Keyboard Builders' Digest / Editorial

Behind the scenes #190

Keyboard projects, tips, quick news, keyboard art, in the mailbox, meetups, vendors, discounts.

dovenyi
Published April 25, 2025

Hey, what's up everyone!

Welcome back for another recap and behind-the-scenes write-up.

If you are new to kbd.news, you can read how this started out and what this is all about nowadays. If you like what you see, subscribe to the newsletter (free) and donate some bucks to keep this otherwise free and ad-free project alive.

Some posts worth sharing

• Hmm. It's been a while – there just wasn't enough content for a newsletter lately. You've probably seen this already, but just in case: here's my recent switch market overview featuring March's top picks, based on real sales data provided by vendors and manufacturers.

• This latest revision of Un Kyu Lee's Micro Journal sports a paper-like display and a more traditional keyboard compared to previous versions.

• The open-source Actually XT by nearestexit features a true XT layout.

• A 56-key split keyboard using low-profile Redragon switches: Muikku58 by Juho T.

• JCam's PickPocket is a 36-key hotswappable Bluetooth split keyboard.

• Nikita Shirokov released his Lapka, a 36-key low-pro split keyboard with uniform splay.

• An open-source 68-key low-profile split keyboard by Andreas Tacke: Nomad.

• A 36-keys low-profile unibody split keyboard designed for portability: Gamma Omega by unspecworks.

• The Protractor is a low-profile unibody ortho keyboard with adjustable typing angle.

• The HE60 is an open-source 60% Hall-effect keyboard PCB by peppapig.

TIPS

• The KEA profile keycaps have new flavors. There is now a Choc-spaced version, along with some thumb variants, for more customization. Shared by Claude from Kea Workshop.

• Based on the original Portable Keyboard Layout (PKL) by Máté Farkas (I've been using this tool for many years on Windows for non-programmable keyboards), DreymaR released the latest, v1.4.2 EPKL (EPiKaL PKL).

• Ultra Short Throw – Rob Cameron aka cannikinn managed to shorten both the bottom-out travel and topout travel in Kailh low-pro switches by adding ball bearings.

Closed-source, commercial, WIP, etc.

• QK Duo, the first split keyboard by Qwertykeys.

• TEX Prototype Ergo with trackpoint. Soon on Kickstarter.

• Get naked handwired concept by SfBattleBeagle.

• WIP: Stenowing28 by Flexyjerkov.

• Clawtype is a custom wearable chorded keyboard (and mouse) by akavel.

• Xlice – An Alice layout keyboard by wind x alice with three flavors: standard, normal numpad, southpaw numpad.

• Dry Studio Black Diamond 75 RT: leaf springs, Hall-effect switches, cool case.

• TestDrive Fifi by jrussellsmyth aka LockPickingCoder. A series of handwired projects to test layouts before buying.

• SkinnyPete32. A handwired split with keywell – by Stephan (Rollercole) Moller.

• Another monoblock split by gwirn/boring-beaver: the handwired Hedgehawk comes in a tented case.

• Kinesis mWave – the familiar "sculpt" design in wireless flavor with mechanical switches (Gateron low-pro).

• Two handwired Cornes stuck together, with an Azoteq TPS45 trackpad in the middle: Shio by adachinkovsky.

• A custom prototype by No-Series-4301. Inspired by Teenage Engineering and the Work Louder Board.

• ermbkbd aka "Erik's Monoblock Keyboard" is a 3D-printed, handwired project with encoders and a mini macropad in the middle.

Keyboard art

• Rain2's latest abomination – "angering both diagonal and straight users".

• Hand-sewn deskmat matching the GMK Indigo keycap set – by intuifin.

• Ahem. Solid brass Le Chiffre by Monkeycrunk.

• Capzine metal artisans by Winmix Production. With hand-adjustable calendar keys, just to name the most extreme variant.

• Nics.tek Hesper64 with physical "dual-action" switches? Art column because I'm not sure if this is an actual product. :)

Weekly Diderot effect

• This food grade keyboard silicon mold was part of the April 1st posts, but it does exist as a pre-order/group buy. Let's make keyboards out of chocolate, wax, gelatin, etc.

Donations

It seems the effects of misguided US policies are starting to take a real financial toll. Some long-time donations have been canceled, some recurring donations declined this month – probably a sign of empty balances. Anyway, help me out if you can afford.

• A new supporter: Andrew M. Thanks a lot!
• A new recurring donation set up by Ikasaya. Thank you!

• As always, many thanks to my awesome regular supporters and everyone who helped this project thus far.

For all the donation options check out the donation page!

Meetup database

As always, this meetup database serves as both a calendar and an archive, so feel free to send me upcoming events or even ones from the recent past to make this collection as comprehensive as possible.

Upcoming meetups

• Berlin Mechanical Keyboards & Input Devices Meetup, April 28, Berlin, Germany

Recently added

• Berlin Mechanical Keyboards & Input Devices Meetup, May 26, Berlin, Germany

Vendors & Discounts

Feel free to use the KBDNEWS discount code at 173 keyboard shops! And do not hesitate to report any issues – like Edward did earlier. Thanks! :)

New shops and updates to the database of keyboard vendors this past two weeks:

• Mecha Malaysia offered you a 5% discount (KBDNEWS). They have a physical store, feel free to check them out!
• ktechs.store (Singapore) offered 50% off your first deskmat order. (Another physical store you can visit!)
• The Pantheonkeys (Singapore) discount is back (3%).
• Asian Joy Co (US) added.
• Dry Studio (Hong Kong) added.
• WinMix Production (China) added.
• Cherry is moving its switch production to China.

The restructuring concept includes, among other measures, the complete discontinuation of switch production at the Auerbach site and its transfer to a partner in China.

• Sorry, I'm not going to read this way too long post by Ryan Norbauer about selling half of his business to investment firm Tiny. Basically, this partnership allows Ryan to focus on his creative vision, and to maintain the brand's unique identity.
• There was an issue with a rouge Meletrix employee account sending out scam emails. Those who were affected are eligible for a $20 no-minimum discount.

Developments

• Some of you were looking for filtered lists with newly released switches only, so I've added a "sort by newest" option. However, with unknown release dates for many older switch models, only about 100 of them are listed properly this way at the moment.

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That's all for today. Thanks for checking by. As always: Keep learning and building!

Until next time,
Tamás

Published on Fri 25th Apr 2025. Featured in KBD #190.

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