Keyboard Builders’ Digest / Editorial
Behind the scenes #189
Keyboard initiatives, critiques, fast information, within the mailbox, meetups, distributors, reductions.
dovenyi
Revealed April 3, 2025
Hey, what’s up everybody!
Welcome again for one more recap and behind-the-scenes write-up.
If you’re new to kbd.information, you may learn how this began out and what that is all about these days. If you happen to 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 challenge alive.
As promised, I’ve provided my March earnings from kbd.information for the Ukrainian trigger. About $2,800 despatched to the Dragonfeeders. Thanks in your donations. Extra particulars under.
Anyway, whereas the dumbest president of all time retains destroying everybody’s wallets, I can provide some cool keyboard stuff as solace and a distraction. (The deadline for this problem was final weekend, I am a bit behind whereas nonetheless engaged on the March change market overview.)
Some posts value sharing
No critiques this time. I’ve turned down a few provides, been touring greater than standard, picked up new hobbies, and I am typically fairly busy. No time for thorough keyboard critiques, sadly. A change evaluation could land on the entrance web page subsequent week although, that includes Akko’s Cilantro – their first “deep-clack tactile” switches, manufactured by HMX.
- Erik Peyronson‘s Erkbd is a 3D printed, handwired 44-key cut up keyboard with shows and encoders.
Erkbd (Erik’s Keyboard)
- A wi-fi cut up with twin trackballs: Ranges by Vincent Franco.
Ranges
- MagnumMonk‘s KEEB is SPLIT is an open-source ergo keyboard with USB-A connection between the halves.
KEEB is SPLIT
- A condensed model of the Batarang by Protieusz: 78-BRUCE with trackball and built-in RP2040.
78-BRUCE
- An open-source low-pro cut up by crolbar: Yuki.
Yuki
- An MX model of Geist’s widespread TOTEM: TOTEMX by azhizhinov.
TOTEMX
- A semi-handwired unibody cut up with some splay: Swanky Bojo by Tom.
Swanky Bojo
- Vladimir‘s Pelican is a PCB-agnostic O-ring case for 60% keyboards.
Pelican case
Good!view dongle
TIPS
- I do not find out about you, however for me personally, seeing initiatives like this DIY power curve meter leads to an hour of Aliexpress looking… DIY power curve meter by 13ckPony.
I’m a DIY fanatic who simply completed my first customized keyboard utilizing a glass PCB substrate […] I went with a glass PCB for a singular clear look, plus I used to be interested in its sturdiness in comparison with FR-4.
Who knew. So much cheaper than actual rubber O rings, however I count on them to develop into ineffective in a couple of weeks. In all probability not definitely worth the time slicing and trimming them to the appropriate thickness. I personally just like the sound and really feel of the froth nevertheless it’s not for everybody – Science6uru.
Closed-source, WIP, and so forth.
- Hyper7 R4 from mechboards.co.uk. New run. Pre-assembled, package or barebones.
We’re simply ending up manufacturing of the primary wave, and have opened up orders on the second wave – Ben.
- A handwired unibdoy cut up: Iridiumfly by boring-beaver aka gwirn.
- Roy‘s Recreation Roy ADVANCE is a cut up the place the halves talk over TRRS or Recreation Boy hyperlink cable.
- The low-pro cut up Xaivent by WoodenCod is simply 9mm thick. (The PCB has a cutout for the good!nano / good!view sandwich.)
- AUM is a Corne-derivative by TemperatureAgile.
- Galium58 by ooepi – with scroll wheel.
- Wallet42 – after the preliminary drawings by Notxtwhiledrive, here’s a working handwired prototype.
- Atomic Blast v2 is a handwired ortho board by anz507 – with rotary encoder and a toggle change for Caps Lock.
- Totemist by ergomech.retailer – drawing inspiration from the Totem keyboards, however with key refinements to reinforce usability whereas staying true to a purist, no-frills design.
- Ryan Norbauer‘s $3600 Seneca deserves a point out too.
Historical past
- As creator Matt Adereth made us conscious, the Dactyl turned 10! (The preliminary commit is dated March 7, 2015.)
I simply realized it’s been 10 years since I open sourced the Dactyl code. It’s been superb to see what individuals have finished with it! […] My darkish secret is that I now use a Kinesis Benefit Professional 360 – Matt.
- A number of years in the past I used to be eyeing with simply the keyboard of this Fanuc for months. Now PipeMasterPerry posted some images to fireplace up my dormant gear acquisition syndrome.
Keyboard artwork
- Full CNC Dragon Ball keycap set coming in aluminum or zink alloy – by Keeyblock. Jeez, we often see such issues in dye sub and plastic. Numerous different cool metallic artisans by the group.
