Keyboard Builders' Digest / Editorial
Behind the scenes #195
Keyboard projects, tips, quick news, keyboard art, in the mailbox, meetups, vendors, discounts.
Published July 22, 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.
I'm not entirely sure what's going on. This site usually gets about 150,000 unique visitors per month, while there was a few-days peak resulting in 300,000 readers(?) earlier last week. Only in Cloudflare and other server-side stats though, not e.g. in Analytics. So maybe some files were deeplinked? I'm not sure. Can't really see anything suspicious, still getting resource limit errors on some pageloads.
Anyway..
Some posts worth sharing
- Review: The NPKC RO75, NPKClub's first self-developed model, is a bang-for-your-buck 75% wireless keyboard in a hefty alu case, with cool matching keycap sets.
- Brian Schwind released his key-ripper keyboard, with custom Rust firmware.
- Mike Hölscher released the files of his mikecinq, a ULP monoblock split featuring PG1316S switches.
- Dane Lipscombe's Harite v3 is another iteration on his directional keyboard, now with 4-way joysticks.
- The Raven is a 42-key wireless split by ohemaag.
- A diodeless version of the original, using graph theory this time: Gamma Omega TC36k.
- A rarely seen open-source fullsize keyboard: Alcatel100 shared by nearestexit.
- HedgeHog is a new low-pro keycap profile by turtle-bazon. Uniform, spherical, supporting Choc and MX stems and spacings.
- New sculpted low-profile keycaps by pseudoku: Subliminal Contradiction.
- Introduced by Jan-Philipp Fischer, YADS is a dongle screen for ZMK.
Tip
Another week, another bunch of typing practice projects:
- Typing Practice Chrome browser extension by maximcus – to practice typing on any website. The idea is that you practice typing on the real text you want to read.
- TypingGym is a clean a simple app by FroyoAbject, focusing on accuracy over speed. I liked this one.
- TypeQuicker Code, as the name implies, helps you practice typing in your favorite programming language. Haven't tried this, it badly needs a login-free demo.
- Vial 0.7.4 released. Chordal Hold, Flow Tap, Repeat Key, Caps Word. Layer lock, etc. Shared by pgetreuer.
Closed-source, commercial, WIP, etc.
- A mikefive alternative by Additional-Stock. With ultra low-pro PG switches, Cirque trackpad and display.
- Dactyl Lynx by David H. Bronke. A reinplementation of the Dactyl with larger, more vertical thumb clusters.
- A handwired HDMI Corne build by QuackTheMan. Single controller with HDMI cable to bridge the matrix, plus floral engravings.
- A keyboard with built-in DAC by androidbrick.
- Joe Scotto's Scotto34 on steroids – with solenoid.
- baucts designed and made a nice 60% board with XT-ish layout.
- a_l_k_0's Cornedeon is a modified Corne: handwired 3 extra keys to the PCB.
- Petal by AmPi Studio. A prebuilt unibody split with ULP Kailh PG1316S switches.
- WoodenCod's WIP wireless split Xavient Keeb.
- A handwired keyboard with trackball. Some progress photos by salavatme.
- Soleil – a solar powered wireless TKL. Posted by CannonKeys.
- HellSplit – a bit asymmetric 40% handwired split by RunRunAndyRun.
- Gamma Omega ULP. Wow. The Cherry MX ULP version, without diodes.
- K:03 v4 and wireless editions available from ergohaven. Reduced spacing, 5% smaller case.
- Type with your toes as Sergei Silnov aka Pinya does it with his Toepad.
History/Discovery
- INCOMM Scientology Keyboard – Cherry G80-1165HAU – posted by Ibassett_21.
Keyboard art
- Lovely curves of a Parabolica 60 – by Sterlingandcophoto.
- Cool paint job on this Dactyl by V-Z-xianyu.
- I like these renders of the TAIKO-01 concept – by dailytadpole.
- 3D-printed Menura case by PyntieHet.
- Personalitysphere's modular cyberdeck project belongs in the art column too. Another set of photos.
- I've already mentined the Soleil above, but I like this angle and the wooden accents. A lot to be honest.
In the mailbox
- A lovely 75% wireless board from KiiBOOM – the Phantom 81 Lite. There are four themes available, mine is the green frog variant with cute caps and extra stickers.
- And a Syntech Chronos 68, an aluminum HE board with a very comfy wrist rest beside all the magnetic features. I like this white/yellow variant the best.
Reviews later.
Donations
- Two new recurring donations: by Filip S. and TurkeyBoards's James. Thank you guys!
- 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!
Vendors & Discounts
Feel free to use the KBDNEWS discount code at 178 keyboard shops! And do not hesitate to report any issues! :)
New shops and updates to the database of keyboard vendors this past week:
- Complete QwertyKeys store revamp. (Announcement.) By now you've missed the limited-time launch sale on Neo & QK keyboards, but check out the site anyway. Lots of cool stuff. Yummy!!
- AlternisHS went on a keyboard hunting in Korea. Some photos of a small shop in Seoul.
- In addition, I marked some shops as closed/closing. E.g. Keebhut.
Developments
I'm still testing and tweaking the new switch comparison features. Too many kinds of switches, too many other things to do…
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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 22nd Jul 2025. Featured in KBD #195.
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