that give us clues at to your usage.

• The left ctrl is still there, its just where you would expect to see caps lock on a normal keyboard. While this is great for a lot of uses, you may still want the standard position of ctrl for gaming, due to muscle memory etc.
• You mention the console key, which I take to mean the key that is to the left of the number 1 key. That key is simply on the far right, where a normal backspace would be.
• The "delete" key, directly above the return key, is usually set to be backspace as default, using one of the "dip switches" on the back of the keyboard. No need to use Fn + Del.

The HHKB is a great keyboard, but I imagine you would have different expectations as to what constitutes a good keyboard right now.

I would recommend going with one of the other recommendations and skipping the HHKB.

This is the most complete reply, thank you a lot for this. So i will stick with hhkb then. Is anybody use it for desktop only ? Without moving from a pc to another ? Because i will use this just on 1 pc, but i like the look!

And 2nd, type s is worth ? On yourube i saw that there is not much of a difference in sound.

[iLLucionist]

HHKB is great for typing and there's no reason why you can't game on it. I think it's a bit unfair of people to try and push you down the HHKB route, when you mention a few things that give us clues at to your usage.

• The left ctrl is still there, its just where you would expect to see caps lock on a normal keyboard. While this is great for a lot of uses, you may still want the standard position of ctrl for gaming, due to muscle memory etc.
• You mention the console key, which I take to mean the key that is to the left of the number 1 key. That key is simply on the far right, where a normal backspace would be.
• The "delete" key, directly above the return key, is usually set to be backspace as default, using one of the "dip switches" on the back of the keyboard. No need to use Fn + Del.

The HHKB is a great keyboard, but I imagine you would have different expectations as to what constitutes a good keyboard right now.

I would recommend going with one of the other recommendations and skipping the HHKB.

This is the most complete reply, thank you a lot for this. So i will stick with hhkb then. Is anybody use it for desktop only ? Without moving from a pc to another ? Because i will use this just on 1 pc, but i like the look!

And 2nd, type s is worth ? On yourube i saw that there is not much of a difference in sound.

I've used hhkb on desktop for 2 years straight. Great kb.

People seem to vary on Type-S. Personally, I think it is a bit overrated especially given the price. The great thing of HHKB's (or Topre in general) is their unique "thock" sound they make on the upstroke. And I believe that the HHKB already is quite silent.

[fknraiden]

if you are thinking about the HHKB, you might want to check out realforce. they make 98 and 104key variants. they have better material construction too.

topre is life.

[Poison]

Thank you everyone for the support. I oredered HHKB and it should be in my posession in the next couple of days.
I wanted to order Type-S model, but i read that is not worth the extra price.

Now, i ordered from amazon and i couldn't find keycaps there. Can somebody tell me where do i find keycaps for hhkb in Europe ?

I want do make it look fancy

And the last question, because i asked in the first topic also. Do i need a wrist pad for this keyboard ? Is a must have or not ? And if yes, can you recommend me one that looks nice and is soft ?

Thank you,

[jacobolus]

Note: HHKB and Topre switches in general are polarizing. Some people love them. Some people (like me) find them completely uninspiring, comparable in typing experience to any above-average rubber dome board from the early 90s, of the kind which you can easily find used on ebay for $10.

The HHKB layout is cute, but again, pretty similar to any regular ANSI keyboard, not dramatically better or worse than any other 60% keyboard you might find. Especially if you find a board with programmable firmware, it’s pretty easy to customize a standard ANSI layout to behave similarly.

Like most keyboards, you should try it for yourself before settling. Luckily keyboards hold reasonable resale value (especially if you buy used), so if you decide you don’t like something it’s relatively easy to unload it and try something else.

Nobody should need a palmrest with any keyboard. Just try to keep the board close enough to your body that your shoulders can stay relaxed, instead of tiring out holding your arms up way out in front of you. And definitely don’t rest your palms on the table.

[iLLucionist]

Note: HHKB and Topre switches in general are polarizing. Some people love them. Some people (like me) find them completely uninspiring, comparable in typing experience to any above-average rubber dome board from the early 90s, of the kind which you can easily find used on ebay for $10.

