Well I fell down the custom keyboard world.

[Loxa]

I believe the Pro linears and tactiles are lubed, but the clickies are not from the info I managed to find about them.

Here's a chart I found:

Spoiler

Ahh nice, thanks.

 

[joffy]

Can anyone please confirm if the Tai-Hao keycap sets have full uk iso keys such as, FN and 3£

Cheers.

 

[Jay85]

Can anyone please confirm if the Tai-Hao keycap sets have full uk iso keys such as, FN and 3£

Cheers.

Depends on the set you're looking at. My last TaiHao set did cover full UK ISO but i've noticed it can vary massively depending on the set/colourway.

 

[Jay85]

If anyone is looking for a really nice Premium board without the premium price tag, i would highly recommend the QK65! Its so nice to type on and for the price its really weighty!

Actually sounds better than my Mode65 though im using a Carbon Fibre plate on the Mode which is probably why it sounds so clacky. I'm using POM on my QK65 and it sounds brilliant! Typing feel is quite soft too but not overly bouncy.

 

[davetherave2]

If anyone is looking for a really nice Premium board without the premium price tag, i would highly recommend the QK65! Its so nice to type on and for the price its really weighty!

Actually sounds better than my Mode65 though im using a Carbon Fibre plate on the Mode which is probably why it sounds so clacky. I'm using POM on my QK65 and it sounds brilliant! Typing feel is quite soft too but not overly bouncy.

Yes I have heard that it seems to be a very well built and good sounding/feeling board for the price. I hope the Zoom65 gives me the same "premium budget" feel for a smaller sized keyboard. I now have all the parts waiting for the build I just need the case to actually show up now.

Hopefully now with things getting back to "normal" I will actually have some boards finally show up. But fully expect some of them to be delay until 2023 at this stage. It is nice to see the updates with a couple of my boards and hopefully I will get the next couple in July/August.

Here are a couple of pics of the changes I recently made to my Odin. I have just put IFK Delight on it and I think it looks even better than nicePBT Noel on the board.





I also have been adding to my Artisan key collection and this is the latest one that has arrived:




I have actually got a few since starting to collect them and just waiting for a bit of a group photo which I will share when I get them all back.

 

[pacegod]

Your Odin does look very nice.

My QK65 arrived last week but have not had a chance to build it yet. Going to use some Oil Kings and Blue Samurai, likely build it next weekend. Certainly seems very well made and packaged for the money though.

I have also been on a spending spree for Artisans, have 6 or 7 paid for, now I just need them to be made and posted, also ordered a tray to put them in.

 

[davetherave2]

Your Odin does look very nice.

My QK65 arrived last week but have not had a chance to build it yet. Going to use some Oil Kings and Blue Samurai, likely build it next weekend. Certainly seems very well made and packaged for the money though.

I have also been on a spending spree for Artisans, have 6 or 7 paid for, now I just need them to be made and posted, also ordered a tray to put them in.

Thanks. As much as I like Noel as a colour way I think Delight maybe even better. (but it may be a set that goes onto a Matrix board when I get them at the back end of the year)
I have a bunch of artisans due by della key (two recent GB's) and from CYSM (had to stop at ordering only 4 Keyby's - It was getting expensive very quickly. lol)

I am just waiting for the NEST artisan trays from nrdesigns to come back into stock. I tried to get one the other weekend but they went out of stock as I was going through payment

I am currently on the fence at the moment for the next board, I am trying to decide if it will be the MetaKey Tenet or Matrix IM+ Meta (I think the tenet, I like the top but the bottom weight just doesn't do it for me), I love the colour ways of the Matrix but seemingly lack of ISO support is just killing it for me.

 

[pacegod]

After seeing Jay85 Mr Suit I managed to buy one over the weekend, being shipped from the US so i'll have to cough up another 20% but they just look and sound amazing.

