Confessions of a Custom Mechanical Keyboard Obsessive

Megalith

Megalith

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At the risk of getting bashed and laughed at, I will take this opportunity to admit that I don’t fully understand what the appeal of a mechanical keyboard is. I imagine that most of these tend to have better build quality than your generic, off-the-shelf membrane/dome/scissor-switch keyboard, but that noise. And that increased key travel distance. These are the exact qualities that I purposely avoid in a keyboard. Now, I realize that my opinion may sound particularly dumb in the context of this article, which is all about how mechanical keyboards can be customized to someone’s liking—but my general experience with these keyboards is that they are loud and “slower” than what I’m comfortable with (flat, scissor switch). Any of you mechanical guys want to school me, or is this really just a preference thing?

I was in the market for a new mechanical keyboard a few years ago, and during my research I stumbled on the custom mechanical keyboard community. Mech enthusiasts are consumed by custom boards with unusual layouts, exotic switches, and fancy keycaps—and they'll often spend ludicrous amounts of money on things you or I might consider silly… at first. This is a niche hobby that can hook you, and once it does, won't let go. Before I knew it, I'd spent nearly $1,000 on multiple boards and keysets, started modifying switches, and even picked up soldering again to build my own keyboards. The high cost started to seem less obscene as I realized I could create a board that was perfectly tailored to my needs.
 
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Holy crap, I had no idea this was a thing. Kinda cool.

I'd rather spend my money on something else though. But to each their own..
 
Megalith said:
At the risk of getting bashed and laughed at, I will take this opportunity to admit that I don’t fully understand what the appeal of a mechanical keyboard is. I imagine that most of these tend to have better build quality than your generic, off-the-shelf membrane/dome/scissor-switch keyboard, but that noise. And that increased key travel distance. These are the exact qualities that I purposely avoid in a keyboard. Now, I realize that my opinion may sound particularly dumb in the context of this article, which is all about how mechanical keyboards can be customized to someone’s liking—but my general experience with these keyboards is that they are loud and “slower” than what I’m comfortable with (flat, scissor switch). Any of you mechanical guys want to school me, or is this really just a subjective thing?
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Just try one for a few hours. You'll be hooked.

The preciseness when typing is on a completely different level than with a rubber dome keyboard, and if you don't like the noise, there are quiet switches, and rubber insulators you can use to limit the noise when they bottom out.

Personally I am an addict of buckling spring keyboards, but they tend to be noisy, somewhat outdated looking and - well - probably not what you'd appreciate.
 
To each their own. I spend money on things that others think I am crazy for doing so, but it makes me happy.

That being said, If the keyboard is comfortable to type on and it is not incredibly noisy, I'm not too picky. As for gaming on one, I also need quick responding keys but most wired keyboards today meet that requirement for me.
 
Got a Logitech G710+, it's not a huge difference for me but I knew right away trying in the store that it just felt better to type on. The noise is a little obnoxious yes but I've gotten used to it. I was perfectly fine typing on my old keyboards, but now that I have used this keyboard for a while I can feel a difference when using a membrane keyboard. Give it a try, you might end up liking it too.
 
Megalith said:
At the risk of getting bashed and laughed at, I will take this opportunity to admit that I don’t fully understand what the appeal of a mechanical keyboard is. I imagine that most of these tend to have better build quality than your generic, off-the-shelf membrane/dome/scissor-switch keyboard, but that noise. And that increased key travel distance. These are the exact qualities that I purposely avoid in a keyboard. Now, I realize that my opinion may sound particularly dumb in the context of this article, which is all about how mechanical keyboards can be customized to someone’s liking—but my general experience with these keyboards is that they are loud and “slower” than what I’m comfortable with (flat, scissor switch). Any of you mechanical guys want to school me, or is this really just a preference thing?.
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Completely with you mate, I hate mechanicals. they seems like going backwards to me.
 