Topre is love. Or you think it's just a luxurious rubber dome and not that special. It all depends on what you expect of a switch, how you want the keys to feel: tactile feedback and/or audible feedback, resistance, linear, etc. Topre has a typical pronounced sound and feel that you may or may not like.

The HHKB layout is cute, but again, pretty similar to any regular ANSI keyboard, not dramatically better or worse than any other 60% keyboard you might find. Especially if you find a board with programmable firmware, it’s pretty easy to customize a standard ANSI layout to behave similarly.

Nobody should need a palmrest with any keyboard. Just try to keep the board close enough to your body that your shoulders can stay relaxed, instead of tiring out holding your arms up way out in front of you. And definitely don’t rest your palms on the table.

Agreed! I ditched palmrests long time a go exactly because of this.

[Poison]

Well guys, seems that here is a very nice community and i am very glad i found it. Thank you everyone for helping me choosing my next keyboard and i can hardly wait to receive it.

[iLLucionist]

Well guys, seems that here is a very nice community and i am very glad i found it. Thank you everyone for helping me choosing my next keyboard and i can hardly wait to receive it.

Always glad to help! (and to learn)

[derb2k2]

damn! Dat HHKB peer pressure doe!

In all seriousness, I don't think it gets any better than the HHKB for typing. Of course, for games I do prefer MX but even so, Topre reigns supreme!

[iLLucionist]

damn! Dat HHKB peer pressure doe!

In all seriousness, I don't think it gets any better than the HHKB for typing. Of course, for games I do prefer MX but even so, Topre reigns supreme!

Topre is love. Welcome!

Confession: I like the feel of the Realforce 87U 55g more. Plate-mounted topre mmmm. But I can't choose.. I keep switching back and forth.

[rowdy]

There are only 4 sets of replacement HHKB keycaps - white printed, white blank, black printed and black blank.

You can coerce a RealForce set to fit, if you don't mind using one or two keycaps in the wrong positions, and if you can find any!

If you want to see whether you need a wrist rest (which should only be used when you are not typing, NOT when you are actually typing) try putting a couple of books in front of the keyboard, or even a folded tea towel.

[Poison]

There are only 4 sets of replacement HHKB keycaps - white printed, white blank, black printed and black blank.

You can coerce a RealForce set to fit, if you don't mind using one or two keycaps in the wrong positions, and if you can find any!

If you want to see whether you need a wrist rest (which should only be used when you are not typing, NOT when you are actually typing) try putting a couple of books in front of the keyboard, or even a folded tea towel.

Do you want to say that i wont find keycaps ?

[rowdy]

There are only 4 sets of replacement HHKB keycaps - white printed, white blank, black printed and black blank.

You can coerce a RealForce set to fit, if you don't mind using one or two keycaps in the wrong positions, and if you can find any!

If you want to see whether you need a wrist rest (which should only be used when you are not typing, NOT when you are actually typing) try putting a couple of books in front of the keyboard, or even a folded tea towel.

Do you want to say that i wont find keycaps ?

No, just that is it much more difficult and expensive than finding MX sets.

[Poison]

There are only 4 sets of replacement HHKB keycaps - white printed, white blank, black printed and black blank.

You can coerce a RealForce set to fit, if you don't mind using one or two keycaps in the wrong positions, and if you can find any!

If you want to see whether you need a wrist rest (which should only be used when you are not typing, NOT when you are actually typing) try putting a couple of books in front of the keyboard, or even a folded tea towel.

Thank you, i figured out they are expensive, but can you tell me from where i can purchase in europe ?

Do you want to say that i wont find keycaps ?

No, just that is it much more difficult and expensive than finding MX sets.

But can you tell me where do i find those kind of keycaps in europe ?

Thank you,

[1391406]

But can you tell me where do i find those kind of keycaps in europe ?

Check Elite Keyboards.

[rowdy]

But can you tell me where do i find those kind of keycaps in europe ?

Check Elite Keyboards.

That.

Also an eBay seller called widebasket.

Or occasionally classifieds.

[xtrafrood]

If you still can't find what you need after checking those sources there are a few HHKB keysets available through Taobao