>

Thanks a lot for the info !
Does anybody know where I can buy small amounts of XDA keycaps? I'm building a macropad, and I don't want to buy a full keycaps set just to use 9 singles. 
Also, how do you guys go about customizing the keycaps for specific uses? Like I'd like to have something different on my macropad, other than the usual letters, numbers, F keys, etc. 
I live in Europe.
Any suggestion is appreciated :) >

Thanks! I checked it out, they do have some nice keycaps. I wonder if they sell also smaller sets (say, 10, 20 keycaps). Will try to ask them. >

What are the main differences between U4Ts and Holy Pandas? I'm interested in both but I can get the U4Ts for significantly cheaper >

Holy pandas have a slightly sharper bump but imo it's too much. Love u4ts >

I'm looking for a desk mat that ideally is themed around Kirby. There are some on Amazon or Etsy but I worry about quality. I've never owned a deskmat before so Idk how to tell the quality of one but also don't want to get stuck with a bad quality mat. Any suggestions or advice is awesome. >

There's no real way to tell quality except reviews but the price says a lot. 13 bucks being lowest quality, 20 bucks middle ground and 30 is good. >

Hey, I'm looking for a decent (but not too expensive) WHITE TKL preferably wired, any suggestions? Im in the UK >

presumably ISO then (large enter key?). otherwise i def. recommend the tiger lite >

Hey guys! 
I want some hot-swap keyboard under 200€ with good stabs, classic design like leopold or varmilo, no rgb, wired. Better without software. Full-size/TKL/75%. Plastic board. 
What can you recommend? 
What linear and tactile switches you can recommend? 
Thanks for help >

Okay, I'm going to piggyback the 1st responder's answer and suggest the Tiger 80/Lite. You'll be hard pressed to find a bad review online which is rare. Nobody can find anything wrong with it. Since I was on the KBDFans site already shopping for myself, I went ahead and put you together a package that totals  €178.50 before shipping. The keycaps I chose are $50 off right now and I don't know for how long. 
1) Tiger 80/Lite White DIY kit 
2) 3 packs( 105 count, 70 won't be enough) of Gateron  
      Pro Silver switches prelubed
3) Enjoy PBT( ePBT)  Blue double shot ABS keycaps
I have 3 sets of ePBT keycaps and they are very high quality so $34 is a steal for them right now. 
2 of my builds have the Pro Silver switches and for the price along with the factory lube, they are excellent linear switches. Even have the "box" form factor to protect the inside of the switches  from dust and negate keycap wiggle. You can't go wrong with the color way I chose, stylish without going over the top. Hope that helps. >

Thanks mate, i really appreciate it. You are best >

Can I get a recommendation for a 96% barebone kit keyboard that's around $100CAD or less?  Helping my cousin to build a keyboard and she was pretty insistent on having the numpad on the board (I tried recommending a secondary board for the numpad already).  Currently debating between the Keychron V5 and the GMMK 2. >

Keychron V5 sounds like her cup of tea. Available barebone for 69 USD... OK it's not a kit as such (you only have to add switches and keycaps.) but sounds like a bargain. >

Hi, Ive just gotten an rk84 and not mentioning its glaring software issues which Ive managed to jumble through; just one final thing is left.
On wireless I have full RGB through the Fn keys but as soon as I connect to USB the whole keyboard lights red and I cannot control the RGB anymore. Heck I'd rather disable it but havent found a solution for it yet.
Is there a way to disable or better yet have some control over the keyboard rgb when wired, dont want a face full of red right now.
I did accidentally manage to get rgb control on plugged in with the wireless button turned to 'off' for a few minutes but cant repeat that again somehow. >

Blank Keycaps in EU ?   
Can someone recommend a place to get a set of blank keycaps in the EU for my Kailh Jades (tokyo60) ?
I last ordered this one from amazon.de but -- strangely -- there weren't enough kepcaps in the set for my  Tokyo60 - there were different sizes and I had to clobber together  whites and grays to make it work. I just want a clean set of blanks for  my a Tokyo60, preferably nice ones not feeling cheap.
I got lost on ebay trying to find some (does it ship from China? What are  the customs charges? Are they priced per keycap or per lot of N ? etc) .
Anyone have a hook for blanks in the EU (which doesn't include UK) ? >

Honestly looking at the keycaps you posted it looks like they should fit fine. Do you mind showing your board with them? Might save you some money if they work after all >

Hey guys, I'm a newbie and planning to buy my first mechanical keyboard. Not sure if I should buy keychron k3, k3 pro or q1 knob. Any relpies would really help me out. Thanks >

Hi guys, anyone know how I can build a keyboard with left knobs? Any brands that carry such specs. 
I personally also like split spacebars (like the one on Filco Minila) so is there ever a possibility of such a keyboard build? Thanks in advance! >

i got a Q65 from keychron which has the knob on the left, but it's 65% with 4 extra function keys >