I've been typing on "computer keyboards" since the 1970s, from the original IBM Selectrics modified for use with computer systems, up to today's latest (but not greatest) chiclet crap and honestly none of them make any difference at all in my typing speed or accuracy which remains about the same as is has been for oh, 40+ years now. I suppose some folks feel that such mechanical keyboards and switches improve things for them, but for myself it doesn't matter to my hands and fingers, they're all the same as far as my "digits" are concerned. ;)
 
Tiberian said:
I've been typing on "computer keyboards" since the 1970s, from the original IBM Selectrics modified for use with computer systems, up to today's latest (but not greatest) chiclet crap and honestly none of them make any difference at all in my typing speed or accuracy which remains about the same as is has been for oh, 40+ years now. I suppose some folks feel that such mechanical keyboards and switches improve things for them, but for myself it doesn't matter to my hands and fingers, they're all the same as far as my "digits" are concerned. ;)
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I feel like my typing is more accurate and faster when I type on mechanical keyboards, especially old buckling spring types. I have never measured the difference though, so it may actually just be in my head, but hey. I like them, and they feel good to me, and that's reason enough for me to choose them.
 
Megalith said:
At the risk of getting bashed and laughed at, I will take this opportunity to admit that I don’t fully understand what the appeal of a mechanical keyboard is. I imagine that most of these tend to have better build quality than your generic, off-the-shelf membrane/dome/scissor-switch keyboard, but that noise. And that increased key travel distance. These are the exact qualities that I purposely avoid in a keyboard. Now, I realize that my opinion may sound particularly dumb in the context of this article, which is all about how mechanical keyboards can be customized to someone’s liking—but my general experience with these keyboards is that they are loud and “slower” than what I’m comfortable with (flat, scissor switch). Any of you mechanical guys want to school me, or is this really just a preference thing?

I was in the market for a new mechanical keyboard a few years ago, and during my research I stumbled on the custom mechanical keyboard community. Mech enthusiasts are consumed by custom boards with unusual layouts, exotic switches, and fancy keycaps—and they'll often spend ludicrous amounts of money on things you or I might consider silly… at first. This is a niche hobby that can hook you, and once it does, won't let go. Before I knew it, I'd spent nearly $1,000 on multiple boards and keysets, started modifying switches, and even picked up soldering again to build my own keyboards. The high cost started to seem less obscene as I realized I could create a board that was perfectly tailored to my needs.
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I just like how they feel better. That's all there is to it. The build quality is simply a bonus. If you don't like the feel, you won't be won over, it's that simple. That said, some will have a much different feel than others, so it's good to at least sample the range before condemning it completely. You mentioned how it's faster for you typing on non-mechanical ones, that could be true. I know some of the fastest professional gamers actually prefer scissor switch keyboards since they involve the shortest possible time between pressing v. a reaction. We're talking milliseconds though, but there's no reason to convert if you like what you have. There's nothing you're objectively missing out on if membrane feels good to you.
 
Megalith said:
At the risk of getting bashed and laughed at, I will take this opportunity to admit that I don’t fully understand what the appeal of a mechanical keyboard is. I imagine that most of these tend to have better build quality than your generic, off-the-shelf membrane/dome/scissor-switch keyboard, but that noise. And that increased key travel distance. These are the exact qualities that I purposely avoid in a keyboard. Now, I realize that my opinion may sound particularly dumb in the context of this article, which is all about how mechanical keyboards can be customized to someone’s liking—but my general experience with these keyboards is that they are loud and “slower” than what I’m comfortable with (flat, scissor switch). Any of you mechanical guys want to school me, or is this really just a preference thing?
Click to expand...

Mechanicals are fantastic - the feel, the preciseness, even the noise. But because of changing circumstances, I've had to return to rubber dome keys. Having little kids around means late night typing is a little difficult with mechanicals.
 
I love my mechanical keyboard and my wife loves her's as well. When my friend jumped on board with a Razer Black Widow back when they first came out I was kinda skeptical, but I decided to get one and try it out. BestBuy was pretty lenient on returns if things didn't work out back then at least.

