Keyboard Builders' Digest / Tips & Tricks
Brand new Model F keyboards
Model F Labs, offering remakes of capacitive buckling spring and beamspring IBM keyboards, added new models to the line-up.
Published May 14, 2023
In the ever-growing sea of MX switches coming in endless colors and named after tasty food and cute animals, it's easy to miss that there are many more switch types under the sun, as e.g. Chyrosran points out. Mentioning remakes of the legendary capacitive buckling spring and beamspring keyboards he was referring to Model F Labs and the Brand New Model F Keyboards project.
Bringing back the classic buckling spring and beam spring keyboards, built to last for decades but out of production since the 1980s! – Model F Labs.
Launched by project coordinator Joe Strandberg aka Ellipse back in 2015, modelfkeyboards.com has been offering buckling spring and beam spring keyboards for years, and according to a recent announcement the line-up now includes a bunch of additional new-old IBM models.
In 2017, the project chose two space-saver layouts as their first products: the F77 (without F-row) and the even smaller F62 Kishsaver.
This time, the new members of the family include fullsize and even split keyboards: F104, FSSK, F122, F15, F50, and also one Split Ortholinear Ergonomic with an ErgoDox style layout.
The layouts and cases of these Model F boards were modeled after the later-production Model M keyboards and their more standardized/modernized layouts, but with the same Model F internal components and XT-quality dye sublimated keycaps as with the original F62/F77 project.
At modelfkeyboards.com you can buy parts as well, so in theory nothing can stop you from creating noisy ergo splits modeled after your hands – with barrels, buckling springs, and the unrivaled clickety-clack.
Ellipse went ahead and instead of launching a group buy he ordered the first batches in advance. The quantity may be limited in some cases, but feel free to check out his store anyway.
And if you are curious about the project itself, Joe talked about his journey at last year's Google NYC Tech Talk. Here is a "quick" recap of this 8-year-long story:
Resources
- https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/
- https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/brand-new-model-f-major-launch-full-size-and-other-models-march-april-2023-update/
- https://twitter.com/ModelFKeyboards
Published on Sun 14th May 2023. Featured in KBD #122.
Related
IBM 3276 Beam Spring
A restored and modded IBM 3276 Beam Spring keyboard with USB and a wooden palm rest by madhias (gallery, sound).
Manifold
The manifold is a handwired keyboard in a 3D printed IBM SSK-like case. Designed by _galile0.
IBM Model M122 classification
SharktasticA reworked his page on differences between and classifications of IBM Model M122s.
32-key buckling spring keyboard
This 32-key IBM/QAZ buckling spring keyboard was committed by u/Pocketfullofbugs.
IBM 3178 C1 mod
An IBM 3178 C1 USB Chungus edition ft. Solenoid by drake9800.