Issue 194 / Week 25 / 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+25 entries in this issue:
Editorial
Behind the scenes #194
Keyboard projects, tips, quick news, keyboard art, in the mailbox, meetups, vendors, discounts.
Switch trends
Best-selling keyboard switches of June 2025
In this overview of community-favorite mechanical switches, here are June's top picks, based on real sales data provided by vendors and manufacturers.
Review
GravaStar Mercury V75 Pro HE review
Another masterpiece by GravaStar: the magnetic Mercury V75 Pro HE – hand-painted aluminum alloy case, carbon plate, the hallmark alien legs, and all the Hall-effect features for competitive gamers.
Projects
Easy75
An open-source 75/80% keyboard with encoder and display: Easy75 by Eddy Zhao.
Scyboard
A wireless low-pro split by Andrew: the open-source Scyboard.
ErgoDecks
A low-pro split keyboard by meepodeep: the ErgoDecks with two independent Bluetooth halves.
6x5 ortholinear keyboard
An open-source 6x5 ortho board by derEchteJan.
Slimkeeb 36
A compact, no-frills, and cheap ergo split: Slimkeeb36 by Keji Li.
Aronia
Sergei Silnov's Aronia is now open source: a ultra-low profile foldable unibody split.
Heatwave
Heatwave is a 36-key wireless, curved unibody split keyboard by dohn-joh – with integrated lever keycaps.
Smashboard
Alex Grau made the Smashboard, an ortholinear Bluetooth split keyboard.
Quick news
Tip
Thockfactory 2.0 is here. Major update, e.g. lots of split layout presets. Design your own custom keycaps.
3D-printed deskmat holder idea.
Typing tests: Typecelerate by sock_pup is a practice app that targets your weaknesses. And typingspeed.app by No_a mApricot is a simpler one.
RazgrizHsu's karabiner-ts-config is a TypeScript-based tool for building Karabiner Elements configuration files with type-safe Fluent API design.
Cable coiler jig by ropergames2.
Closed-source, commercial, WIP, etc.
Wooden keycaps by Apoc_Pony for hitbox users.
Bug54 V0.2 update: power switch and reset button added.
Ali is a handwired Bluetooth monoblock ergo split project by ohemaag – with case files.
A ultra low profile split by sshenron.
Cork board, razor, sandpaper. A DIY project by TheGoatzart.
Swifty50 by Feisty_Place. Another PG1316S ultra low-pro split.
A handmade Moonlander by Duy__Do. With STLs.
Kaizen is dbsds87's low-pro ergo unibody. Repo WIP.
Nuty60 by Nutylabs. A nice split with low-pro KS-33 hotswap or MX soldered switch support.
Plancké – a case for a Planck by bankair. To fix a broken USB-C port.
Hmm. Sunder C60 HE by sunderkeyboards' squishy_liquid. A 4x6 Hall effect split.
Discovery
According to binpax (and USB-IF), most of you folks are using keypads, not keyboards.
Keyboard art
doro!pad by Rain2.
Glass keyboard by transgingeredjess. And sound test.
The Misinput by Blytical. "World's stupidest keyboard."
Tech Bear TB-65F. Photos by LightningXI.
Sikakeyb HM80. Photos by theillmeister.
This steampunkish abomination is basically a modded Sofle – halves connected by aluminum mouse housing and laptop hinges. By Cacklefruit.
Keyboard buiding in Shanghai. Posted by jaapgrolleman.
Weekly Diderot effect
Artisan box by TNdesignstudio. Aluminum body, acrylic lid, stackable.
splitkb.com, MoErgo Glove80, Upgrade Keyboards, Aiksplace, @keebio, Cyboard, Jacob Mikesell, KEEBD, littlemer-the-second, Timo, @kaleid1990, TALPKEYBOARD, ghsear.ch, Brendan P., u/motfalcon, Bob Cotton, FFKeebs, @therick0996, Christian Mladenov, Schnoor Typography, Daniel Nikolov, u/eighty58five, Caleb Rand, James McCleese, Ben M, zzeneg, Spencer Dabell, Anatolii Smolianinov, Penk Chen, Clacky, Stefan S., HLPlanet, Alex Miller, Matthias Goffette, Trey Causey, Dylan Ingham, Mario S., Cloyce, Gordon Diggs, BeaverKeys, Duncan B., Hating TheFruit, HubertTheMad, Hana Lee, Shnobble, Jesse L., Andres Sakk, Davidjohn Gerena, nutylabs, Hal Frigaard, Ikasaya, rollolinsky, s_p_l_o_d_e, drudru, Technofrikus, Dickiedyce, 0xcircuitbreaker
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