You get used to the noise and by that I mean I literally never notice it. I use push to talk on Discord as well, simply so I don't end up being one of those random keyboard composers. :p
 
my mx reds aren't loud or have long travel. There are lots of types of switches. Just got a Das keyboard for work and it is fantastic. Defiantly increased my typing speed.
 
personally i hate mechanical keyboard for the exact same reason.
key travel distance. The annoying click sounds. and it just looks clunky
 
Been pounding keys since the 70's so it's mechanical for me. I'm currently using the CM Storm QuickFire 10 keyless keyboard with brown switches (fairly quiet). Works well for me once I remap the keys to my liking.
 
I just switched to a mechanical keyboard and I have to say there is no way I'll go back. I don't think I can necessarily claim better accuracy or typing speed, but it just feels better. The best way to describe it is when I go into the office and type on the keyboards there or use a laptop all the keys feel like mush whereas my keyboard feels springy and responsive. The noise is barely even noticeable to me, and this is coming from somebody who ditched their Antec 1200 tower because the plethora of fans were just too noisy. Since I work from home and spend a minimum of 8 hours a day on my keyboard, anything that feels better is all I need. The few times my fiance has used it, she has threatened to steal it.

On top of all that the thing feels like a tank. If I had to use my old keyboard in self defense from an intruder it would without a doubt just snap in half. New keyboard would knock a dude out cold.

As a side note, I ditched all the macro keys that my old keyboard had and I'm super happy about that. Never used those things anyway and now I've freed up like 4 inches of desk space.
 
The appeal is simple: Mechanical keyboards provide a superior and more consistent typing experience. Membrane keyboards will technically function for a long time but the typing experience degrades as the membrane degrades. They are usually rated for around 20 million key strokes which is less than half the life-span of a Cherry MX switch. Even so, 20 million keystrokes of the membrane keyboard aren't the same from the start of service to the end of the service life. With mechanical switches, many of them exceed their service life while showing no perceptible aging or performance degradation.

Mechanical keyboards are typically built better than membrane keyboards are in general. Switch types, lighting, color schemes and key cap design create a seemingly endless amount of design choices. There are even some options for upgrading the key caps on some boards so long as the key caps are designed for the switches your unit uses.

Unfortunately, that same diversity has led to the creation of substandard mechanical keyboards. Many of them use inferior switches and poor quality keycaps. Differences in switch mounting and other factors alter how the keyboard feels. If you don't like a given mechanical keyboard, it doesn't mean you don't like mechanical keyboards. It means you may not like a specific unit. Even a single example of a given switch type may not be able to tell you whether or not you like a given switch. Switches can be implemented in various ways and not all of them are good. I'm a huge fan of mechanical keyboards and yet still dislike most of them. I like very few of the switch types. That said, I'd take almost any mechanical keyboard over the best membrane based units. I've never seen a membrane keyboard with good keycaps. I tend to type on them for a few months to a year before the typing experience degrades to a point where I can't stand it.

Mechanical keyboards can be noisy compared to mechanical units, but the noise that a membrane keyboard makes is more annoying to me than the clicking sound made by mechanicals.
 
I still haven't found any keyboard that would match the old KeySonic / IBM clone keyboards we had at the office. If I knew back then, I'd steal a unit for myself before they got replaced with new ones.

They made a racket but it was sooo smooth to type with them. It almost doubled my words per minute.
 
I would like to find a decently priced mechanical keyboard that doesn't have all the fancy-schmancy LED back lighting which requires it to use up two USB slots.. so it goes.
 
For me it's the feedback. I never noticed since they disappeared before I got into the technology industry and really needed to use a keyboard constantly. The weighted feel actually has made me a better typer.
 
I've always been a fan of mechanical keyboards since way back when mechanical keyboards were all there was. When rubber-dome keyboards came out they were a novelty because they were so quiet. But I am still far more happy with my clicky mechanical dasKeyboard. It drives my parrot bonkers tho :D
 
B00nie said:
I still haven't found any keyboard that would match the old KeySonic / IBM clone keyboards we had at the office. If I knew back then, I'd steal a unit for myself before they got replaced with new ones.

They made a racket but it was sooo smooth to type with them. It almost doubled my words per minute.
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I can type 125 wpm. Of course that goes down to about 10 wpm if being able to read any of it is a criteria.
 
