Issue 185 / Week 3 / 2025
This is a hand-picked selection of last week's content from a keyboard enthusiast's perspective. Posts that may teach you something, make you think and contribute to the common knowledge of the DIY builder community.
There are 10+30 entries in this issue:
Editorial
Behind the scenes #185
Keyboard projects, reviews, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, vendors, discounts.
Review
GravaStar Mercury X Pro mouse review
With its sci-fi/alien design, ultra-light magnesium frame, and fancy RGB light, the wireless Gravastar Mercury X Pro mouse is a cutting-edge precision tool for competitive gamers.
Projects
Mantaray
A Voyager-inspired budget unibody split: Mantaray by Colton Hawkins.
Haori36-MX
Designed by Penk Chen, the Haori36-MX is a unibody ortho split keyboard.
Banchan
A clever 3D-printed case for Keebio's BDN9: Banchan from Capsule Deluxe.
Crosses
Crosses is a modular ergonomic keyboard with trackball – shared by Vinnie Franco.
TKLish
Designed by Ming Gih-Lam, TKLish is a series of PCBs that mimic the style of a TKL keyboard.
n36tsu
N36tsu by n1tsu. A low-profile split with PG1316S switches.
Red Cedar split
The Red Cedar is a well-documented Dactyl-like split by Tim Wenger – with PS2 buttons.
Lio46 V2
Lio46 is a wireless, 46-key split keyboard – designed by Liolaeus.
Quick news
TIPS
IBM Selectric caps to Choc adapter by ak66666. In case you feel the urge to combine absurdly high-profile caps with low-pro switches. ;) STL this way. Inspired by the Hacktrick.
Ewen Cluney (weirdlittlekeebs) made metal plate keycaps – an MX keycap model to accommodate 1/2", 17 gauge metal discs glued to the top.
Raks321 made a Prospector Case, a dongle holder for the Pipar & Sol board (source).
Keyboard Unchatter? Well, a 8 years old software solution to a hardware issue, but some people may find it useful as grigby did.
Closed-source, WIP, etc.
Blashphemy by dohn-joh. An angled monoblock split with custom keycaps: BLP aka Blasphemy Low Profile. A sculpted low-profile set with caps of many sizes, designed with row stagger and FDM printing in mind. Repo later.
Svalboard Lightly – now with touchpad.
Oni is just a sweep36 with custom images on the PCB (more photos). Posted by danihek.
The Titus65 is a 65% concrete keyboard case.
Link Split Ergo (GB) – an upcoming keyboard project from CannonKeys. PCB featuring an RP2040 with USB-C interconnectivity and high profile CNC aluminum case supporting an in-house tenting solution (source).
Baaawbag's Magpie was inspired by the Voyager.
Buenzliboard with Cherry MX ULP switches – by senekor.
Handwired Hatsu by Duy__Do – with progress photos.
Nury Mini COLOR by Flaky_Ad_7038. Repo soon.
A 10-key low-profile macropad: Palette by Escobyte/Modern Coup's pabloescobyte.
A monoblock non-angled keyboard by SupaRaggs.
Kai-Pad v2 by Kai_. Angled thumbpad acting as tent.
If I understand correctly, TLTB made a Game Boy style outer shell for a Logitech keyboard: Key Box.
macro 64 – a cure retro-looking wireless macropad.
PetitSpatula teased a MNML (pronounced Minimal) prototype by Clickety Split. A thin version of Leeloo-Micro, with ultra-thin notebook switches.
History
In this section I feature retro stuff usually, but let's repurpose it for history being written: photos of the California fire carnage – posted by Matte_Box.
Keyboard art
An Israfel build by GeckoAutruche.
Vany Alice by Whatever Studio x Wuque.
A table full of kohakus at a meetup in Toronto.
Crocheted keyboard cover by soyozan's wife. :)
I liked this cerakoate job a lot: Baionlenja Bias shot by Lyzerfex.
MIDI88 is a 88-key MIDI piano controller, shared by BFB. 3D printed, powered by QMK.
#Weekly Diderot effect#
Alice edition keyboard stands by mar_mech. (5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code.)
splitkb.com, MoErgo Glove80, ZSA Technology Labs, Aiksplace, Upgrade Keyboards, @keebio, Cyboard, Jason Hazel, Jacob Mikesell, Sean Grady, Ergohaven, KEEBD, @kaleid1990, littlemer-the-second, Timo, ghsear.ch, u/motfalcon, Bob Cotton, FFKeebs, TALPKEYBOARD, @therick0996, Christian Mladenov, Brendan P., Schnoor Typography, Daniel Nikolov, u/eighty58five, Caleb Rand, James McCleese, Ben M, Yuan Liu, zzeneg, Spencer Dabell, Anatolii Smolianinov, Penk Chen, Clacky, Matthias Goffette, Stefan S., Alex Miller, Trey Causey, Gordon Diggs, Dylan Ingham, Mario S., Cloyce, Hating TheFruit, Shnobble, Davidjohn Gerena, Duncan B., HubertTheMad, Jesse L., Andres Sakk, Stefan Schwarzer, s_p_l_o_d_e, nutylabs, Joshua Congdon, SadWitch.
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