I like the look of the Tenet, not sure about the Matrix IM though, I would need to see a build of one but tbh I have the Mr Suit arrving, a Space 65, Freebird TKL so I might take a break buying KBs.

I also tried to get a NEST but no luck, and also missed out on the Alchemy raffle so have an oak one coming while I wait for either of the other 2.

 

[Jay85]

After seeing Jay85 Mr Suit I managed to buy one over the weekend, being shipped from the US so i'll have to cough up another 20% but they just look and sound amazing.

I like the look of the Tenet, not sure about the Matrix IM though, I would need to see a build of one but tbh I have the Mr Suit arrving, a Space 65, Freebird TKL so I might take a break buying KBs.

I also tried to get a NEST but no luck, and also missed out on the Alchemy raffle so have an oak one coming while I wait for either of the other 2.

Its well worth the price, im using it at the moment as my daily driver along with the QK65 on the side both connected to the pc. Since upgraded my caps to GMK Bento R2 with the novelties as well, matches the board color so well.

Did you get all the plates as well to test with?

 

[pacegod]

It has POM and FR4 plate and I was thinking of geting a PC but tbh those 2 should be enough and also 2 solder pcb's. I may order a hotswap pcb though as I can't personally solder and do not own a solder etc to do it, so I'll need to find someone here to do it for me while I wait for a HS pcb.

That bento looks amazing on the blue.

Now to decide on switches.

 

[Bill Turnip]

Well, I never realised that there was a world of custom keyboards... What are the major benefits (other than aesthetic) that you find with them?

As an example, my keyboard is a corsair strafe with (I think) cherry blue switches which I really like, but what improvements would I see with a custom?

 

[Jay85]

Well, I never realised that there was a world of custom keyboards... What are the major benefits (other than aesthetic) that you find with them?

As an example, my keyboard is a corsair strafe with (I think) cherry blue switches which I really like, but what improvements would I see with a custom?

Hey Bill! Fancy seeing you here haha.

In my honest opinion, its night and day. Each custom keyboard is different and unique except for a specific few types (mostly the ABS Plastic ones). It’s all about the sound profiles and typing experience but aesthetics do play a part too. Also depends on your budget, the top end boards usually go for upwards of £350+ and then top tier for £500+.

There’s a whole range of mods too that you can do to improve or achieve a sound profile that you like/want.

 

[Bill Turnip]

It's one of those things like monitors - it's one of the only things you will use EVERY time you use a computer. Sounds silly, but I found the loud click of a switch as a massive step up for me, as if I had a missed key, the audio cue would make me realise something was wrong.

Seemed fairly tricky to get a keyboard with those switches which wasn't heavy with rgb though. Never realised customs were a thing, but the cost is probably a bit rich for me. Quite interesting to see what can be done though, the purple and green one at the beginning of this thread really appealed.

 

[davetherave2]

Well, I never realised that there was a world of custom keyboards... What are the major benefits (other than aesthetic) that you find with them?

As an example, my keyboard is a corsair strafe with (I think) cherry blue switches which I really like, but what improvements would I see with a custom?

Same for me really. I kind of knew custom boards existed but never really thought about them until as friend put the idea in my head given my then custom pc build (this directly after buying a brand new Razer Huntsman Analogue V2 keyboard lol)
I think with a lot of the pre-built gaming keyboards you are limited in terms of fixing some of their flaws. I mean you could probably improve the stabilizers for the bigger keys by lubing wires and housing to remove any ticking.

For me I have found it is as much about the process of deciding, buying, waiting (oh the endless waiting) and then eventually building that is really fun. Looking at various designs and colourways is always fun and gives me an idea of what I can match with my PC or various desk mats I have.

It's one of those things like monitors - it's one of the only things you will use EVERY time you use a computer. Sounds silly, but I found the loud click of a switch as a massive step up for me, as if I had a missed key, the audio cue would make me realise something was wrong.

