Keyboard Builders' Digest / Editorial
Behind the scenes #193
Keyboard projects, tips, quick news, keyboard art, in the mailbox, meetups, vendors, discounts.
Published June 24, 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.
PSA: My summer will be quite busy with multiple offgrid periods, so future issues and also the next two monthly switch market overviews may come later than usual.
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
- I reviewed the Moonshadow V2 by KiiBOOM – a well-built 75% wireless keyboard in a nice aluminum case.
- Fredrik Liljedahl's Ebbe34 is a custom 34-key wireless unibody split keyboard.
- Oliver Thurley's Tempest is an open-source split keyboard with some nice splay.
- Pete Johanson published his Zaphod ECBrox, a 34-key wireless EC keyboard.
- Timo Strube's SplittoDogu is a custom ergo split with plenty of keys and encoders.
- HTX Studio open sourced a cool one-handed keyboard with trackball and mouse keys.
- An open-source 56-key low-pro split and trackball: Cinque by Ken Goudey.
- A wireless macropad by James Gzowski: Shorky21 with encoders and RGB.
- Badjau's wireless split TBK Micro is a more enclosed version of the TBK Mini – with additional OLEDs.
- A 34-key open-source split keyboard: Rye Bread Board by David Boland.
Closed-source, commercial, WIP, etc.
- BW2: Pocket – a new board by quirk, made for the meme. 142 mm wide.
A couple years ago I made a horrible pocket version of my Bad Wings keyboard. Last month I decided to make a horrible pocket version of my Bad Wings v2. Unlike the first pocket, this one is a properly scaled down version - it's about 60% the size of the original – quirk.
- A handwired one by sashalex007.
- A handwired Scotto34 by Joe, updated for the Keycon 2025.
- A spacious split by Jukwavion_Jukwarious.
- Sildactyl54 is a handwired project by lordxax. With detailed documentation.
- Weekly wooden keyboard - by 'wjrii.
Keyboard art
- Zoom TKL Dyna back. Photos shared by Meletrix2021.
- Anubis 50 by Rain2. A book themed keyboard inspired by the Philips 14AA3324 television from the 1990s.
- Not really my cup of tea, but anyway: an ornate wooden case shot by CherryMXBrown69.
- A handful of artisans shot by coalxxx.
- Some cool silkscreen art on this custom 60% Balatro TWIM keyboard. Check out the post for more photos.
TIPS
- taipingu.link is a new typing game for those learning Japanese. It gives you random sentences - it seems to be a great way of practice typing and Japanese at the same time.
- Klavia is another typing game, more in the typeracer genre. It adjusts to your "speed zone" – based on an initial test, but also as your typing improves.
- Fellow redditor elgiraffe-c- designed some mini keyboards with 16mm spacing.
I've had this idea for a while. Basically, 16mm spacing instead of 19mm. Makes the key board something like 15% smaller. Obviously I needed some custom keycaos. All 3d printed for now – elgiraffe-c-.
- Money minutes: Josh, running mtnkbd.com, has been publishing his sales stats for ever. Here is a Youtube video with 2023 data. Profits, expenses, and a lot more interesting numbers.
- A Kailh low-pro switch spring swapping experiment by Wonderful-Box.
In the mailbox
- A bunch of switch samples from TTC. Thanks! Now I have practically all of the TTC switch models appearing on the monthly best-seller list.
Haven't had time to thoroughly test them yet, but they all look lovely, and the printed sides open up huge possibilities when it comes to design and customization.
In the HE range I prefer the Tai'e and Commander King's more muted sound compared to the other loud HE switches. And among the classic mechanical switches I love how silent the Frozen is, and it's always nice to experience something non-linear, like the Bluish White. (However, to be honest, I was expecting the silent variant. The one I tried is definitely not silent by any standard. :D)
- KiiBOOM Moonshadow V2 (already reviewed), along with a nice macropad/numpad: the Cybrix 16 (review later).
Donations
- A new recurring donation set up by Dickiedyce. Thank you!
- And a donation from D. Crowson. Thanks!
- 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.
- The Keyboard Meetup (GMK), June 28, Wernberg-Koeblitz, Germany
- Goruden-Toilet's Keycon 2025 gallery added.
(As you can see, there have been a couple of two-day events added recently. I have yet to update my meetup engine to handle these correctly… Soon.)
Vendors & Discounts
Feel free to use the KBDNEWS discount code at 178 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:
- BerserKeys (AU) added. 5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code. Thanks Lily!
- RGBKeys (NL) added. Rien is selling switches and deskmats in the Netherlands, and offered you a 20% discount with the KBDNEWS coupon code. Thanks!
- There were some changes to the Delta Key (FR) coupon. It's back with 5% off, one use per customer.
Developments
- A new option for the switch database: filter by color… :D Actually, this makes a lot of sense if someone's looking for e.g. transparent/clear switches (RGB), but also if you'd like switches matching your case or keycaps.
Note: While I've tagged all the switches by stem, top and bottom housing color, the current filter uses the top housing color only. I didn't want to make the interface even more fragmented. Maybe later.
Yep, and multicolor switches like Macarons or Durock Sea Glass appear in multiple lists – with the same thumbnail which may not match the category.
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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 Tue 24th Jun 2025. Featured in KBD #193.
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