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Got any favorite group buys live rn?
Hello, I need help finding a new keyboard as my 2010 hp office keyboard broke and i was hoping to upgrade to a mechanical keyboard but I don't know what to pick. I have some preferences, like a scroll wheel/knob or being very quiet but I understand I can't have both with my budget. I've narrowed it down to having a knob since Topre and Niz Plum keyboards are a bit too expensive but I don't know which one to pick from.
Some knob keyboards I looked at: (Budget \~$200 CAD)

Keychron Q1
Epomaker TH80
QK75
Monsgeek M1
GMK67
AKKO PC75B
FEKER IK75

Most of these seem the same to me so it's a bit overwhelming. My priorities are having it arrive around a month at most (I know some keyboards take very long) and I would prefer it to come pre-assembled unless I can save a lot of money by assembling it myself. My friend recommended the Keychron but it's about the most expensive one on the list and I'm not sure if it's worth the price. Any help would be greatly appreciated! >

If you want quiet on a budget, I would maybe suggest getting a barebones Keychron V1, some silent switches (Haimu Heartbeats/Whispers or Skyloong Glacier Silents, or maybe Gateron silent ones if you want to order from keychron to save on shipping), and a set of Cherry or OEM profile PBT keycaps at 1.4mm or more thickness.
※Barebones keychron boards come fully assembled except for switches and keycaps, so you just have to pop them in and it's good to go, no tools or anything needed. (Barebone "kits" like a tiger lite or qwertykeys board have to be thoroughly assembled, though just with a screwdriver so it's not too bad, but significantly more work than a preassembled barebones board.) >

Thx for the reply! If I understand correctly, the V1 is just a plastic version of the Q1? Or is there something else that warrants the increase in price?
Another question, if I get a barebones keyboard, I will need to take apart the switches and lube them myself? >

Yeah V1 is basically a Q1 but plastic and the mounting system is different (gasket mount vs tray mount; not a hugely noticeable difference for most people unless you get finger soreness typing for long periods etc). 
Switch lubing is entirely optional to begin with (it's not like a machine where lube is necessary to keep it in working condition), and most people don't do lube clicky switches at all (like box jades), so you can skip that I think. That said, to answer your question: whether switches are lubed are not is based on the switch, not the keyboard. If a keyboard comes with lubed switches, you can buy those same switches lubed separately if you want, and not all prebuilt keyboards come with lubed switches. (lubing isn't even necessarily an improvement to all switches for all people; depends on preference) >

Alright, thank you so much for the help! >

Is u4t 65g and 62g a big difference >

Yes. The 65g spring is longer than the 62g variant, and has a snappier feel. >

Hey, wanted to ask something, i like all theme of this subreddit, keyboards look supercool! 
But i really not a fan of constructing my own keyboard, no offence, just not my cup of tea.
What keyboards can you recommend to buy and which not require to manually assemble it?
(pls no rgb black racing style keyboards, something pastel or retro looking 60%) >

Try keychron. You can swap out the keycaps if you like. Many of them have hotswap sockets if you want to try diff switches later. 
You could try topre too, leopold fc660c is my fav prebuilt board, older but solid >

I'm having issues with gazzew u4t switches in my keychron q8. They seem to have an extremely tight fit in the sockets and they are very difficult to remove once fitted. I have ripped the pins out of 3 switches trying to remove them now which is very worrying. I thought switches were a standard shape and size but I guess they're not as others I have slot in with no problems. Is there anything I can do or are these just a bad fit for the board? >

Some plates are just tight due to manufacturing tolerances. Could be worth trying some jwks / cherry switches to see if that works better. Different switches from different manu / batches can certainly vary by a hair here and there >

Any good EU e-shop? Or is it just me, but I can't find "anything" that would not be out-of-stock - or is it common status these days?  
My preference would be 80% keyboards, in stock, cherry red or similar >

AliExpress >

To everyone using a different keyboard layout, why?
I understand the benefits in terms of finger travel distance and faster typing, but what is your usecase? Are you all authors? Or is it just a hobby? >

By "different" do you mean "non-100%"?  
Two... "crude" reasons are that they're cheaper because you need fewer switches/raw materials, and easier to mod for the same reason. Fairly big deals for many people into keyboards as a hobby.
Another is portability; wireless for sitting it on your lap on the couch, or using with a tablet/laptop on the go, or using the same keyboard at home and office, etc.
Probably the most common reason today is reducing the horizontal size of the board to allow for more mouse space. That's useful for simple convenience (and gamers), but also it's good ergonomics: typing/mousing with a "stretched" arm puts more strain on your tendons, which increases risk of repetitive stress injuries (and RSI are absolutely horrifying).
Then yeah the reduced finger/hand movement that you mentioned, which is similarly good for ergonomics & is faster once you get used to it. My impression is that programmers/coders are the most common profession to get into this stuff, since they spend a lot of time typing, are at relatively high RSI risk (an injury which can end their career), and benefit a lot from programmable hotkey/macros/etc to improve workflow/productivity. 
The HHKB was (I'm pretty sure) the first small layout that got popular, and the keyboard that spawned all the TMK/QMK/ZMK customizable firmware stuff, and it was explicitly designed to be a programmer's lifelong "saddle" as they changed between different computers over the years, in the way of a cowboy going through horses.
Aside from coders: as you mentioned authors, hospital staff, office workers generally, video editors, gamers, basically anyone that spends more than a couple hours a day typing & isn't doing tons and tons of number entry like accountants or some finance jobs etc. (and even then you might consider a 96%/1800 layout, a southpaw numpad, a detached numpad, or a numpad layer in QMK for sooome people) >

