Keyboard Builders' Digest / Editorial
Behind the scenes #192
Keyboard projects, tips, quick news, keyboard art, in the mailbox, meetups, vendors, discounts.
Published June 12, 2025
Hey, what's up everyone!
Welcome back for another recap and behind-the-scenes write-up – with some cool projects from the DIY keyboard scene, but also promising closed-source projects or even prototypes.
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
- Switch market overview: In this month's summary of community-favorite mechanical switches, here are May's top picks, based on real sales data provided by vendors and manufacturers.
- Recent review: The KiiBOOM LOOP65 is an affordable 65% keyboard with a cool multi-color aluminum case. A relatively compact wireless board supporting VIA.
- Paicorea is a 42-key low-profile split keyboard designed by DreaM117er – with PG1316S switches and Azoteq trackpad.
- Saoto Tsuchiya's Pineapple60 project is a set of ergo keyboard PCBs for ThinkPads – with trackpoint.
- Chad Transtrum's nice unibody split with encoder: the Charlieflex.
- The Sweek is earvingad's version of the Ferris/Sweep.
- This split comes with lower controller mounting: KOMETA by inpudiy.
- Andrew Rudenko's rkbrd3 is a 3D-printed wireless parametric split with keywell.
- A feature-rich open-source 65% keyboard PCB: Aryess by Pioz.
- Summa Cogni's Mathpad is a dedicated device that makes it easy to type equations.
Closed-source, commercial, WIP, etc.
- A handwired ortho by RunRunAndyRun: the Hex69 with some progress photos.
- Flicker proof of concept by MomentSouthern250. Only five keys plus two thumb keys per half, with three-way Hall-effect switches.
- The NP-R [IC] is a retro looking numpad with bluetooth, solenoid, and a layer selector knob.
- Cornix is a nice split [GB] by Jezail Studio.
- Hillside remake by chauquest. To be open sourced.
- SVRD60 – with separable arrow/nav/numpad part.
- Ivery58 is an Allium58/Lily58 derivative by applefreak111.
- A modular split framework by Squalius-cephalus. For prototyping, with adjustable stagger and splay.
- And another one: Phasmic MKIII by phantomv1988.
- A handwired ortho by whateverworks325. With touchpad and some progress photos.
- And Wittle 35, a hanwired 30-40%.
- ThumbsUp! v11 by ak66666.
Keyboard art
- Handwired stainless steel keyboard by Sli22ard.
- Hi-Viz cables with custom formulated Ceracore by kool-keys – matching Maxvoltar's Hi-Viz caps.
[…] over the couple of weeks it took to formulate for this, I spend so much time staring at these keycaps in bright sunlight it was like when you get snow blindness sometimes. Seriously bright colour. :) – kool-keys.
- Weekly side profile: Qi65.
- Another crazy 3D-printed case by Rain2, this time Tetris themed.
TIPS
- As reported by pgetreuer, QMK's 2025 Q2 breaking changes have been released. Including a new Flow Tap tap-hold option, helping with home row mods to avoid accidental mod triggers.
- DIY homing keys. Feelingoodbrocut the angles of staples and glued the metal bar to the keycaps.
- leftright.space is an online typing test to show if you type faster with your right or left hand (and compare it to everyone else's results). For some common layouts. Not sure if the numbers are correct. Allegedly, I type much faster with my left hand.
- Kailh Deep Sea dampening mod experiments by Wonderful-Box.
- Choc caps with AZERTY legends. Which, since the original KEA profile is uniform, means simply Choc caps with legends. Shared by ThatCoffeeNerd.
In the mailbox
GravaStar has cooked up something really cool. I rarely get excited about a new product after owning.. khm.. about 130 keyboards, but I received a brand-new kick-ass model from them earlier this week. However, I'm not allowed to post anything about it before 26th June, its official release date. Well, it wouldn't make much sense since you couldn't buy it or even check out the product page.
So I have to contain my excitement: the review will be published on 26th June.
Donations
- Yay! A new recurring donation has been set up. Thanks Dickiedyce!
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
- Keycon 2025, June 14, Washington DC, DC., US
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:
- Marked as closed: Mechi Cables (CA)
Offers
I was asked to let you know about some offers:
- The KapCo Mid-Year Sale (15–22 June) is a 7-day promotion offering tiered discounts. ($10 off orders over $60, $25 off orders over $120, $40 off orders over $180, and for purchases over $300: $40 off plus a free keyboard stand.)
- The KapCo Off-Season Clearance Sale (15–22 June). Running alongside the mid-year sale, there will be 40% off selected products. (Once sold out, these items will not be restocked.)
Developments
- I've finished tagging 330 switch models by color… I have yet to come up with a proper interface, but you'll be able to filter switches by color very soon – e.g. to find ones with transparent top housing for RGB, or simply red or cyan switches to match a particular case, keycap set or working environment.
---
That's all for today. Thanks for checking by. As always: Keep learning and building!
Until next time,
Tamás
Published on Thu 12th Jun 2025. Featured in KBD #192.
Related
Behind the scenes #174
Keyboard projects, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, new vendors and discount codes!
Behind the Scenes of Issue 66
Quick news, debate on the feasibility of GMK lead times, new vendors added, winning without even bidding.
Behind the Scenes of Issue 72
April 1st keyboard projects, new wave of supporters, a new acquisition from the besieged Kyiv, March stats, etc.Last BTS of 2023
Quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, new vendors and discount codes!