Seemed fairly tricky to get a keyboard with those switches which wasn't heavy with rgb though. Never realised customs were a thing, but the cost is probably a bit rich for me. Quite interesting to see what can be done though, the purple and green one at the beginning of this thread really appealed.

Glad you liked the look of the board I built (it was my first and a lot of fun including having to learn how to solder at the same time), Up until I had started looking into customs I had only known the sound profiles of Razer mechanical switches and just assumed all mech switches sounded like that.
This journey has shown me that my preferences are very much different to that and now when I go back to my razer keyboards with their very loud clicky switches I just can't use them for long now. I am very much in the linear switch group when it comes to switches but I have found some tactiles that I may like in a potential future build but I do have a draw filled with various linear switches that are waiting for boards to arrive to go into. lol

It certainly isn't a cheap hobby but I do think the more "premium" entry level is coming down in line with the upper pricing of various gaming keyboards when you consider those are what retailing in the £150-£250 price point these days. So the leap up isn't as much as you might think.

Just have to wait now for more things to arrive and then I can build board number 3 finally.

 

[Jay85]

It's one of those things like monitors - it's one of the only things you will use EVERY time you use a computer. Sounds silly, but I found the loud click of a switch as a massive step up for me, as if I had a missed key, the audio cue would make me realise something was wrong.

Seemed fairly tricky to get a keyboard with those switches which wasn't heavy with rgb though. Never realised customs were a thing, but the cost is probably a bit rich for me. Quite interesting to see what can be done though, the purple and green one at the beginning of this thread really appealed.

If you delve into the custom keyboard world, there are literally thousands and thousands of switches to choose from and im pretty sure you will find one that matches what you need. Infact you'll probably find a ton of switches that you like and end up buying multiple boards to fit them in lol. It can be quite affordable, a lot of brands/makers are producing decent boards in the 65% range that for under £150.

 

[Bill Turnip]

Definitely food for thought - Seems another benefit would be reducing keyboard USB usage from 2 to 1 (Why mine needs two is a little beyond me...).

If you delve into the custom keyboard world, there are literally thousands and thousands of switches to choose from and im pretty sure you will find one that matches what you need. Infact you'll probably find a ton of switches that you like and end up buying multiple boards to fit them in lol. It can be quite affordable, a lot of brands/makers are producing decent boards in the 65% range that for under £150.

So it seems! Time to do a little reading up, first step is to know what questions to ask.

 

[Jay85]

Definitely food for thought - Seems another benefit would be reducing keyboard USB usage from 2 to 1 (Why mine needs two is a little beyond me...).


So it seems! Time to do a little reading up, first step is to know what questions to ask.

If you have any questions or queries drop us a convo, i started this hobby in December and i've been pretty hooked since lol. Spent way more than i would have liked but the enjoyment i get out of it is pretty unique to say the least.

 

[pacegod]

Also a not so obvious part of a custom KB are the stabalisers. Because you lube and mod them they bring a whole new level of enjoyment, they don't rattle and feel much smoother. Yes you could lube your Razor, Corsair etc, but people dont.
A differents switch materials, types linear, tactile. Different lube types.
It can be an expensive hobby, but the entry cost is dropping all the time, the QK65 is a remarkble KB for the money.

 

[haaammit]

Well here's my finished keyboard. I'm a bit annoyed I didn't clock the missing ISO key caps, even though some ISO caps were included (You'd have thought if they're going to supply the correct size enter key, smaller shift and \| jey they'd also include the correct `¬ 2" 3£ '@ and #~ buttons lol) a few aren't. Not a big deal, but annoying enough. Lovely to type on. If I'm being picky the space bar has a "rattly" or "vibraty" noise when released. More lube needed on the stabs perhaps?

Shifting colour scheme chosen by my 8 and 12 year old kids (I secretly love it..........)

 

[joffy]

I'm looking for some new keycaps. Do the Glorious GPBT Keycaps ISO, UK have those weird "ascend" and "code" keys for return, WIN?
The product image shows the £ 3 key, so guess it does.