Keyboard Builders' Digest / Editorial

Behind the scenes #206

Behind the scenes with the IQUNIX Magi65 Pro review, open-source and commercial projects, keyboard art, meetups, lots of new vendors and discounts.

dovenyi
Published February 13, 2026

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.

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.

Chef's choice

Yeah, this write-up is pretty long. If you're in a hurry, focus on these posts:

• Switch market: January’s numbers are in. Switch top list updated.
• Review: IQUNIX Magi65 Pro. A classy tri-mode low-pro alu board.
• Open source: Dabao, Shoedler54, etc.
• Commercial: Cerakey Peak60 ceramic case, Smurve80 [GB], etc.
• Tips: Whalebone Stands 3D configurator.
• Art: The Silver Samurai, mangrove Alchemist, ClayonKey ceramic wrist rest with raw laquer finishing.

Some posts worth sharing

• Here are January’s top mechanical switches, the community’s current favorites based on vendor feedback. 18 shops and manufacturers have contributed their sales data, representing a tiny sample of 1 million switches sold.

• The Magi65 Pro by IQUNIX is easily the most refined 65% wireless low-profile aluminum keyboard to cross my desk.

• A purely declarative split keyboard designed via ergogen: Shoedler54 by Simon Schödler.

• The GlassToKey by disarmyouwitha is an attempt to use the Apple Magic Trackpad as a keyboard (and mouse).

• Nikita Shirokov's Lapka 42 is a wireless low-profile split keyboard with splay.

• Yuburoll's ANSIC is a uniformly row-staggered 40-42 key split keyboard.

• An open-source, low-profile, portable, pseudo-split steno keyboard: ObiWanStenobit by ivndbt.

• Justin Lam's Dabao is an open-source, low-profile keyboard, usable both as a unibody or split device.

• The aphelo30 is MajinEvelyn's open-source, wireless split keyboard design – without thumb keys for a reason.

• The Snake is a 40% semi-ortho keyboard. PCB by 1000eyes}, extra case by {Technofrikus.

Closed-source, WIP, commercial, etc.

• Cerakey Peak60 ceramic case (source).

• Teased by scytile, the Calidris is the low-profile alterntive to his popular Cygnus. No files released yet.

• The Wendigo Dongle is a small, portable dongle using a 128x32 display. Shared by leifflat (imgur, github).

• SplitFish by Lander03xD_. A wireless split ZMK keyboard with soldered switches.

• An updated Crabapplepad V2 with hinges – by Sergei Silnov.

• PlanckBoy with CNC case. New color posted by TemperetureAgile3326.

• Intrepid_Employer719 is prototyping the EKGO.

• To each their own: Compose – Ryan Peterman made this because mechanical keyboards come with "weird layouts". Soon on Kickstarter?

• The Smurve80 [GB] – with "smurve" derived from "smile" and "curve" – features a gentle curve inspired by the IBM Model M. With similarly curved switch plate and solenoid!

• Handwired wooden keyboard project by blind238.

• OLIK 47 is a handwired ergo split by kimfransman.

• Parallax Corne – powder-coated aluminum, fancy carry case, designed by heysakha.

Tips, Typing, Keymap, 3D

• Tazisacat of Whalebone Stands released a cool 3D keyboard stand configurator/preview tool. Pick your color, number of shelves, and add cork padding. Reddit announcement.

• Paspie's definitive guide to bottom rows. A quick historical overview.

• Free Kirby keycap design by Toji/starmiemd.

• Some caps (e.g. this one emerged using this custom keycap model maker by AEKI. I thought I'd share it.

• Oven retro-brighting tips from humanplayer2.

• Wow. A Chocofi turning off automatically when packed up (magnetic halves snapped together) – thanks to reed switches. Awesome idea and execution by AcceptableCharge9197.

• A browser-based keycap generator by Stepan Rumswinkel (aka _ettb_/srwi). Github repo and r/mk post.

• Always a fan of cardboard prototyping. This time committed by AnnaRooks.

• PSA from a keyboard manufacturer. The IQUINIX team's tips before you pack up your "broken" keyboard and pay for shipping: Hold FN + Spacebar (or sometimes FN + Esc) for 5-10 seconds. The RGB lights will flash white/blink. Allegedly, this fixes about 40% of the "ghosting/dead LED" tickets they receive.

