Keyboard Builders’ Digest / Editorial
Behind the scenes #200
Behind the scenes with the September swap high record, Womier ERA75 and Redragon Eclipse K720 Professional evaluations, open-source tasks, ideas, keyboard artwork, meetups, new distributors, reductions, and many others.
dovenyi
Revealed October 22, 2025
Hey, what’s up everybody!
Welcome again for an additional recap and behind-the-scenes write-up – with some cool tasks from the DIY keyboard scene, but in addition promising closed-source tasks and even prototypes.
If you’re new to kbd.information, you possibly can learn how this began out and what that is all about these days. When you like what you see, subscribe to the e-newsletter (free) and donate some bucks to maintain this in any other case free and ad-free venture alive.
There weren’t many noteworthy open-source tasks in October to this point, so that is the month’s first concern/e-newsletter (apart from the swap mail I despatched out for the primary time). I needed to give you extra authentic content material, that is why the 2 evaluations this time.
Some posts price sharing
Greatest-selling keyboard switches of September 2025
- Keyboard assessment: The 75% wi-fi Womier ERA75 was a really enjoyable construct. Properly lower alu case in six themes, hotswap switches and encoder, double-shot caps, VIA assist. The DIY stickers will maintain you busy for a while.
Womier ERA75 assessment
- Bonus assessment: The Redragon Eclipse K720 Professional is a 75% wi-fi gamer(?) board with fairly spectacular options for the worth: CNC alu case, show, rotary knob, cool ornament lights.
Redragon Eclipse K720 Professional assessment
- The Visorbearer by carrefinho is a 34-key wi-fi unibody cut up keyboard with cool indicators.
Visorbearer
- An ultra-low-profile wi-fi cut up keyboard supporting Cherry MX ULP and PG1316S switches: Delta Omega by unspecworks.
Delta Omega
- A low-profile cut up keyboard with Corne 42 structure and Cherry ULP switches: ULK by Goga64.
ULK keyboard
- Tschibo00 shared the TokeyO+, a 33-key unibody cut up with a ’70s vibe.
ToKeyO Plus
- TuxedoMakes launched the Mantaray Professional Wi-fi, a cut up model of his Voyager-inpired, initially monoblock Mantaray. Out there as package or prebuilt.
Mantaray Professional Wi-fi
- The Dial Gboard is Google Japan‘s yet one more loopy enter gadget.
Gboard Dial Model
Closed-source, business, WIP, and many others.
- Bully-Ribs – a pleasant monoblock offset ortho “cut up” by CREATINE0.
- Handwired: Caeli is a mini katana structure keyboard by leifflat.
- Atlas, WIP, is a cultured low-pro cut up with trackpoints. By AsicResistor.
Typing, Keymap, Ideas
- MorphKeys demonstration. A reconfigurable keyboard system utilizing NFC tags that lets customers freely organize particular person keys in three dimensions to match their ergonomic wants and particular utilization eventualities.
I at all times thought cut up layouts or unique key shapes would repair my fingers — seems, it was all about my pinkies and the appropriate thumb keys – devenv.
Historical past/Discovery
- An previous YAESU YK-901, wownicehat‘s flea market discover in Munich. It solely outputs higher case. Handbook.
a particular keyboard that’s paired with different Yaesu radio gear for ham radio operations in Morse Code (CW) and Radio Teletype (RTTY). The CW/RTTY swap on the again permits particular indicators/shortcuts for every mode – ducksauz.
- Qtronix board with Mitsumi miniature switches, from 1986. Hupadupa‘s discover.
It is onerous to make out the structure precisely from the low res picture, however I believe I bought it and wow is it dangerous. It is just like the designers had been aiming for prime SFBs – cyanophage.
Keyboard artwork
- The Buck Stops Right here encoder knob by NHValentine. 10 actual dimes (a buck) with the highest one being an actual silver mercury dime. Fused and hand fitted to a 6mm D shaft encoder.
Within the mailbox
A bunch of MoeeTech stuff. Thanks!
