** The Official OcUK Mechanical Keyboard Thread **

Posting this in the gaming forum instead of hardware forum because I think I'll get more success here. Specifically looking to get a Das Keyboard after hearing such amazing things about them mainly from SC2 players, but it looks like they are hard to find in the UK. Does anyone own one, and if so where did you get it from and at what price?

Also open to suggestions of other mechanical keyboards. Ta.

I bought the razer black widow ultimate in april and absolutely love it. So nice to type on, great for gaming, feels really heavy and well made.

macca672 said:

I bought the razer black widow ultimate in april and absolutely love it. So nice to type on, great for gaming, feels really heavy and well made.

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+1

Only problem I have had with it so far is one of my mates split some cola on it and it got inside the "M5" macro button and ****** it up. Spraying it with WD40 really helped as it now works again, but the clicky noise has gone

macca672 said:

I bought the razer black widow ultimate in april and absolutely love it. So nice to type on, great for gaming, feels really heavy and well made.

Click to expand...

The macro keys put me off that keyboard because I know I'd never use them and they would get in the way. Also had a look at Filco keyboard which could be a possibility.

I don't like Razer's quality of keyboards.

I got a Tarantula Keyboard, which was their old flagship model, and have had nothing but problems with it. I can't comment on the Black Widow, but from my experience I would avoid. When you pay a high price for a product you expect top quality, which i didn't recieve. I even asked for a few replacement keys because the letters were rubbing off, and the response I got is "We don't supply replacement keys for this keyboard". Brilliant service there.

Razer mice = Good
Rest = Crap

My 2c.

I have a filco majestouch and it's amazing, would never go back to a normal keyboard now. I got mine from 'The Keyboard Company' (dont think they are a competitor as ocuk doesnt sell anything on there?).

There's a nice comparison between the Das Keyboard and Filco Magestouch 2 here, causing me to lean towards the Filco, as it seems the brown switches would be better for general gaming, and the glossy surface on the Das Keyboard would show dirt easier.

Aedus said:

I don't like Razer's quality of keyboards.

I got a Tarantula Keyboard, which was their old flagship model, and have had nothing but problems with it. I can't comment on the Black Widow, but from my experience I would avoid. When you pay a high price for a product you expect top quality, which i didn't recieve. I even asked for a few replacement keys because the letters were rubbing off, and the response I got is "We don't supply replacement keys for this keyboard". Brilliant service there.

Razer mice = Good
Rest = Crap

My 2c.

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Well, I can say the BlackWidow feels amazingly well built. Obviously haven't had it long enough for the keys to start eroding so I haven't had to ask for new keys yet.

OP, yeah if you don't like those macro keys then stay away, horses for courses and all that.

When my mate (the cola spiller) used it all he did was complain that he thought the bottom macro key was the CTRL button and it just annoyed him. Funny how he "accidentially" split coke on that very key!!

But since my last keyboard had the same row of keys (sidewinder x8), I'm used to it.

I use them in quite a few games too. I normally use them as an extension of the number keys that I can't quite reach easily (6,7,8,9,0).

RobHu said:

I have a filco majestouch and it's amazing, would never go back to a normal keyboard now. I got mine from 'The Keyboard Company' (dont think they are a competitor as ocuk doesnt sell anything on there?).

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I like how the key labels are on the side of the keys on that board. They won't get rubbed off. Clever!

Filco are pretty good.

Aedus said:

I don't like Razer's quality of keyboards.

I got a Tarantula Keyboard, which was their old flagship model, and have had nothing but problems with it. I can't comment on the Black Widow, but from my experience I would avoid. When you pay a high price for a product you expect top quality, which i didn't recieve. I even asked for a few replacement keys because the letters were rubbing off, and the response I got is "We don't supply replacement keys for this keyboard". Brilliant service there.

Razer mice = Good
Rest = Crap

My 2c.

Click to expand...

Odd. I've got nothing but good to say for my tarantula. It's ben spot on for years and even after I bombed it with a pint of orange juice.

Have been very tempted by a black widow though.

Using a Razer Black Widow here, brilliant keyboard.

I bought a Zowie Celeritas from OCUK a few months ago. MX brown switches. I got it after a lot of research - blacks being bad for typing, blues not great for gaming, browns being the perfect compromise.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=KB-004-ZW

I can tell you..it is! Like you I play SC2 and it has been brilliant, would never go back to a normal keyboard.

I've used my friends Razer mechanical and it does feel nice to type on but just looks tacky, and the type face used on the keys is really childish, which I know doesn't really matter but was a big deal to me.

I was in the same predicament. Was unable to find a solid mechanical board in the Uk with a PROPER UK LAYOUT for a reasonable price.

The Filco stuff is nice but a tad expensive compared to other mechanical brands which do have UK layouts available but are difficult to source.

As much as I want to get hold of a nice mechanical unit I just cannot justify some of the costs being asked.

Sin_Chase said:

I was in the same predicament. Was unable to find a solid mechanical board in the Uk with a PROPER UK LAYOUT for a reasonable price.

The Filco stuff is nice but a tad expensive compared to other mechanical brands which do have UK layouts available but are difficult to source.

As much as I want to get hold of a nice mechanical unit I just cannot justify some of the costs being asked.

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I ummed and arred at the price of mine for around 3 months, then thought sod it and took the plunge, worth every penny imo

Whats a Mechanical Keyboard, whats the difference?

I imagine it is certainly worth it, don't get me wrong - I value value My headphones were upwards of £200 for example and have lasted forever.

Current keyboard still works so as much as I want one I do not NEED one

SkScotchegg said:

Whats a Mechanical Keyboard, whats the difference?

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you don't have to press a key down all the way, wastes less energy, fasting response times etc etc, much better build quality with the price tag to match.

So how is a mechanical keyboard traditionally tagged? or would it just be mentioned in the keyboard overview/spec?

Found 'das keyboards' for sale in the UK, hitting between £120-£130.

Bought my one for around £60 from here, the other Blackwidow that has 3 more functions [which includes keyboard lighting] costs like another £60 iirc.