Transparent Pudding Keycaps
Hey, I've been looking for the keycaps for my Gamakay GK75. They are sort of pudding keycaps but the bottom half are transparent. Are there any better options apart from the G.SKILL Crystal Crown Keycaps? I really love keycaps whose bottom half are transparent and the top half are colored.
Thanks! >

if ur asking about the LD3 part thats an LED >

Yeah but what will happen if i desolder the switch while it has an LED? Will it break or it’s okay? Thank you so much for answering >

no that's a surface mount led u can desolder the switches and the led will stay and be fine >

Thank you, your answer helped me a lot >

I just got the Drop MT3 Jasmine keycap set and I'm having this issue on my Keychron Q1 where the Esc and left Ctrl keys are getting stuck if pressed down on a particular spot (closer to the edges). Do you know why this might be and what I can do to fix it? >

this is due to the shape of MT3 profile keycaps no real fix . its just one of the reasons some avoid those keycaps due to the height and extreme sculpt they will get stuck on the case for some kbs . but if u use any other profile u wont have this issue >

Thank you for the clarification >

I wanted to buy a full size wireless mechanical keyboard (in a DE layout) but couldn't find any in stock. My first choice would've been the keychron k4 but its no longer in available. Does anyone have a good suggestion? >

they are still around, i.e. my local store has some
otherwise wait for restock or maybe you'd like the k4 pro which i'm pretty sure will come out in ISO-DE as well. (all Keychron ISO-DE keyboards: link). Iquinix is another brand that has a full size compact in ISO >

Are Gaeteron switches compatible with my Ducky One 3 Mini that has cherry Mx in it? >

fully compatible yes >

yes i think it was an option from the original group buy back in 2017.
looks like the "drop version" does not offer these. another example >

Will there be any conflict with north facing LEDs and MT3 keycaps? >

no this only effects cherry profile and no others >

Are there any alternative keycaps that look like the Thera V2 Navies? I was going to purchase them but the shipping was $30 USD and I was wondering if there were any alternatives which were either cheaper or have free shipping. Ty in advanced :) >

Hello,  Is Keychron K1 Low Profile keyboard compatible with Akko Switches? >

No, it is only compatible with the Gateron low profile or Keychron low profile switches >

okay, thank you for the response. >

I would like to explore Alps, Topre, and buckling spring without spending a small fortune. I’m not familiar with these three things at all. Where are good places to look or what are good keyboards to consider? >


Alps

ALPS Electric made lots of different switches. The most common are SKCM/SKCL series or newer simplified SKBM/SKBL. These were used in many OEM keyboards, but so were respective clones of wildly varying quality. Also keep in mind that Alps switches don't age well and are prone to contamination. Another issue is keycap compatibility; you either have to keep the original keycaps (if you get them), or build a custom keyboard with an appropriate layout, or deal with some mismatches (usually spacebar and caps lock at minimum).
Good starting points on budget are Dell Bigfoot (see Chyros' old video on making tactile Alps linear), Apple Extended Keyboard II (switches with dampeners, keyboard needs ADB-USB converter) or random OEM keyboards from NTC, Chicony etc. (you'll have to do loads of research and get lucky).

Topre

Topre is entirely proprietary, the switches are a part of the keyboard (though button parts can be swapped around). Unless you get to Japan or have a good shipping proxy, realistically your only options are Realforce, HHKB Pro or Leopold *C models. Each of them is different because of differences in construction. Expect to spend $150-200 per second-hand keyboard; they keep resale value though.
Not Topre but a decent clone is NIZ/PLUM EC (at least recent models, old ones were crap), sometimes called "Nopre". It too has a distinct feel, and obviously a different feature set.

buckling spring

Buckling springs were made by a few different manufacturers, the best known being IBM/Lexmark/Unicomp, but also ALPS Electric and a few others.
For IBM's membrane BS, you can buy a modern Unicomp keyboard or a vintage Model M (might require bolt mod to work properly though) or a terminal Model M (requires conversion), typically for about $50.
Capacitive BS is generally much more expensive and might require conversion, plus the layout is what it is. >

Thank you for the details! That helps a lot >

Can't decide if I should use 7u or 6.25u spacebar on sonnet. I almost never use the mods to the right of the spacebar unless its fn on a 65%. Can't decide which will look better on the 75% board. I need to pick just one because I always use TX stabs and they don't include wires for both. Someone make the choice for me! >

6.25u will be  easier to find keycaps sets later on >

by the looks of it you would miss the correct shaped home, pg up, pg dn and end with that keycap set >

I'm building a custom keyboard for a CNC machine. Are all switches and keycaps the same size footprints? These are buttons that I will be looking at and pushing so having all of them the same size in not a requirement. 
Thanks >

Switches are standard.  There are some patterns listed in the wiki. >

I kind of figured that they were the same size after some searching but figured I'd ask before moving forward.
Thanks >

Can I CNC MX keycaps and/or kailh low profile keycaps out of wood? >

im sure u could def be a chore if u cant find files for it and have to due them urself mx they might be files but low pro would be harder if it doesnt have a cross stem like mx >