I feel mechanical keyboards help with FPS games for a couple reasons. The info I mention does not apply to all mechanical switches. Mainly Cherry Red and Cherry Brown switches.

Longer travel means I don't necessarily bottom out. The switches themselves activate long before that unlike a regular membrane dome switch that has to bottom out in order to activate. This allows quicker reaction time in games, but also allows "touch typing" for day to day use. For lots of usage during the day, this is a bit easier on the fingers.

Cherry red switches do take some time to get used to the light feel, especially if you've been mashing away at a worn out membrane keyboard for years. At first, Reds feel like hair triggers activating at the slightest touch and you will likely be bottoming out all the time due to the light actuation force compared to a membrane keyboard. Cherry Browns have a slightly higher actuation force closer to the feel of membrane keyboards. Browns are easier to transition to.

Some people prefer the "clicky" keyboards just for the audio and tactile feedback while typing. I don't recommend these for gaming, but some people like them. They are better suited to regular typing.

As far as the bottoming out and noise, I did the O-Ring mod on my Corsair and no longer had the issue.

One thing that mechanical keyboards can do much easier is getting custom printed keys.
Custom_Keys_-_07-L.jpg


Max_Keyboard_Custom_Keys_bg.jpg
 
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I believe those boards that use multiple USB ports would harbor a USB hub. But ye, I use a mech and I like it.
 
Dan_D said:
The appeal is simple: Mechanical keyboards provide a superior and more consistent typing experience. Membrane keyboards will technically function for a long time but the typing experience degrades as the membrane degrades. They are usually rated for around 20 million key strokes which is less than half the life-span of a Cherry MX switch. Even so, 20 million keystrokes of the membrane keyboard aren't the same from the start of service to the end of the service life. With mechanical switches, many of them exceed their service life while showing no perceptible aging or performance degradation.

Mechanical keyboards are typically built better than membrane keyboards are in general. Switch types, lighting, color schemes and key cap design create a seemingly endless amount of design choices. There are even some options for upgrading the key caps on some boards so long as the key caps are designed for the switches your unit uses.

Unfortunately, that same diversity has led to the creation of substandard mechanical keyboards. Many of them use inferior switches and poor quality keycaps. Differences in switch mounting and other factors alter how the keyboard feels. If you don't like a given mechanical keyboard, it doesn't mean you don't like mechanical keyboards. It means you may not like a specific unit. Even a single example of a given switch type may not be able to tell you whether or not you like a given switch. Switches can be implemented in various ways and not all of them are good. I'm a huge fan of mechanical keyboards and yet still dislike most of them. I like very few of the switch types. That said, I'd take almost any mechanical keyboard over the best membrane based units. I've never seen a membrane keyboard with good keycaps. I tend to type on them for a few months to a year before the typing experience degrades to a point where I can't stand it.

Mechanical keyboards can be noisy compared to mechanical units, but the noise that a membrane keyboard makes is more annoying to me than the clicking sound made by mechanicals.
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With what Dan_D said in mind, one way to find out the mechanical switch types you like is to go to a Fry's or MicroCenter and check out their keyboard section -- I've gone to the MicroCenter near my home to test out new keyboards over there, as they usually have several on display for testing purposes (including one mech. keyboard with several different switch types, conveniently labelled).

My typing is definitely quicker and more precise on a mechanical, compared to a membrane (I'm currently using a Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum, which is the most quiet mechanical keyboard I've ever used -- I have had keyboards Cherry Blues, Reds, and Browns [without the O-rings]).
 
modi123 said:
I would like to find a decently priced mechanical keyboard that doesn't have all the fancy-schmancy LED back lighting which requires it to use up two USB slots.. so it goes.
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I FOUND THE PERFECT ONE FOR YOU ^*(%^(%. Personally when it comes to keyboards, if I'm not giving my co-workers epileptic seizures I just dont see the point.



tungt88 said:
With what Dan_D said in mind, one way to find out the mechanical switch types you like is to go to a Fry's or MicroCenter and check out their keyboard section -- I've gone to the MicroCenter near my home to test out new keyboards over there, as they usually have several on display for testing purposes (including one mech. keyboard with several different switch types, conveniently labelled).

