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Tilted thumb key

A 3D-printed tilted keycap for a more comfortable thumb cluster.

KBD.news
Published September 9, 2022
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If you use split ergo keyboards with thumb clusters, one issue you may experience is the lack of proper keycaps for the thumb keys. I mean cheap and accessible ones.

The shape of most high-pro (but also low-profile) keycaps wasn't designed with this user case in mind so the harsh edges of the common profiles may result in awkward user experience.

Until the convex thumb keys of MoErgo and Chosfox arrive, people have to come up with home-brew solutions. E.g. I simply put the original flat Kailh low-pro caps on my Azimuth, but it's a handwired build and with most PCBs you don't have the luxury of changing between low-pro and high-pro switches/caps.

A 3D printed tilted keycap design published earlier this year by improprietary, and brought to my attention by bethesda2010yy, may be another option.

Attaching a small tilted keycap to the front row made it much easier to type. It's pretty easy to move your thumb around – @bethesda2010yy.

STLs of the keycaps with various angles are available on Printables: https://www.printables.com/model/166665-typewriter-ish-keycaps-for-mx-switches

A similar tilted stem for Choc switches was featured earlier.

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Published on Fri 9th Sep 2022. Featured in KBD #94.


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