I’m new to all this so I just want to make sure with more experienced people. Is the Bakeneko 65 compatible with MacBook? >

yes >

Thank you >

Just bought my wife an Aukey KM G12 with blue switches and she loves it, she really likes blue switches ^^ . So i'm thinking on buying a Silent and Wireless mechanical keyboard for myself on the future and wanted to ask for recommendations on keyboards or at the least which color switches are silent (on a budget) im looking for something silent since i like My keyboards being as silent as possible >

silent switches dont have a color that denotes they r silent they will always say silent in the switch name . a handful of prebuilt kbs come with silent switches . tbh u prob better off getting a barebones  hot swap kb and adding silent switches and maybe case foam too to dampen it further >

Thank You that helps a Lot ^^ by any chance do You know if the Ajazz Ak33 is a Hot swap kb? >


Ajazz Ak33

no its is not hotswap is a feature listed in the product title or desc >

wont warp it but will wear it down slightly there over time this tends to happen with kb case that have tight tolerances it also happens with MT3 keycaps due to the shape . hard to avoid as artisans are hand made and being just 1mm thicker can cause this >

By wear it down, do you mean there'll be scratches I guess? Do you have any pics of your caps from first hand experience? >

no first hand exp but resin is softer than alum so just physics . if two things rub together the soft one will give way to the friction . like a door and door frame when it doesnt sit right the softer wood will be worn down til it doesnt make contact anymore >

Any suggestions for an in stock 60% or 65% that are acrylic and hotswap? Something like the old kbd 5 degree case or tofu acrylic which are no longer in stock.
Edit: Don't mind clear/frosted polycarb suggestions either. >

I don't think it's made of acrylic, but maybe the Keychron V2 would interest you >

any usb mini cable will work >

Okay perfect, so it's a usb mini to USB thank you. >

Is there a buying guide? Im looking to replace my Filco Cherry Red keyboard, because Ive had a long time and its kinda busted. Wondering If anyone has any suggestions or If they could just point me to a buying guide. I prefer loud clicks (no mx blue). I was looking at the Happy Hacking keyboard. Thanks yall! >

What is your primary use case? The HHKB's are fantastic keyboards but they are pricey and Topre is not for everyone (I have one and love it though).
These days you can look at something from Keychron like their V or Q series keyboards otherwise I'd look at what KBDFans or NovelKeys offer. If you want to stick with prebuilts: Leopold, Varmilo or a Ducky. >

I'm looking for a 75% with a 2.4GHz dongle, no frills, doesn't need RGB or really any backlight at all, BT not required either. Just needs to have a really good connection and be ≤$150. I looked at the Nuphy Air75 but I'm not such a fan of the low profile. Considering the Halo75 but I'm not sold on the key profile and colors and the frills so I'm asking to see if there are other good options! >

The Jris75 will be entering group buy soon and offers 2.4GHz wireless >

Im looking for 65% ANSI layout RGB and hot swap keyboard, freferably with white case. It can also be a DIY kit. My budget is up to ~180€.
Also, I would carry it to university so I was also thinking that getting an ortho or 40% would be smarter, so if anybody has any recommendations on all of this I would be very grateful :) >

Kprepublic has some decent 40% keyboards. Idobao id42, vicious40 are also worth taking a look at. Lazydesigns also has some very neat 40% keyboards, but those are slightly more expensive >

Thank you!! >

I'm looking for a good carrying case for my 1800 size keyboard. A Yunzii IF98 Pro, if that helps. Seems like I'm only finding them for TKLs. >

Cannonkeys has larger cases >

I'm looking at the Arc60 GB for my first custom build, but the single option for shipping ($50!) is pushing the board into a cost range that I don't think it's worth.
Do all group-buys have such terrible shipping cost? >

It depends on where the gb is shipping from. The arc is coming from clickclack in China, so assuming you are in the U.S, anything coming from Asia is gonna cost around that much through someone like DHL express or fedex IP. The reason is because most of the time the cheap alternative is throwing it on a boat and having to wait weeks to months. Shipping via air is based mostly on weight and volume, where shipping a board is expensive (heavy metal keyboards with brass weights combined with big volume with long keyboards in bulky carrying cases). I know the arc60 isn't massive but it has a big box and idk if clickclack has a big bulk shipping deal with dhl >

Unfortunate. I'll e-mail their support and see if they can offer any shipping discounts, but won't be holding my breath.
A follow-up: can anyone recommend any 65% board(s) that would be comparable for a plate-less setup? >

Are cherry profile keycaps compatible with the workman layout? >

Generally, people who use alternative layouts use uniform profile keycaps like XDA, DSA, or KAM. >

Does anyone have a list of safe website where I can buy DIY kits, keycaps, switches and such? (I need them to ship to Europe) >

I have the Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro 65% keyboard and was wondering if anyone knew where I could find a hot swappable pcb for it. >

there won't be a compatible pcb for it.
if you really want to you could mod the original pcb with mill-max socket, they are costly though >

Have anyone tried putting a two stage spring in a click bar switch? How does it sound/feel? >

those indents on the side and bottom lead me to believe they're plate mounted stab holes. >

Are there any brick and mortar stores on the east coast where I could build a keyboard? >

MechanicalKeyboards.com should have some and they also ship to Australia (USA-based store)