My typing is definitely quicker and more precise on a mechanical, compared to a membrane (I'm currently using a Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum, which is the most quiet mechanical keyboard I've ever used -- I have had keyboards Cherry Blues, Reds, and Browns [without the O-rings]).
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I actually prefer my keyboards to be obnoxiously loud, I think Mine are all blue switches. That said the rainbow I posted the other day actually does feel a little off. I definitely agree with Dan, while I don't think namebrands have anything to do with it there are some build quality issues on the cheaper sub-$60 boards.
 
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I decided to try a mechanical, they were getting so much attention. but I am not really a typist meaning I am a hunt'in pecker. I type quick enough for my own needs though. I bought a K70 and have been using it for a good half a year or so. I can't say I am crazy about it. It hasn't transformed my gaming life. But it does work and it still lasts. Someone will come out with a good compromise soon enough, I have already seen a hybrid type keyboard that someone put out a couple months back though I don't remember who.
 
lcpiper said:
I decided to try a mechanical, they were getting so much attention. but I am not really a typist meaning I am a hunt'in pecker. I type quick enough for my own needs though. I bought a K70 and have been using it for a good half a year or so. I can't say I am crazy about it. It hasn't transformed my gaming life. But it does work and it still lasts. Someone will come out with a good compromise soon enough, I have already seen a hybrid type keyboard that someone put out a couple months back though I don't remember who.
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Mechanical keyboards are only useful for people who can type 10-finger style such as myself. I took a typing course at high school (back then there were actually still typewriters lol).
 
lcpiper said:
I decided to try a mechanical, they were getting so much attention. but I am not really a typist meaning I am a hunt'in pecker. I type quick enough for my own needs though. I bought a K70 and have been using it for a good half a year or so. I can't say I am crazy about it. It hasn't transformed my gaming life. But it does work and it still lasts. Someone will come out with a good compromise soon enough, I have already seen a hybrid type keyboard that someone put out a couple months back though I don't remember who.
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I'm not sure what you mean by "hybrid" type. If you are referring to the Topre Realforce switches I'm going to interject. I've got one and if I had spent my own money on it I'd be pissed. They make both the membrane "spring back" sound of a membrane and the sound mechanicals make from bottoming out. Personally, I find them less enjoyable to type on than a pure mechanical keyboard. The idea that a product combines the best aspects of two other products needs to be based on those products being good. By definition the Topre keyboards do not do this. Other than the "spill proof" and low cost aspects of a membrane keyboard, they have nothing going for them. No keyboard that uses Torpe Realforce switches qualifies as cheap. They are also not spill proof. Therefore the advantages of a membrane keyboard are skipped entirely. The Topre switches are rated to last about 30 million keystrokes where as rubber membranes typically last around 10 million keystrokes. (Although some units claim 30 million.) It's like saying the Smith & Wesson SD series combines the best aspects of the Sigma Series and the M&P when the former isn't good at all. The end result is a ruined M&P. Similarly, I feel the overrated Topre keyboards are ruined mechanical units.

Some people still like them. It's good to have choices I suppose. Lastly, companies who build keyboards want you to think that a keyboard can make you a better gamer which isn't true. These aren't mice, these aren't faster processors. For the sake of input, typically all keyboards are the same. The tactile experience and whether or not that matters to you is another matter.
 
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B00nie said:
Mechanical keyboards are only useful for people who can type 10-finger style such as myself. I took a typing course at high school (back then there were actually still typewriters lol).
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I can do this but at the same time it doesn't happen while gaming. Any argument for "gaming" on a mechanical keyboard is bullshit in my opinion outside of statements concerning longevity.
 
