Mechanical Keyboard Guide

BababooeyHTJ said:
I sold my filco tenkeyless with mx browns just to keep my WASD. I prefer a full sized board and this one is every bit as good. Hell, its made by the same people so it should be. It has the same costar stabilizers that I know and love. It even has the same keycaps as the filco but laser etched. I love this keyboard every bit as much as my old filco. I've had this keyboard for a good few months now so I'm not in that honeymoon phase anymore either.
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I wouldn't sell/trade my WASD for anything. In fact, if I want a TKL board, I'll wait for WASD to make one first.
 
Just bought my first WASD and I am loving it. Not the best pic but you get the idea. I went with Cherry Blues as it is the best match I have found to my old Northgate keyboards.

x3zs.jpg
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
I sold my filco tenkeyless with mx browns just to keep my WASD. I prefer a full sized board and this one is every bit as good. Hell, its made by the same people so it should be. It has the same costar stabilizers that I know and love. It even has the same keycaps as the filco but laser etched. I love this keyboard every bit as much as my old filco. I've had this keyboard for a good few months now so I'm not in that honeymoon phase anymore either.
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Nice. That's what I wanted to know.
 
Please sticky this thread someone!

I'm happy with my Rosewill RK-9000 but I keep looking at WASD... ;)
 
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Hoping my boss is going to let me get the Leopold Tenkeyless with Cherry Reds. *crosses fingers*
 
Don't see the point of a full board, but I've never used a number pad in my life. WSAD boards are interesting, but until they make a tenkeyless I will have to admire from afar.

Eagerly awaiting my Leopold tenkeyless with MX Browns. Might get another (probably cheaper) board with Blacks or Reds just to see what all the "fuss" is about, given they seem to be much more popular over all. Tactile non-clicky is what I wanted though, so hopefully I'll be happy with the Browns.
 
silent-circuit said:
Don't see the point of a full board, but I've never used a number pad in my life. WSAD boards are interesting, but until they make a tenkeyless I will have to admire from afar.

Eagerly awaiting my Leopold tenkeyless with MX Browns. Might get another (probably cheaper) board with Blacks or Reds just to see what all the "fuss" is about, given they seem to be much more popular over all. Tactile non-clicky is what I wanted though, so hopefully I'll be happy with the Browns.
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I use mine randomly at home. At work I can use it a lot because I do invoicing and the like. Easier to type the numbers in on the keypad. If it becomes too much of a hassle to NOT use it, I'll just buy a standalone 10key.
 
Just recently got the Adesso MKB-135B at work...first mechanical keyboard for me. So far, I freaking LOVE this thing! Really awesome keyboard for under $80...should've bought this instead of the Razer Lycosa at home. lol. I think I'll be upgrading very soon!
 
Vantec89 said:
Just recently got the Adesso MKB-135B at work...first mechanical keyboard for me. So far, I freaking LOVE this thing! Really awesome keyboard for under $80...should've bought this instead of the Razer Lycosa at home. lol. I think I'll be upgrading very soon!
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Unless you need a numpad I'd recommend the CM Storm with Cherry MX Blues (if you like the switches in the Adesso) rather than another MKB-135B. Same price roughly, but much better built (the Adesso did not fair well over at GeekHack). If you do want a numpad, spending another $20 after shipping on a Leopold from EliteKeyboards is probably a good idea. Truth is there are a lot of better options for not much more cash.
 
Q-BZ said:
Please sticky this thread someone!

I'm happy with my Rosewill RK-9000 but I keep looking at WASD... ;)
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A WASD is going to be more or less the same thing. Filco, WASD, and rosewill mechanical keyboards are all made by the same OEM, costar. The rosewill is a bit famous for the lettering on the keycaps wearing off. I'm not sure if that is still an issue. Maybe you might want to look into a set of wasd keycaps later on down the road. If you want to try a new switch type you can't go wrong with a wasd. Once you've used costar style stabilizers for a while its hard to go back to the standard cherry corp ones found on most mechanicals.
 
Bob002 said:
I use mine randomly at home. At work I can use it a lot because I do invoicing and the like. Easier to type the numbers in on the keypad. If it becomes too much of a hassle to NOT use it, I'll just buy a standalone 10key.
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I'm going to update the OP with mechanical numpads over the weekend.
I just included the Adesso 22 Key numpad to the list.
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
A WASD is going to be more or less the same thing. Filco, WASD, and rosewill mechanical keyboards are all made by the same OEM, costar. The rosewill is a bit famous for the lettering on the keycaps wearing off.
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Yup, I have a little bit of that here. It's funny, though. They wore off only to a certain point and that was it. At least so far.


I'm not sure if that is still an issue.