- There’ve been some Wolfjaw posts not too long ago. This uncooked bronze one with the patina was handled with a mixture of ammonia and salt – by whitefacemountain.
Within the mailbox
Numerous switches are on their approach, however nothing has arrived not too long ago.
Ukraine stuff
In order indicated, I supported the Ukrainian trigger with all the cash I made with kbd.information in March.
I’ve simply summarized the outcomes, and virtually $1,400 have been collected from all the varied donation platforms. Thanks so much in your assist.
As promised, I doubled your donations and despatched about $2,800 to the Dragonfeeder basis – rounded to a neat 1,000,000 HUF in native foreign money:
To recap, these funds are used for: aggregators, batteries, medical stuff, even youngsters’s books – as you may learn right here:
(Yep, the books are in Hungarian. As I wrote right here, ethnic Hungarians from Zakarpattia Oblast are combating alongside Ukraine, and we’re supporting their residence and group too.)
I’ll proceed supporting Ukraine by way of the Dragonfeeder group, be happy to affix me any time.
Donations
So final month’s marketing campaign of supporting Ukraine and the related inflow of recent donations made it fairly onerous to trace all the pieces correctly throughout all of the accessible platforms.
Anyway: Thanks so much in your assist!
- ErgoHaven (Russia) left as recurring donor on account of this marketing campaign, understandably.
- New recurring donors: Hana and Jeremiasz. Thanks!
- New donations from Rodrigo, Tim, Miranda, Roberto, Fernando, Ryan, and so forth. (and extra – the deadline for this listing was late March). You’re superior!
- As all the time, many because of my superior common supporters and everybody who helped this challenge to date.
For all of the donation choices take a look at the donation web page!
Meetup database
As all the time, this meetup database serves as each a calendar and an archive, so be happy to ship me upcoming occasions and even ones from the latest previous to make this assortment as complete as potential.
Not too long ago added
(As you may see, there have been a few two-day occasions added not too long ago. I’ve but to replace my meetup engine to deal with these accurately… Coming, ahem, quickly.)
The Seoul Expo went underneath my radar, however miknayr shot a video with brief interviews, as did purpleolive:
Distributors & Reductions
Be at liberty to make use of the KBDNEWS low cost code at 171 keyboard outlets! And don’t hesitate to report any points – like Edward did earlier. Thanks! 🙂
New outlets and updates to the database of keyboard distributors this previous two weeks:
- The Coffeekeys (Italy) low cost has been up to date to five%.
- Keeyblock (China) provided you a 5% low cost too (code: KBDNEWS). Take a look at all their cool stuff from mesmerizing titanium artisans to milled alu/zink keycap units. Their CNC Dragon Ball set made it to this problem’s keyboard artwork column.
- Weikav (China) added, providing you a 5% low cost (KBDNEWS) as nicely. Keyboards, keycaps, and a few switches too.
- Rumah Keyboard (Indonesia) added. Kind of.
- Tez Cables is formally shutting down on March 31, 2025. The entire in-stock objects are on sale for 70% – nicely, sorry for this, I compiled this publish a lot earlier…
- As of 17 March, Rama Works is formally in liquidation. Posted by _vastrox_.
- Kono web site now offline.
Nicely, Geekboards is closed in concept, however you may nonetheless go to the place:
Seems even closing a store [in Germany] takes ages. Our lease obligates us to remain till the top, we did discover a new tenant, however the landlord isn’t precisely dashing to signal the brand new contract. So we’re nonetheless right here. […] you may nonetheless go to us for the subsequent few weekends. We’re open Fridays and Saturdays – rguliev.
Developments
- I’ve up to date the picture sprite for store logos. A few modifications since its final replace in January.
- Added a best-selling change part to the profile pages of the contributing outlets, primarily based on the earlier month’s knowledge provision. (I coded and examined this final August, simply forgot to roll out…)
- With about 300 change fashions within the database, that means 300 change icons, it was excessive time to create a change icon sprite too – this fashion your browser masses a single picture, as soon as, as a substitute of 300 tiny pics. E.g. when scrolling via the change listing, but additionally within the month-to-month change compilations.
- What else? Numerous small tweaks within the change database and scripts, like the highest sellers within the sidebar of inside pages, the “kind by worth” perform, and extra. Nonetheless, in an period of fifty% tariffs coming and going day by day, this latter is fairly ineffective till some decision-makers develop up and are available to their senses.
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That is all for right now. Thanks for checking by. As all the time: Continue to learn and constructing!
Till subsequent time,
Tamás
Revealed on Thu third Apr 2025. Featured in KBD #189.
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