Need a TKL recommendation

[Powerglove89]

I have a full size Rosewill MX Brown, I have a Vortex Pok3r MX red. I'd like a tenkeyless with MX blue switches next. I like the camo majestouch 2 but it seems to be out of production. So, here is what I'm looking for in my tenkeyless board.

My criteria:
-Removable cable

-metal base/case. I don't care much for plastic top cases like on this Rosewill rk9000v2 i'm using (but it was cheap). I do like my pok3r's lack of a top case (you can see right under the keycaps) but i dont know how that would work with a tenkeyless, what with the gap space between the base keys and the arrow key section.

-No backlit keys

[Powerglove89]

Looking at the keyed up labs es-87. Not sure if the case is plastic or not, but the rest looks great other than it seems out of stock most places in mx blue, except for one overpriced at 130 bucks.

[Leslieann]

I have a full size Rosewill MX Brown, I have a Vortex Pok3r MX red. I'd like a tenkeyless with MX blue switches next. I like the camo majestouch 2 but it seems to be out of production. So, here is what I'm looking for in my tenkeyless board.

My criteria:
-Removable cable

-metal base/case. I don't care much for plastic top cases like on this Rosewill rk9000v2 i'm using (but it was cheap). I do like my pok3r's lack of a top case (you can see right under the keycaps) but i dont know how that would work with a tenkeyless, what with the gap space between the base keys and the arrow key section.

-No backlit keys

Metal case or metal plate?
Aluminum cases are few and far between, aluminum tops are a little more prevalent, but not common and they almost always command a premium of far, far more than a Rosewill.

The Magicforce (also called Qisan) has what you are after but does have a slightly odd layout (no home/End keys). Otherwise it fits what you're after for very cheap (starts at $40). There is one company selling aluminum topped keyboards, I forget the name, but they run about $150, and then you have the Corsair line.

Beyond them you have to start looking at a modded Filco/Cooler master/Rosewill using a Vortex case, or a custom keyboard. None of those options result in an inexpensive keyboard. The Vortex case is well over $100, and a custom can run several hundred.

[Venatorious]

Kingsaver, its totally affordable and great kb for beginner.

Although if you actually want a nice starting board, I would just make a WTB post for Filcos, there are plenty available and after that you can use a metal taobao case.

[Waateva]

I bought a KUL ES-87 off of MechMarket for $90 shipped that arrived today and I'm very happy with it.  It does have a plastic case, however, the keyboard itself feels very sturdy and is quite heavy too.  The Leopold FC750R is also a good option, but as others have pointed out, if you truly want a metal or aluminum case be prepared to spend a lot more than $150 on the keyboard.

[atarione]

My TKL is a Filco MT2.. I would certainly have no problems recommending it.. however the stock key caps are pretty solidly meh.   In my case I saw a drop for PBT doubleshots right after getting the Filco so for $20~ (can't remember it was right around $20) solved the keycaps issue.

I have been hammering (i type too hard ...I try not to but I still do) on this thing for well over a year and it has held up fantastic the build quality is very good... It was more expensive than a lot of mechanical keyboards but totally worth it in my view.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

Blue Filco Majestouch 1 TLK (FKBN87MC/EB) here, and loving it. It's not the ideal switch for me for a number of reasons — it feels both too light and too hard at the same time, which is hard to describe and categorize, but IMHO describes it well — but I love it nonetheless. Ordered a Cooler Master Nova Touch due tomorrow to have something lighter to type on and hopefully more forgiving of bad typing technique and bottoming-out issues.

[ThoughtArtist]

No, I have no idea.

[Powerglove89]

I'm not sure where you guys are getting that I want a beginner or, necessarily, cheap keyboard. I'm willing to spend up to 200. I figured that's plenty of money for a basic board with no backlighting. Note again, this will not be my first board. I'd buy a filco majestouch 2 or ninja but they all seem to have non-removable cables which is a deal breaker. I could modify it, but come on. 200 bucks for a keyboard without a removable cable?

[Powerglove89]

You're right, I see most metal top case/covers are sold aftermarket and cost another hundred bucks or so on average. I LOVE the vortex design with no top cover. I wish they made a TKL like that.

[xtrafrood]

If you like the low profile metal case of the Pok3r you might be interested to know of the Whitefox Keyboard. Low profile aluminum case, and 75% layout gives you nearly the same desk saving form factor of Pok3r with all the keys a tkl would usually have. Kind of difficult to find keys for unless you buy a package deal from MD or classifieds though. I think Geekkeys keeps a few dye sub keysets in stock that would work with most 75% layouts I'm not 100% sure of that

[need]

I'm not sure where you guys are getting that I want a beginner or, necessarily, cheap keyboard. I'm willing to spend up to 200. I figured that's plenty of money for a basic board with no backlighting. Note again, this will not be my first board. I'd buy a filco majestouch 2 or ninja but they all seem to have non-removable cables which is a deal breaker. I could modify it, but come on. 200 bucks for a keyboard without a removable cable?

well it's rare to see a n00b eager to throw that much money on a keyboard.

Novatouch all the way, dont know why you'd be insisting on a metal case.

[demik]

55g real force

[Leslieann]

I'm not sure where you guys are getting that I want a beginner or, necessarily, cheap keyboard. I'm willing to spend up to 200. I figured that's plenty of money for a basic board with no backlighting. Note again, this will not be my first board. I'd buy a filco majestouch 2 or ninja but they all seem to have non-removable cables which is a deal breaker. I could modify it, but come on. 200 bucks for a keyboard without a removable cable?

The only cheap board I've seen recommended was the Magicforce I mentioned, which happens to be one of, if not the ONLY board that actually fits all of your criteria out of the box. And while it may be cheaply priced, I assure you, it's actually very well made, don't ignore it because of the price, it surprises everyone. It rivals anything twice it's price or more.

The problem you're starting to realize is that boards just do not have metal cases. It's not that people aren't wanting to help, what you're asking for simply doesn't exist en mass. The parts you want are available, just not as a whole.

More importantly, while you see $200 as plenty, unfortunately it's really not, and even then options are really limited.
A 60% aluminum case can run $100 in a group buy (sometimes more), which doesn't leave much for the keyboard you plan on putting in it. It's not unusual for an aluminum 60% to break $250 and for a TKL to break the $300 mark. In fact it's not unusual to dump another $200 or more on top of that by the time you buy keycaps, swap springs or switches, and change the controller, it adds up very fast. It's really not that hard to dump $300 into a 60% and $500 or even $700 or more into a TKL.