Keyboard Builders' Digest / Editorial
Behind the scenes #203
Behind the scenes with the November best-seller switches, the Dry Studio Battleye review, plus open-source projects, keyboard art, meetups, vendors, discounts.
Published December 10, 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 commercial 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
- My regular monthly switch market overview is here, with November’s top mechanical switches – the community’s favorites based on vendor sales data. FYI, if you've already seen this, I've updated the article with Gateron's list after Friday's reddit post.
- Review: A head-turning 75%-ish Hall-effect board with circular display and knob: the Battleye 74.5 RT by Dry Studio – for sophisticated gamers.
- Yuburoll's Boardloaf is an open-source 36-key split keyboard with MX keys.
- The DYA Dash is a nice wireless split project by Cormoran: low-pro, touch sensors, trackball.
- An Atreus-inspired monoblock keyboard by Mae Pugin: the wireless KaSe with OLED.
- The next iteration of Chris Trotter's ArcBoard is here. Mk20 comes with a lot of improvements.
- Gareth Gummow's ortholinear Tentacle is using the author's SquidHID firmware.
- Vostok Labs' Baikal is a beginner-friendly, handwired, wireless Corne build with step-by-step instructions.
- A clean and simple open-source split keyboard by Terence-1.
- An RP2040-based modular macropad system by Juho T.: the Suutari20 using TRRS sockets and jacks.
Closed-source, commercial, WIP, etc.
- Vulpes by ravnheim/ravnrev. A nice handwired split.
- Parrot90 by haricane8133. A DIY TKL split with homemade circuit board, among other things.
- A WIP angled unibody with joysticks. By signalsourcexy.
- A WIP horizontally staggered split by kkooler.
- Talon38 is a handwired wireless hotswap split by jrussellsmyth.
- Another handwired one: Lobo by no-restarts/mentaldesk. A custom 3D-printed case for a Corne-ish split – with displays on the side for visibility when tented.
- The all-screen keyboard by InkBox.
Typing, Keymap, Tips
- Naoki's Keyspec Generator. Generate custom keyboard spec badges. (Thanks for the heads-up, Micah!) It already covers many situations, though not all: break-off columns will give me some headaches. Still, I may borrow some ideas from this project.
- Another recessed split keyboard by Peter Lyons.
- Cheaper DIY Spacemouse alternative. Shared by hainguyenac.
- Resin comparison for SLA printing keycaps – shared by humanplayer2.
- Bskaplou's command line VIA/Vial protocol tool for keyboard configuration.
- Wireless Corne 18650 case by Anton Duda. (Model also on github.)
- Another code typing trainer: CodeSprint by Connor (cwklurks/Internal-Challenge54).
- David Sifry's Glove80 keymap visualizer turns ZMK .keymap files into a PDF document.
History/Discovery
- Convergent Technology workstation beautifully restored by compu85.
- 1986 Sony SMC-210 Executive Workstation. Pic posted by prettybluefoxes.
Keyboard art
- An antique typesetter's tray repurposed into a wall-mounted keycap display – by aur4e.
- Denali by HaiZeus. Photo by dakfu_.
- Sweeeep posted by CaptLynx. In case you'd like some decoration but don't need an OLED.
- New wooden keycaps by HNKBD.
- Another custom YUZU keycap set, this time by Durburz_ with NASA-style fonts.
- Skullytl is a Dactyl-like split with two skulls for tenting. Files on Printables.
- Ouch. A cool QK65 Mk3 build. Photos by Sterlingandcophoto.
- Hellfire patina by NyxKeys/samu-ra-9-i.
- Lofree keycaps dyed by Suiriin.
Donations
- One long-time donor left. (Thanks for all the support you've given in years!) Anyone feels like joining?
- 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
The 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
- Keyboards Hawaii Winter '25 Meetup, December 13, Honolulu, HI, US
- Ohio Mechanical Keyboard Meetup 2025, December 13, Dublin, OH, US
Recently added
- Colorado MechMeets January 2026 meetup, January 17, 2026, Erie, CO, US
- KeyCon 2026 [venue announced], June 13, 2026, Chicago, IL, US
Meetup galleries
- Some photos from ZFX2025 Shanghai. By j1aaa.
- In addition, RiskyAlpha shared some photos of the previous Colorado meetup.
Vendor news & Discounts
Feel free to use the KBDNEWS discount code at 189 keyboard shops worldwide! And do not hesitate to report any issues! :)
New shops and updates to the database of keyboard vendors this past two weeks:
- inputgear.de added. This is Candykeys rebranded without GBs now. 5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code. The candykeys domain will be redirected to this one.
- Green Door Geeks's Luis has raised your discount to 10% (code: KBDNEWS). Thanks!
- Limited Angry Miao coupon added (KBDNEWS). Works for the Infinity mouse and the Battleye keyboard I've reviewed, $100+ purchase needed.
Other news:
- Cherry gives up German production and wants to sell core division. Huge net loss this year, switch production in Auerbach has now been completely discontinued.
Developments
I've been working on some administrative scripts for the switch section. Updating prices and stock status should become smoother and more frequent soon, plus I'm preparing some new features as well.
Full automation is quite risky with all the different shops, currencies, and styles of classifying products (with some attributes appearing only in titles…), but the goal is to minimize manual tasks.
In addition, Raphael's mail asking for assistance while trying to subscribe to the newsletter made me aware of the fact that 20-25% of new subscribers are marked as Unactivated. Hmm. I discovered a Send reminder option, so if the email address is correct, you may receive a new notification to confirm it. Check your spam folder too…
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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 Wed 10th Dec 2025. Featured in KBD #203.
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