Issue 190 / Week 13 / 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+23 entries in this issue:
Editorial
Behind the scenes #190
Keyboard projects, tips, quick news, keyboard art, in the mailbox, meetups, vendors, discounts.
Switch trends
Best-selling keyboard switches of March, 2025
In this month's overview of community-favorite mechanical switches, here are March's top picks, based on real sales data provided by vendors and manufacturers.
Projects
Micro Journal Rev.7: Kindred Gift
This latest revision of Un Kyu Lee's Micro Journal features a paper-like display and a more traditional keyboard.
Actually XT
The open-source Actually XT by nearestexit features a true XT layout.
Muikku58
A 56-key split keyboard using low-profile Redragon switches: Muikku58 by Juho T.
PickPocket
JCam's PickPocket is a 36-key hotswappable Bluetooth split keyboard.
Lapka
Nikita Shirokov released his Lapka, a 36-key low-pro split keyboard with uniform splay.
Nomad
An open-source 68-key low-profile split keyboard by Andreas Tacke: Nomad.
Gamma Omega
A 36-keys low-profile unibody split keyboard designed for portability: Gamma Omega by unspecworks.
Protractor
The Protractor is a low-profile unibody ortho keyboard with adjustable typing angle.
HE60 PCB
The HE60 is an open-source 60% Hall-effect keyboard PCB by peppapig.
Quick news
TIPS
The KEA profile keycaps have new flavors. There is now a Choc-spaced version, along with some thumb variants, for more customization. Shared by Claude from Kea Workshop.
Based on the original Portable Keyboard Layout (PKL) by Máté Farkas (I've been using this tool for many years on Windows for non-programmable keyboards), DreymaR released the latest, v1.4.2 EPKL (EPiKaL PKL).
Ultra Short Throw – Rob Cameron aka cannikinn managed to shorten both the bottom-out travel and topout travel in Kailh low-pro switches by adding ball bearings.
Closed-source, commercial, WIP, etc.
QK Duo, the first split keyboard by Qwertykeys.
TEX Prototype Ergo with trackpoint. Soon on Kickstarter.
Get naked handwired concept by SfBattleBeagle.
WIP: Stenowing28 by Flexyjerkov.
Clawtype is a custom wearable chorded keyboard (and mouse) by akavel.
Xlice – An Alice layout keyboard by wind x alice with three flavors: standard, normal numpad, southpaw numpad.
Dry Studio Black Diamond 75 RT: leaf springs, Hall-effect switches, cool case.
TestDrive Fifi by jrussellsmyth aka LockPickingCoder. A series of handwired projects to test layouts before buying.
SkinnyPete32. A handwired split with keywell – by Stephan (Rollercole) Moller.
Another monoblock split by gwirn/boring-beaver: the handwired Hedgehawk comes in a tented case.
Kinesis mWave – the familiar "sculpt" design in wireless flavor with mechanical switches (Gateron low-pro).
Two handwired Cornes stuck together, with an Azoteq TPS45 trackpad in the middle: Shio by adachinkovsky.
A custom prototype by No-Series-4301. Inspired by Teenage Engineering and the Work Louder Board.
ermbkbd aka "Erik's Monoblock Keyboard" is a 3D-printed, handwired project with encoders and a mini macropad in the middle.
Keyboard art
Rain2's latest abomination – "angering both diagonal and straight users".
Hand-sewn deskmat matching the GMK Indigo keycap set – by intuifin.
Ahem. Solid brass Le Chiffre by Monkeycrunk.
Capzine metal artisans by Winmix Production. With hand-adjustable calendar keys, just to name the most extreme variant.
Nics.tek Hesper64 with physical "dual-action" switches? Art column because I'm not sure if this is an actual product. :)
Weekly Diderot effect
This food grade keyboard silicon mold was part of the April 1st posts, but it does exist as a pre-order/group buy. Let's make keyboards out of chocolate, wax, gelatin, etc.
splitkb.com, Upgrade Keyboards, Aiksplace, @keebio, Cyboard, Jacob Mikesell, KEEBD, littlemer-the-second, @kaleid1990, Timo, TALPKEYBOARD, ghsear.ch, u/motfalcon, Bob Cotton, FFKeebs, @therick0996, Brendan P., Christian Mladenov, Schnoor Typography, Daniel Nikolov, u/eighty58five, Caleb Rand, James McCleese, Ben M, zzeneg, Spencer Dabell, Anatolii Smolianinov, Penk Chen, Clacky, Stefan S., Matthias Goffette, Alex Miller, Trey Causey, Dylan Ingham, Mario S., Gordon Diggs, Cloyce, Hating TheFruit, Duncan B., Shnobble, HLPlanet, HubertTheMad, Davidjohn Gerena, Jesse L., Andres Sakk, Andrew M., Hana Lee, Breana E., nutylabs, Alexander D., s_p_l_o_d_e, Ikasaya
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