Dan_D said:
I'm not sure what you mean by "hybrid" type. If you are referring to the Topre Realforce switches I'm going to interject. I've got one and if I had spent my own money on it I'd be pissed. They make both the membrane "spring back" sound of a membrane and the sound mechanicals make from bottoming out. Personally, I find them less enjoyable to type on than a pure mechanical keyboard. The idea that a product combines the best aspects of two other products needs to be based on those products being good. By definition the Topre keyboards do not do this. Other than the "spill proof" and low cost aspects of a membrane keyboard, they have nothing going for them. No keyboard that uses Torpe Realforce switches qualifies as cheap. They are also not spill proof. Therefore the advantages of a membrane keyboard are skipped entirely. The Topre switches are rated to last about 30 million keystrokes where as rubber membranes typically last around 10 million keystrokes. (Although some units claim 30 million.) It's like saying the Smith & Wesson SD series combines the best aspects of the Sigma Series and the M&P when the former isn't good at all. The end result is a ruined M&P. Similarly, I feel the overrated Topre keyboards are ruined mechanical units.

Some people still like them. It's good to have choices I suppose. Lastly, companies who build keyboards want you to think that a keyboard can make you a better gamer which isn't true. These aren't mice, these aren't faster processors. For the sake of input, typically all keyboards are the same. The tactile experience and whether or not that matters to you is another matter.
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I went and found the keyboard I was talking about wen I described a "hybrid" type.

It is the Razer Ornata keyboard. I don't know if it has Topre switches or not, but here is a link to the site with a nice little animation of the switch structure for simple guys like me.

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-ornata

membrane.gif



Hey it works.
 
That's the reverse of the Topre capacitive switch design. This won't last as long as a true mechanical keyboard, nor will it produce a typing experience that's as tactfully satisfying as a real mechanical switch or even the Topre switch. Even if it was a good design, Razer would fuck it up by building it badly. The only credit I can give Razer is that their backlighting is the best in their price point for being even across the board.

Again, if you hybridize something it's essential that the advantages of those products are largely retained. This might retain some spill resistance but it doesn't retain the cost advantage of membrane keyboards. You lose the typing experience provided by a mechanical keyboard in favor of something that's perhaps better than the average membrane but at mechanical keyboard prices. (MSRP is $99.99. Actual street price is unknown to me.) I just don't think there is any point in such a design.
 
Here's some of my collection. I probably have another 4 sets of keycaps in a box, it's a pretty addicting hobby for someone who spends 10+ hours a day in front of a PC.

 
NickJames, if you are looking for an easy way to transition out of your hobby .... well they say that the best way to ruin a hobby is to turn it into work. Have you considered building custom keyboards for people?

I can think of a potential customer or two (y)
 
Megalith said:
At the risk of getting bashed and laughed at, I will take this opportunity to admit that I don’t fully understand what the appeal of a mechanical keyboard is. I imagine that most of these tend to have better build quality than your generic, off-the-shelf membrane/dome/scissor-switch keyboard, but that noise.
Click to expand...

Some people LOVE that noise. I'm indifferent. My main reason for going back to mechanical keyboards (cause I have been doing computer thingies long enough that they were all mechanical way back when), mainly because my rate of typing and ability to touch type have kept improving over the years, but my total accuracy with moving my fingers around hasn't increased beyond a certain point. The very short travel keys that mimic laptops don't bother me much but they do drastically increase my rate of typos without a similar increase in typing speed. The more traditional shape of mechanical keyboards with more key travel keeps the error rate lower.

The fact i learned touch typing way back in middle school on 100% manual typewriters that required some serious effort to make them produce type probably gives me a pretty heavy hand. Seriously, those things were old at least 25-30 years by the time i got to them in the late 80s.
 
I've been waiting a long time for a Wireless Ergonomic Mechanical keyboard. Still haven't seen one of those. If anyone could build one of those, I'd pay dearly for it.
 
I used an Apple 'chiclet' keybaord exclusively for about 5 or 6 years from a MacBook to the desktop version and I gotta say...

Once I finally got my PC build this past summer and went mechanical, I don't think I can go back. I'm indifferent to the noise (but I wouldn't use one at work) and it just feels better to have that kind of key travel and tactile-ness. Not to mention they feel solid as all hell with a good amount of weight.
 
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