Keyboard Builders' Digest / Editorial

Behind the scenes #191

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

dovenyi
Published May 26, 2025

Hey, what's up everyone!

Welcome back for another recap and behind-the-scenes write-up. It's been a while! The balance between closed and open source has recently shifted, and there haven't been enough projects for a new issue in… four weeks?! Ouch.

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

• It's almost May, but if you haven't checked out April's community-favorite switches yet, feel free to take a look at the various top lists – based on data provided by 17 vendors and manufacturers. Some lists arrived late, so it's even worth revisiting the post.

• An open-source 38-key low-profile unibody split keyboard: Hephaestes38 by DeppressedCabbage.

• Kilipan's Lobotomy is a crazy 30-40% Alice keyboard.

• A 42-key wireless split keyboard with CFX spacing – MPA by miwayho.

• The 34-key wireless Ambra, designed by stozi, is a nice split keyboard with vertical thumb clusters.

• Teodor Raykov's Spliteo is an ergo split keyboard with a 4-key thumb cluster.

• A 32-key ortholinear keyboard by nerdbude: the cyberpunkish KYB3R.ORTHO.

• The Bug54 is a low-profile wireless split keyboard by Oliver Gründel.

• Charlie Steenhagen's modular low-pro split keyboard: the Hermod with huge displays.

• A cute little gadged by Mateusz Nowak: EclairM0 – mainly for taking notes on the go.

TIPS

• IMG2CAPS by TurtsMcGerts. The app lets you upload an image, position the keyboard over it, and extract a dominant color for each keycap. It's using the Yuzu Playground color codes, so you can Export / Import to their editor to tune the legends, and order your custom keycap set.
• OverKeys update. An open-source keyboard layout visualizer for Windows.

• New switches by Cherry – the next-generation IK inductive switch, plus three new MX mechanical switches: MX Honey (silent tactile), MX Blossom (35cN linear), and MX Falcon (heavy tactile). Introduced at Computex 2025, Taipei.

Closed-source, commercial, WIP, etc.

• Kickstarter: Mothwing. A prebuilt split.

• The Wings build video. A nice monoblock angled split with a trackpad in the center.

• An adorable handwired macropad: Boom3rang by sai_2602.

• Custom QMK gamepad (video) by hvnslab.

• Rain2 keeps annoying "both diagonal and straight users": Openwork.

• A split ortho prototype by skraim – with magnetic connectors, for gaming.

• Delta Omega. A brutalist Totem? Board and repo WIP.

• Retrofitted Little Tikes. Committed by nobutternoparm.

• Magpie – I'm sure we've already had some project with this name – is a split by baaawbag. Mix of the Sofle, Lily and ZSA Voyager.

• mikecinq by dynam1keNL. With PG1316S switches. And a second one with per-key RGB: Jarne Blade v2.

• KABARGA – a wireless unibody 40% keyboard by aroum.

• Non Nemo Wired by thunderbird2086.

• Lumon Terminal Pro build video. Inspired by the Severance MDR Terminal Pro keyboard. Designed by keylavye.

• MechaPress88 v3 by blastrock (PG1316S, split).

• And another monoblock with a keywell: ULP Curved. This one was handwired by Arc.

• Sweep case with TPU insert for shock absorption. By tolki/mr_tolkien.

• Keyboard speedometer with both display and servo indicator – by Alexnumber1.

• Woyager. Ionut Duma's (ahito89/Top Candy) attempt to recreate the Voyager via 1U PCBs.

• TypeOrTalk - An interesting keyboard by Sam, with built-in speech-to-text option.

I built the TypeOrTalk keyboard, which runs the OpenAI whisper model locally on a Raspberry Pi CM5 – Sam.

History/Discovery

• The IBM Model M Enhanced Keyboard turns 40 – a crash course on the subject by Sharktastica.

On this day (21st May) in 1985, IBM announces the 7531 and 7532 Industrial Computers with their new keyboard design - the Enhanced Keyboard! Whilst not technically the first Model M, it is the quintessential Model M design. Possibly the most well-known singular keyboard. The pioneer of the ANSI and ISO layouts, the 100% form-factor and enduring standardisation. (Usually) complete with IBM's delicious membrane buckling spring keyswitches – Shark.

Keyboard art

• Industrial Chocofi case by heinn_dev.

Wasn't satisfied with my previous Chocofi case, wanted to make a prettier one. A lot of printing and sanding later, I ended up here.

• Nooir N1 – cool case. Photos by NarcolepsyNick.

• I like the KingKeeb v.2 deskmat design concept by PigModding (source).

• Nail art meme keyboard by Rain2. For ladies (or gents) with long nails. (And the same author's Corne case.)

After watching a video of a nail art keyboard shared by a group friend, I casually sketched a sample to see. I can only guarantee that it won't clash with nails; I can't guarantee that it's actually useful – Rain2.

• Serenity with colorful silkscreen art (AI-generated image). Designed by Mike Barnoski aka MKBR/MKBRRD.

• Ice Ring 63 RT build by Blapeee.

• Capybara macropad by twinattacker.

• Cerakoted Not-a-Lemo connectors by VoxelMods.

Weekly Diderot effect

• Cerakey ceramic wrist rest ($5 coupon: KBDNEWS). Photo and mini review by wadmutter.

In the mailbox

• The Blackest Black set by Signature Plastics. Can't see the legends? My family doesn't really get it either – but trust me, it's cool as hell. The set even came with a tiny UV lamp to reveal the hidden scriptures. ;) (Originally I wanted to feature this on the KiiBOOM Loop 65 I got for review, but the board has a nice matching keycap set so I'll see.)

• A heap of switch samples from Akko EU with some models missing from my collection: Cilantro, Cyan, Rosewood, Creamy Purple, Lavender Purple, and a nice switch tester with even more switch models.

Opinion? I was looking forward to the clicky Cyans, but my current favorites are the tactile Cilantros. Very nice switches with no wobble at all.

• The KiiBOOM Loop 65 mentioned earlier. VERY cool multi-part and multi-color aluminum case, gradiend PBT keycap set. Awesome out-of-the box thock as well thanks to the Matcha Latte V2 switches. (5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code.)

• A mouse from 8BitDo. The last time I exchanged messages with them was in 2023, but it seems I made it to some influencer list or something, and surprise packages from them keep appearing every now and then, out of nowhere. About this mouse? It looks awesome, definitely something to consider if you're into this aesthetics. Matches the retro keyboard and numpad well. However, the side buttons are relatively hard to press, and the wireless docking station is a bit bulky for my already overcrowded desk.

Donations

• A new recurring donation set up by drudru. Thanks! These regular donations really mean and help a lot!
• A new donation by Nicolas. 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, May 26, Berlin, Germany

Recently added

• ClackyFest 2025, August 30, Granada, Spain
• Alabama Mechanical Keyboard Meetup, August 30, Huntsville, AL, US
• ClackyCon 2025, September 13, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Vendors & Discounts

Feel free to use the KBDNEWS discount code at 175 keyboard shops! And do not hesitate to report any issues. Thanks! :)

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

• TTCswitches.com (China) is a relatively new shop of TTC. Check it out for all of TTC's switch offers. Now 5% off (KBDNEWS coupon code).
• Akko (global) has updated their coupon system, but it's back again. (Coupon: KBDNEWS, 5% off.)
• KuroKeeb (Italy) added. 5% off (KBDNEWS).
• Yunzii Keyboard and splitted.space (Ukraine) added. Check them out!
• It looks like LoobedSwitches is finally gone.

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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 Mon 26th May 2025. Featured in KBD #191.

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