Issue 188 / Week 9 / 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 11+22 entries in this issue:
END - my final keyboard layout
Peter wanted to find "the best" alphanumeric layout for English, German and more European languages – and ended up with anymak:END.
Editorial
Behind the scenes #188
Keyboard projects, reviews, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, vendors, discounts.
Switch trends
Best-selling keyboard switches of February, 2025
In this month's overview of community-favorite mechanical switches, here are February's top picks, based on real sales data provided by vendors and manufacturers.
Review
Dareu A950 Wing mouse review
The wireless/wired Dareu A950 Wing mouse is another highly customizable companion for those seeking performance – with 8K polling rate both in wired and 2.4G modes.
Projects
Orasnica
A wireless monoblock split keyboard by trkeyboards: Orasnica – inspired by the Grumpy.
The grAIl - AI inspired design
Tschibo00's 40% grAIl was inspired by an AI image. But it's a real keyboard.
Bayleaf
An ultra-low-pro split ortho by Sebastian Graz: Bayleaf.
Apiaster
A cheap, adjustable and upgradeable split keyboard by Saixos: Apiaster.
Zwerg
A 40% ortho split keyboard with parametric, tented case: Zwerg by floookay.
Dyad
Dyad is a no-frills wireless split keyboard with tented base and a clever carry case.
Community
Let's support Ukraine via kbd.news
Fancy keyboards and colorful switches are a nice pastime in peacetime, but in these dark days, we have to focus on those who fight real battles.
Quick news
TIPS
A Choc keycap riser by smallwat3r.
Ergohaven's HPD v2 is now open source.
IKEA Skadis pegboard keyboard hook by marmech.
Closed-source, WIP, etc.
A handwired ortho build by salavatme, and another wireless handwired one from the same author.
keebboy_50 by New-Concentrate6308. WIP prototype. Uses a cartridge system inspired by the giga 40.
A handwired split with a walnut base. Based on the Scotto44.
A math keyboard by NoConfidence.
Peppapig's Hall-effect Boardsource-like ortho running on libhmk.
A handwired macropad with a big ass encoder knob. By icelongclaw.
A WIP ESP32 modular macropad by Nxe5/questionbox.
A mechanical keyboard with TouchID and a removable numpad. Posted by Hot_Frame.
Great Gable is a handwired ergo-ish monoblock by Stewtheking. Laser-cut plywood, 36 keys.
PlanckBoy by TemperatureAgile et al.
Hm. Bent sheet metal is scary but the Curve0 by kbd0 is still interesting.
History
Ortho keyboards of the Tu160 and Tu95 aircrafts.
Keyboard art
Keyboard jeans by charliekabe.
A Caitlyn & Vi (from the show Arcane) themed Menura. By CaptLynx.
Handmade keycap art by Craftkeycap.
Weekly side profile shot by Suitable-Mouse. Something MelGeek. I dig MelGeek designs.
Ferris Sweep case by vyrus1618.
Artisan keycaps by MiserableMinimum, made out of silicon wafers (the thin slice of material used in computer chips).
Weekly Diderot effect
KDS-B is a brutalist keyboard stand by tazisacat.
splitkb.com, ZSA Technology Labs, Upgrade Keyboards, Aiksplace, @keebio, Cyboard, Jason Hazel, Ergohaven, Jacob Mikesell, KEEBD, littlemer-the-second, @kaleid1990, Timo, ghsear.ch, TALPKEYBOARD, u/motfalcon, FFKeebs, Bob Cotton, @therick0996, Christian Mladenov, Brendan P., Schnoor Typography, Daniel Nikolov, u/eighty58five, Caleb Rand, James McCleese, Ben M, zzeneg, Yuan Liu, Spencer Dabell, Penk Chen, Anatolii Smolianinov, Felix K., Clacky, Stefan S., Matthias Goffette, Alex Miller, Trey Causey, Cloyce, Dylan Ingham, Gordon Diggs, Mario S., Hating TheFruit, Fred H., Shnobble, Duncan B., Davidjohn Gerena, HubertTheMad, Jesse L., Andres Sakk, Jens Woyke, Breana E., nutylabs, Kyrre H. E., s_p_l_o_d_e, Alexander D.
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