Maybe you might want to look into a set of wasd keycaps later on down the road. If you want to try a new switch type you can't go wrong with a wasd. Once you've used costar style stabilizers for a while its hard to go back to the standard cherry corp ones found on most mechanicals.
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Thanks for the information. :) I'll have to do more research on keycap types.
 
mtbush said:
I've had the K90 for a little over a week now and I really do like it, and this is coming from someone who's owned 4 Filcos. What sets it apart are the following:

1. Ease of maintenance/cleaning
2. Media keys
3. Backlighting
4. MX-Reds
5. Build quality/aluminum cover
6. Wristrest
7. Macro functionality
7. Disable Windows Key

Membranes don't bother me, given the boards feature set and MSRP there are always going to be trade-offs, given the fact that I picked mine up for $94 definitely sweetens the deal.
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Your list includes a few of the reasons I keep coming back to the K90, but I'm torn. a K90 with all mechanical keys would be great, plus the option for alternate switches (blacks or browns). Anodize it black (don't like the silver aluminum look) and that would just be icing on the cake. Wrist rest and backlighting aren't necessarily "must haves" on a keyboard for me, but at well over $100 they certainly are.
 
I ran into a K90 in a Frys and hit some keys on it. I really disliked the membranes, but the F keys keep seeming to work their way into my play style, maybe they won't with you

I will say in addition though, that the K90, regardless of what corsair of course wants you to believe, seems to have no attention put into key height, or spacing. For that reasonI really prefer my Tt Meka G-Unit with full size, but still nicely curved keys and black mechanical switches. 12 macro keys as opposed to 18 though and only a little back lighting.
 
I took the plunge and ordered a Ducky Shine with browns. Went with the white backlighting. I hate to pay that much for a keyboard, but my closet is getting full of other keyboards that I don't like.
 
My WASD with blues showed up yesterday. I love it; I like it more than my filco with browns and while the blues are loud, they aren't as loud as I expected them to be.
 
I ordered some sample cherry keys with caps (brown, red and blue), for me to test, as i never tried a non membrane mech before. Is this enough to get the feel right, or do i need to place them on a pcb?
 
DG25 said:
I ordered some sample cherry keys with caps (brown, red and blue), for me to test, as i never tried a non membrane mech before. Is this enough to get the feel right, or do i need to place them on a pcb?
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Fairly sure they won't feel right unless mounted, but I could easily be wrong here. Still fairly new to mechanicals myself.
 
DG25 said:
I ordered some sample cherry keys with caps (brown, red and blue), for me to test, as i never tried a non membrane mech before. Is this enough to get the feel right, or do i need to place them on a pcb?
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Place them against different surfaces like plastic, metal, etc. and you might get an okay idea. Mounting makes a huge difference between keyboards.

IE: my current Blackwidow has blues but they feel very "thuddy" for some reason compared to other blues due to how they are mounted.
 
DG25 said:
I ordered some sample cherry keys with caps (brown, red and blue), for me to test, as i never tried a non membrane mech before. Is this enough to get the feel right, or do i need to place them on a pcb?
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You kind of need to use a real keyboard full of them. One or two switches will only give you somewhat of an idea. Sitting there with a loose switch doesn't give you much of an idea of what reaching for a key with your pinky finger for example.
 
Just picked up a IBM Model M from Manyak, the author of the Mechanical Keyboard Guide.
I had to have one in my possession since I like mech boards so much.
 
Typing on my Leopold with Browns now. Just got it tonight. It's much lighter than I'm used to, so I'm bottoming out on pretty much every keypress at the moment. Hopefully I'll get used to it, otherwise I may have to try Blacks or some other heavier switch.

Build quality is amazing, no issues there at all. Far and away the nicest keyboard I've ever used.
 
I'm still a big fan of the cherry white/clears on my Deck. I feel like I can actuate blues and browns just by giving them a stern look :D
 
Dan_D said:
1. Ease of maintenance/cleaning <---How is this any easier on the K60/K90 vs. anything else?
2. Media keys <---Do not need / do not want.
3. Backlighting <---Not required, but nice to have. Other options have this as well.
4. MX-Reds <---Do not want / need.
5. Build quality/aluminum cover <---This is the best part about the K60/K90. Then they got all cheap on us with membrane based function keys. So it's still not perfect.
6. Wristrest <---Do not need / do not want.
7. Macro functionality <---Do not need / do not want.
7. Disable Windows Key <---Do not need, but nice if available. Though I trained myself not to hit this key, and after years of practice, I've never needed this function. In fact my G15's had it and I never used it.

I'd take a Filco and it's plastic housing over the K60/K90 any day of the week. I guess the Corsair units just aren't for me.
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All your takeaways are completely subjective. Is the K90 a perfect board?....no, but it's definitely a step in the right direction from a major player in the industry. 2 out of 5 Filco's I've owned had QC issues, so they are definitely not the "holy grail" that most mech-enthusiasts make them out to be.
 
