Keyboard Builders’ Digest / Editorial
Behind the scenes #193
Keyboard initiatives, suggestions, fast information, keyboard artwork, within the mailbox, meetups, distributors, reductions.
dovenyi
Revealed June 24, 2025
Hey, what’s up everybody!
Welcome again for one more recap and behind-the-scenes write-up – with some cool initiatives from the DIY keyboard scene, but in addition promising closed-source initiatives and even prototypes.
PSA: My summer season can be fairly busy with a number of offgrid durations, so future points and likewise the subsequent two month-to-month swap market overviews could come later than standard.
If you’re new to kbd.information, you may learn how this began out and what that is all about these days. Should 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 mission alive.
Some posts price sharing
- I reviewed the Moonshadow V2 by KiiBOOM – a well-built 75% wi-fi keyboard in a pleasant aluminum case.
KiiBOOM Moonshadow V2 evaluation
- Fredrik Liljedahl‘s Ebbe34 is a customized 34-key wi-fi unibody cut up keyboard.
Ebbe34
- Oliver Thurley‘s Tempest is an open-source cut up keyboard with some good splay.
Tempest
- Pete Johanson printed his Zaphod ECBrox, a 34-key wi-fi EC keyboard.
Zaphod ECBrox
- Timo Strube‘s SplittoDogu is a customized ergo cut up with loads of keys and encoders.
SplittoDogu
One-Handed Keyboard
- An open-source 56-key low-pro cut up and trackball: Cinque by Ken Goudey.
Cinque
- A wi-fi macropad by James Gzowski: Shorky21 with encoders and RGB.
Shorky21
- Badjau‘s wi-fi cut up TBK Micro is a extra enclosed model of the TBK Mini – with further OLEDs.
TBK Micro
Rye Bread Board
Closed-source, industrial, WIP, and so on.
- BW2: Pocket – a brand new board by quirk, made for the meme. 142 mm large.
A pair years in the past I made a horrible pocket model of my Unhealthy Wings keyboard. Final month I made a decision to make a horrible pocket model of my Unhealthy Wings v2. In contrast to the primary pocket, this one is a correctly scaled down model – it is about 60% the dimensions of the unique – quirk.
- A handwired Scotto34 by Joe, up to date for the Keycon 2025.
- Sildactyl54 is a handwired mission by lordxax. With detailed documentation.
Keyboard artwork
- Anubis 50 by Rain2. A ebook themed keyboard impressed by the Philips 14AA3324 tv from the Nineteen Nineties.
TIPS
- taipingu.hyperlink is a brand new typing recreation for these studying Japanese. It provides you random sentences – it appears to be an effective way of apply typing and Japanese on the identical time.
- Klavia is one other typing recreation, extra within the typeracer style. It adjusts to your “velocity zone” – based mostly on an preliminary check, but in addition as your typing improves.
I’ve had this concept for some time. Principally, 16mm spacing as a substitute of 19mm. Makes the important thing board one thing like 15% smaller. Clearly I wanted some customized keycaos. All 3d printed for now – elgiraffe-c-.
- Cash minutes: Josh, operating mtnkbd.com, has been publishing his gross sales stats for ever. Here’s a Youtube video with 2023 information. Earnings, bills, and much more fascinating numbers.
Within the mailbox
- A bunch of swap samples from TTC. Thanks! Now I’ve virtually all the TTC swap fashions showing on the month-to-month best-seller listing.
Have not had time to completely check them but, however all of them look pretty, and the printed sides open up large potentialities in terms of design and customization.
Within the HE vary I want the Tai’e and Commander King’s extra muted sound in comparison with the opposite loud HE switches. And among the many traditional mechanical switches I really like how silent the Frozen is, and it is all the time good to expertise one thing non-linear, just like the Bluish White. (Nevertheless, to be sincere, I used to be anticipating the silent variant. The one I attempted is certainly not silent by any commonplace. :D)
Donations
- A brand new recurring donation arrange by Dickiedyce. Thanks!
- And a donation from D. Crowson. Thanks!
- As all the time, many due to my superior common supporters and everybody who helped this mission up to now.
For all of the donation choices try the donation web page!
Meetup database
As all the time, this meetup database serves as each a calendar and an archive, so be at liberty to ship me upcoming occasions and even ones from the current previous to make this assortment as complete as attainable.
(As you may see, there have been a few two-day occasions added just lately. I’ve but to replace my meetup engine to deal with these appropriately… Quickly.)
Distributors & Reductions
Be at liberty to make use of the KBDNEWS low cost code at 178 keyboard retailers! And don’t hesitate to report any points – like Edward did earlier. Thanks! 🙂
New retailers and updates to the database of keyboard distributors this previous two weeks:
- BerserKeys (AU) added. 5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code. Thanks Lily!
- RGBKeys (NL) added. Rien is promoting switches and deskmats within the Netherlands, and provided you a 20% low cost with the KBDNEWS coupon code. Thanks!
- There have been some modifications to the Delta Key (FR) coupon. It is again with 5% off, one use per buyer.
Developments
- A brand new possibility for the swap database: filter by coloration… 😀 Truly, this makes a number of sense if somebody’s on the lookout for e.g. clear/clear switches (RGB), but in addition if you would like switches matching your case or keycaps.
Word: Whereas I’ve tagged all of the switches by stem, prime and backside housing coloration, the present filter makes use of the highest housing coloration solely. I did not wish to make the interface much more fragmented. Perhaps later.
Yep, and multicolor switches like Macarons or Durock Sea Glass seem in a number of lists – with the identical thumbnail which can not match the class.
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That is all for as we speak. Thanks for checking by. As all the time: Continue to learn and constructing!
Till subsequent time,
Tamás
Revealed on Tue twenty fourth Jun 2025. Featured in KBD #193.
Associated
Behind the scenes #141
Giveaway and creation calendar replace, fast information, within the mailbox, meetups, vendor updates.
On my desk (Concern 157½)
An uncommon editorial since there weren’t sufficient initiatives for a correct challenge: what occurred round my desk this week.
Behind the Scenes of Concern 32
Highlights and private favorites. The cut up database retains rising. Minimizing keyboard-mouse alternation. Plans and priorities.