• Printable palmrest for a split keyboard. Shared by Yuburoll.

History/Discovery

• A real beast posted by SadSkelly_Larry who used to work in a news station. This was used for a lot of on-screen graphic stuff. With Cherry Black switches.

• Old HMI keyboard – with sound. By Insertions_Coma.

• Hehe. A Preh Commander posted by Rabbitmincer. I have the one with the Cherry-compatible colorful MDAish caps, but this one is just as interesting layout-wise.

Keyboard art

• Yeah, IQUNIX keeps churning out these cool designs. This one is 'The Silver Samurai', a modded EV63 HE (via r/mk).

• Wait, how have I missed tschibo00's mangrove board, the Alchemist?! Some older photos.

• Rain2 is back with the Vulpes trackball version.

• Cerakeys matte griege caps on a Brazen Studio Terrazzo keyboard.

• Many photos of Oblique 60 came out, I chose Intelligent_Boot's shots (another gallery). I love this side profile and bottom.

• Another bold bottom design: RAE Aurum. Photos by Sterlingandcophoto.

• Gateron Magnetic Jade Delta switches with this triangularish stem.

• I may have already mentioned this here: Trigon60. Posted by keka52.

• Panelka keycap set. For context: A panel building is a high-density apartment block made from prefabricated concrete elements. Widely built in Central and Eastern Europe during the socialist era.

Accessories

• ClayonKey Nature Series ceramic wrist rests. I find some of these designs really nice – despite being a bit skeptical about a hard surface under my pamls/wrists. I'll have to try one of these – love the raw lacquer finishing. The shop went just online, without these fancy glazings yet.

• Kitty keycaps seem to conquer the world. Arktcat is here with another MAO set: the Crystal Jelly Meow Meow.

In the mailbox

IQUINIX Magi65 Pro

Jeez, what a quality bundle! Unique packaging design, a cool low-profile alu keyboard with a roller encoder and plenty of neat details. E.g. bonus metal artisans. In the meantime I've already reviewed it.

Womier SK80 Pro

Have I mentioned the Hokusai Womier already? A Womier SK80 Pro variant.

Can't get enough of the great wave off Kanagawa? There's a seventh instance on the bottom. :) Review soon.

Donations

• New donors, yay! Thank you Joerg L., Lee L., and Nghi N.!
• 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

• SFxMK Winter Swap & Meet, February 14, San Francisco, CA, US

Recently added

• Colorado MechMeets February 2026 meetup, February 22, Denver, CO, US
• SMKX 2026, March 28, Seoul, South Korea
• MKCZ 2026, Prague, May 9, Prague, Czech Republic

Galleries

• There was a meetup in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• And another one in Moscow.
• Is this gallery from the same event? Idk.

Vendor news & Discounts

Lots of updates in this section.

First and foremost, feel free to use the KBDNEWS discount code accepted by 193 keyboard shops worldwide! And do not hesitate to report any issues! :)

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

• IQUINIX coupon reactivated. They may even auto-apply when clicking the links on kbd.news. The code has been around for years, but I only noticed that it doesn't work when writing the Magi65 review… No it's back again.
• Whalebone Stands's Ed offered you a 15% discount (KBDNEWS coupon code).
• ClayonKey site launched. Still WIP, but the 5% KBDNEWS discount is already active. Some nice photos of their keycaps and wrist rests, not yet added to the site when I last checked.
• Arktcat – some cute keycaps. Attention, heavy cat and pink overdose hazard.
• Keysme is migrating to a new system, the coupon code may be temporarily(?) inactive.
• I was informed that the Divinikey coupon no longer works (removed from the database).
• I don't have any experience with KeebsForAll, but here is a warning by kionii. By the way, the shop entry has been marked as problematic for ages in the vendor list.

Weekly Yusha Kobo pilgrimage: photos by thehaikuza.

Developments

• Some small tweaks in the vendor and switch page scripts.
• Switch and vendor logo sprites updated.
• I probably managed to mess up caching of the switch pages. Will have to fix it by completely rewriting the whole thing…
• But I'm working on some additional switch statistics now.
• And should really wrap up a keycap set design for Aula Keyboard.

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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 Fri 13th Feb 2026. Featured in KBD #206.

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