A prebuilt purple Glitter65 HE, the brand new (plastic) Corridor-effect board, and in addition a pink package – with plenty of switches and keycaps.
Jeez. I am not often into Corridor-effect keyboards, however the MoeeTech Glitter65 HE would possibly simply have the most effective typing really feel I’ve ever tried – even in comparison with my 100+ MX boards.
I used to be a bit sceptical after I heard that they are engaged on some customized switches, however it turned out that these could be the key sauce on this nice combine. A minimum of the pink 38gF ProSilk coming with the pre-built Glitter within the pictures. For some motive, the typing really feel is INSANELY GOOD!!!! These customized HE switches, notably the black and pink one, are tremendous clean and tremendous creamy. (The blue one has a bit extra wobble than the opposite two.)
An inexpensive, compact, gentle 65% Corridor-effect board, translucent acrylic instances in numerous colours, with superior switches and double-shot keycaps. Pre-built or package. Value ranging from $80.
(Have not even plugged them in, however was amazed by the texture. Full assessment later.)
Donations
- Two new donors, yay! Liz L. and Hirohito F. Thanks!
- And as at all times, many because of my superior common supporters and everybody who helped this venture to this point.
For all of the donation choices take a look at the donation web page!
Meetup database
As at all times, this meetup database serves as each a calendar and an archive, so be happy to ship me upcoming occasions and even ones from the current previous to make this assortment as complete as potential.
Upcoming meetups
- 2025 Milwaukee Mechanical Keyboard Meetup, October 25, Milwaukee, WI, US
- YugoMK Meetup 2025, October 25, Belgrade, Serbia
- Berlin MK Meetup, October 27, Berlin, Germany
Not too long ago added
Distributors & Reductions
Be happy to make use of the KBDNEWS low cost code at 186 keyboard outlets worldwide! And don’t hesitate to report any points! 🙂
New outlets and updates to the database of keyboard distributors this previous two weeks:
- Ikasaya (US) is closing. Clearance sale with e.g. plenty of switches.
- Coffeekeys (IT) is transferring to a brand new, bigger warehouse. Shipments are briefly suspended and can resume beginning October 27. Within the meantime, get pleasure from a 5% low cost, autoapplied at checkout.
- Tuxedo Units (US), residence of the Mantaray Professional, added. 5% off first orders, use the KBDNEWS coupon code.
- TTCswitches.com migrated to a brand new store platform, and the low cost
has gone (briefly?)code is again now. Nonetheless 5% off. - Some clarification on the now defunc thok.design website vs their Aliexpress store:
Our crew of artisans stayed the identical as earlier than. All of the merchandise of GB are made by the identical crew. Thok.design is dealt with by our associate earlier than who’s not working with us and disappeared with none information. We’ve got shipped out merchandise with out getting the previous couple of funds as nicely. You should purchase keycaps straight on aliexpress. We’re additionally organising an ebay web site right here : EBAY THOK . All merchandise listed are in inventory for quick supply worldwide with monitoring – THOK Metallic Keycap.
- Fellow redditor aiendail went to Seoul and visited Funkeys and Swagkeys. Images.
Developments
Continued optimization due to the current assault, plus many different tweaks.
- Extra caching: Serving the total swap record is 2x faster now.
- The order by reputation possibility was tousled weeks in the past I assume. Simply discovered it out and stuck it.
- Freshly cached: concern pages.
- Meetup calendar replace. Two-day occasions like the subsequent zFrontier one made it essential to tweak date dealing with.
- Change gives – up to date order: For some common swap fashions I could record over 20 gives. It is excessive time to boost this part with numerous ordering modes – aside from the unique record ordered by store title. As a begin, the brand new default is now from lowest to highest worth, with out-of-stock outlets put on the finish of the record.
I nonetheless have an extended todo record, however it’s been one other productive week anyway!
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That is all for right now. Thanks for checking by. As at all times: Continue to learn and constructing!
Till subsequent time,
Tamás
Revealed on Wed twenty second Oct 2025. Featured in KBD #200.
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