Sorry i meant Colemak vs Dvorak vs Querty for example.
Not the size, but the arrangement of the keys.
In my case i use an Iris Split Rev 2 for gaming, but with a querty layout because gaming. The split nature lets me move the right half for more mouse space >

Dohoho, well at least maybe I can link that post in the future lol. I think it's mostly still people who were faced with a potential RSI and wanted to reduce finger movement (I'm this category) or just liked the idea of being more efficient. Also think still mostly programmers, since they have the combination of "types a whole lot," "cares about efficiency," and "is likely to be exposed to it as an option/have the computer know-how to implement it," with writers/typists secondary. >

Tofu JR or Finalkey V65 R2 and why? >

I'm trying to convince myself to like the look of keyboards with no top case, where the plate is the top layer. Are there any benefits for this design apart from ease of cleaning? >

while easy to clean it is also more open so it gets dirty faster >

true, any other features about it you can point out? RGB maybe, but I don't care about that >

Good Bluetooth Keyboard?
Looking for a keyboard that is compatible with PC and ISO size 60-65%. Hotswappable would be amazing too if possible. >

Keychron K6 has a hotswap option and an ISO version. It doesn't have QMK/remapping though (if you're not in a hurry, K6 Pro should get ISO support before long). >

okay thxs >

Is the ik75 pro (1 mode) a wireless one? And which do u prefer jamesdonkey a3 or feker ik75 pro? Which spring should i swap on the boba u4t (i want it to be light as the cherry mx brown but still having the tactile force if possible, if cant give me the best spring i should swap on it)? What type of lubricant grease should i use on it and lube which parts? >

1 mode is wired only most likely. I wouldn’t recommend swapping U4T springs for anything lighter than 60g - a big tactile bump means it will be sluggish on return (will feel sticky) >

I read on reddit and they said that the ik75 pro is better than ik75 since the qmk/via but it has only 1 mode bluetooth, does that mean it have bluetooth. Also which type of lubricant grease should i use to lube it and lube which parts >

Hi all,
About to dip into mechanical keyboards for the first time ever
After a 5 day rabbit hole i think i am starting to get close to a decision…
I want a full-size keyboard. I just do.
I am strongly considering a New Model M.
The runner up is a Keychron Q6
Which would you pick and why? If neither what would your pick be
Bonus question what customisations should i consider for the winner (from factory). Keys to change etc, is a L shaped enter key all the rage?
There is just too much for me to make a choice! I am a little overwhelmed >


is a L shaped enter key all the rage?

Nah that's the just layout used in Europe and Japan, no real reason to swap.
Personally I'd go with the Q6 because I can't use a board without QMK (or similar) & like hotswap option to be able to change switches. New Model M is very cool but also quite loud and not much in terms of functional or physical customization afaik. If you want a buckling spring switch board for the feel though, go wild.
If you do get the Q6 the two things up front I would note are:
1) if you like the idea of customizing the physical experience down the line, consider picking up an extra plate or two with it (they don't cost much and don't add to the shipping if bought with a keyboard)
2) look into some of the QMK funtionality to see what you might like using out of that. i'll list some examples below
The most basic thing QMK/VIA allows is just changing the function of any key to any other's. For people who use alternate layouts like Dvorak or Colemak this is quite handy, or people who like to put a Backspace or Ctrl key where Caps Lock is, or swapping Backspace and Backslash.
This include the equivalent of "Fn" keys that change what other keys do & the alternate "layers" of function they allow you access to (can work like either Ctrl/Shift/Alt and be active as long as held down, or like Numlock and be toggleable). This can be super convenient and the possibilities are basically limitless, but for example you could add a layer that turns JKLI into arrow keys, for quickly moving the cursor around from the home position, or add a "symbols" layer that puts symbols you personally use a lot in a more convenient location. Or even if you just wish the Numlock functions were slightly different (like 5 being down instead of 2), you can edit that by replacing the default Numlock.
You can also assign multiple keypresses to one key, so like Cut/Copy/Paste keys, or a Ctrl+Shft+S "save as..." key, or even whole sentences or excel formulas that you use often. A lot of programmers for example will often have something that puts a set of brackets and then moves the cursor back in between them.
You can also assign media/volume/etc controls and other non-normal-key functions, like keys that control the mouse cursor/simulate mouse buttons. If you use the mouse a lot for work, this can be a huge wrist-strain-saver; there's a lot of cases where you just want to quickly move the cursor a bit and click and get back to typing, which this lets you do without a ton of arm/hand movement.
And my favorite: hold-tap keys. These allow you to give a key two different functions depending on how long it's pressed. Want to use Caps Lock as an "fn" key, but you use the actual caps lock function a lot? You can make the "tap" value Caps Lock, and the "hold" activate whatever function layer you want. (By default it will wait 200ms or wait to see if you press another key while it's still held down, whichever comes to first, to decide whether it's "tap" or "hold".)
(And all of this is doable in configurators that save directly to the board itself, so you don't need any coding knowledge to get it working/don't need software installed on every device you use it with.) >

