Keyboard Builders' Digest / Tips & Tricks
MBK Convex
Exciting POM keycaps for Choc switches on the horizon. MBK Convex caps are a joint effort by Max Burger and Stephen Cheng.
Published May 26, 2022
Max Burger teamed up with Stephen Cheng, and they announced some new POM keycaps for Choc switches which can be intermixed and are visually compatible:
- MBK POM – "We took Max's excellent and popular MBK and MBK homing to POM"
- MBK Convex – a brand new convex profile jointly designed by Max and Stephen
- MCC homing to complement Stephen's existing MCC caps
I don't think these guys need any introduction but for those who are new to the scene:
Max Burger is the designer of and the "MB" substring in MBK – the most popular spherical low-pro keycap profile for Choc switches these days.
While Stephen Cheng is the designer of the MoErgo Glove80 and also the MCC profile which is in practice a cylindrical alternative to MBK. (And he is also a long-time kbd.news donor btw.)
MBK POM
Max and Stephen are taking the popular MBK to POM:
POM is an amazing material – it is slick, strong and chemically resistant, which means it doesn’t shine or yellow easily, and it’s well known to make great keycaps. After trying out a POM keycap last year, I loved POM’s type-feel and thought it would be awesome if MBK could be made in POM – Max.
Despite the laudation, POM is not an easy material to work with for injection molding, but MoErgo has the rare experience of bringing to market a POM keycap already (with the cylindrical MCC profile cap).
MBK Convex
The MBK Convex range is a brand new design in collaboration with MoErgo: a gently convex keycap profile that’s perfect for thumb keys and steno – Max.
Shape-wise, the MBK Convex is an improvement on the previously-offered 1.5u and 2u PBT MBK caps, with a more refined profile and surface.
The profile will be available in 1U ("perfect for steno"), 1.25U, 1.5U, 1.75U, 2U and 2.25U sizes. (Until now, MBK was offered in PBT, in 1U, 1U homing, 1.5U and 2U sizes.)
This full range from 1u to 2.25u makes it possible to use Choc switches for 40%/60% and various other keyboard layouts.
With this partnership, MoErgo is offering the broadest range of Choc-compatible keycaps in the market, to help unleash your creativity on keyboards of all kinds, from 40%/60% to ergonomic keyboards to stenographer keyboards and other layouts. All 3 ranges can be intermixed and are visually compatible – Stephen.
All of the above will be available in RGB-friendly translucent white or opaque black.
Pre-order starting next week at MkUltraCorp and SplitKB.com. Expected to be shipping from factory in August. To stay informed, you might also check the MoErgo site and Discord channel.
PBT MBK keycaps will continue to be available through FK caps. If you like a rougher texture, PBT is the right choice, whereas if you prefer a smoother, softer typing experience, do try the new MBK POM keycaps.
Published on Thu 26th May 2022. Featured in KBD #80.
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