I love my Corsair k90. True it's not full mechanical, but I don't hardly press the F keys, Gkeys or whatever much anyways. Besides who even uses the GKeys?

I basically needed a keyboard that lit up because I game late at night with no lights and my wrist muscles don't work like they used to. Also I need the volume option and media keys.

My only complaint is the red switches. They're a little to easy to press. I bottom out every time I press them. Still miles better than my old logitech I paid for the same price, lol.

Going to pick up another keyboard soon for the other room. I may pick up the same one or I may go with a Duckie with Black switches...
 
If they made the K90 in a tenkeyless macrokeyless version -- or at least limited to like 8 macro keys not the 20 or some craziness it has now, I don't want that giant square of shit hanging off my board -- I'd seriously consider it. I'm fine with the F-keys using membranes, just as long as the main key cluster is mechanical.
 
I picked up a Razer Black Widow Ultimate today, (my poor 5 year old G15 died yesterday). I must say it rocks!
 
I have an Ozone Strike (Cherry blacks, as I hate reds) on the way, and will post a small review when I get a chance.
 
Waiting for my Ducky Shines from Tiger Imports. I got a Blue LED with Red switches on the way!!!!!!
 
mtbush said:
All your takeaways are completely subjective. Is the K90 a perfect board?....no, but it's definitely a step in the right direction from a major player in the industry. 2 out of 5 Filco's I've owned had QC issues, so they are definitely not the "holy grail" that most mech-enthusiasts make them out to be.
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From what I understand, the Filco's have the same problem the Das Keyboards have. The keys develop a "shine" to them too quickly. I've also lost all the lettering on my left shift key. It's the only key that's doing that. It's that way though because my fingernail happens to hit that area the way I type. It was never a problem on old school mechanicals like the IBM Model M. For some reason, those keyboards never developed the shiny plastic or had letter fading. Some how we can do that on beige plastic as of 30 years ago, but struggle with that and black plastics today. :confused:

They aren't necessarily the holy grail of mechanical keyboards. However, I will say that they are the best FEELING mechanicals I've tried to date with the blues. That is, if the comparisons to Das Keyboard are accurate. Basically they are made by the same company and actually feel the same. Leupolds are supposed to be even better than the Filco / Das Keyboards. I'm hearing good things about WASD as well. I've tried the K60, the Steelseries, and the Deck Legend. The latter is probably the best quality I've seen, but they don't give you enough options. They only offer MX Blacks and MX Clears I think. I'd be all over one with Cherry MX Blues if they had one. My Deck Ice Legend is about 3 years old now and aside from some very minor wear on the space bar, it looks exactly like it did when I received it. I can't say the same for any other keyboard I've used after a year or so which has been made in the last 10 years.
 
Dan, the reason the Model M keys didn't shine and letters didn't fade is a combination of difference in materials and difference in construction techniques.

I'm not 100% certain what the Model Ms used for keycap material, but if I had to guess it was ABS. The technique used to form them and make the letters on the keys is called "doubleshotting" -- one form makes the keycap itself, then the letter is cut all the way through, and another layer of plastic is shot in to the form from the bottom so it goes through the cut area to form the letter and add additional thickness to the keycap. This way when the key wears the letter remains equally visible and retains contrast until you literally wear through the keycap top.

This technique is not normally used today (some companies still make keys this way, like Signature Plastics, but it is rare) due to its complexity and expense. Here's a lot more info about keys and stuff over at geekhack.org.
 
Dan_D said:
1. Ease of maintenance/cleaning <---How is this any easier on the K60/K90 vs. anything else?
2. Media keys <---Do not need / do not want.
3. Backlighting <---Not required, but nice to have. Other options have this as well.
4. MX-Reds <---Do not want / need.
5. Build quality/aluminum cover <---This is the best part about the K60/K90. Then they got all cheap on us with membrane based function keys. So it's still not perfect.
6. Wristrest <---Do not need / do not want.
7. Macro functionality <---Do not need / do not want.
7. Disable Windows Key <---Do not need, but nice if available. Though I trained myself not to hit this key, and after years of practice, I've never needed this function. In fact my G15's had it and I never used it.

I'd take a Filco and it's plastic housing over the K60/K90 any day of the week. I guess the Corsair units just aren't for me.
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This is what I was talking about earlier for the Ducky Shine: http://tigerimports.net/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=11421

Here is also a review someone did of one: http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:21007

I do love that it has media functions and a calculator button but all mechanical. As well as the replaceable/removable USB cable. With shipping, is it worth the 155 to 160 bucks? My only problem is that there are NO stores that have MX Browns to try out, but apparently, the place has a good return process (15% restock is fine for trying).

Would this be a great starting keyboard?
 
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Unicomp and Model M keys are pbt with dye sub lettering. Its mostly a combination of the pbt, color, and rougher texture that keep model M keys from shining up quickly at least noticeably.
 
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