So I have done a search on the subreddit, but couldn't really find anything too helpful. Or more specifically, I couldn't find a switch that is clearly well received 
I am looking for the following (in order of importance)
1) A tactile switch
2) that has a stiffer spring compared to Cherry MX clears
3) Ideally, silent >

Clears uses 100g springs, you're out of luck if you want to find a switch heavier without going through the process of frankenswitching. I'd suggest you get a silent tactile switch (Boba U4, Durock Shrimps etc.) and spring swap them with some 150g springs. >

Looking for a new mechanical keyboard, preferably with a knob and an overall budget of £150. So far, I’ve been looking at the k8 pro, keychron v1, epomaker th80, gmmk 2, kono 67 and acr pro 75 but a lot of them seem similar making it difficult for me! I’m also planning on spending around £40 on box jades (I know I’m weird).
Thanks
Edit: I would prefer uk iso but if there is a great deal on an ansi us, I could overlook it >

Keychron all the way >

Does anyone know any guides or tutorials for designing and modelling, as I want to start designing cases to print but don't really know where to begin. >

KTT Kang White or Akko Cream Yellow V3
What are the differences between the two?
I'm trying to find out which one to choose and buy but can't find a direct comparison using the same board. >

Scratch those, get gateron milky yellow >

What are some switches that are quiet, but not considered silent switches? >

No non-silent switch is going to sound silent >

using Epomaker budgerigar switches, the spacebar is very hard to press, is this switch itself heavy or is it just how Tactile switches are ? >

Hi, Im using a Tm680, after buying my parts for my build I have been really excited to start assembling it. Everything went well, i got my switches in perfectly, I got to do my mods, but then, when I plugged it in, I had a few dead keys. The case along with the PCB i used for the build was already used with another build before, with older parts. When I used my new switches and stabilizers, i thought it'd be okay, but then i had sockets that didn't light up, as if there was no power to them. I tried checking for debris, I blew it out, cleaned the pcb with a damp tissue and made sure to make it dry. Yet the 5 keys still didn't work. I'm also sure it wasn't the switches that were faulty, as I tried 4 types of switches on the sockets (Gateron Milky Blacks, RK Reds, Akko Jelly Black, and my current KTT Kang White). I hope anyone can help me with this, as I don't wanna give up on the build. I read about some reports in reddit about the Tm680 having dead switches when they shipped. They said it was the wire, I tried multiple other cords, it wasn't it. Any suggestions please? >

Keychron v1 or epomaker th80/66 - the epomaker is about £20 cheaper (I am likely to swap out all switches for box jades at some point) here in the UK for iso layout and has wireless. Which one sounds better stock?
Thanks! >

I want to buy custom keycaps for my GK61 but I'd prefer it if they had the right FN+key combinations on them. What are my options? >

I don't think there are any, since the default GK61 layout is different than the next brand. And since it's programmable, it would be odd to print the functions in the cap. Why would a cap company limit themselves to a particular board brand?
Are you finding it hard to memorize each function? >

I mean for example fn + k is delete
fn + y is prtsc
i dont think I could remember those if they were not written on it, especially when I'm using a full keyboard at work. >

I mapped Fn+backspace to be delete. Much easier to remember. I never needed PrtScr >

Hello, I've been looking into different keyboards because I want to replace my Logitech G513(100%). I went to a tech store(Live in Denmark) and tried out some different ones and ended up licking the Razor Black Widow v3 Pro(129,30 Dollars)(non removeable switches). 
It uses something called razor green switches and from what I have read its supposed to be the same as cherry mx blue, is that true? 
Because I like the keyboard, but I would prefer something without Ten keys(65-80%). after looking at different YouTube videos I heard that keychron(.com)(Shipping-policy seems like I would be able to order from here) was a great website to look for keyboards, but they use switches called "Gateron"( Based Tyrone says it best(from the wiki) doesn't seem to work).
Are "Gateron" basically the same as cherry or are there notable differences, comparison charts doesn't seem to indicate such?
Are there other important features I should be considering when selecting a keyboard(have no connection preference)?
I apologize in advance if my question isn't up to standard and for my grammar, if you feel like I didn't clarify something well enough you are welcome to ask me to elaborate, thank you for your time. >


Are there other important features I should be considering when selecting a keyboard(have no connection preference)?

Hotswap (changeable switches), programmability (remapping, macros, editing Fn layers, etc), mounting style (tray mount/gasket mount/top mount/etc) & quality (if gasket mount does it have space to move) are some "functional" differences. 
Also ISO vs. ANSI layout (ISO is the "tall" enter key and short left shift, ANSI is "long" enter key and long left shift). ISO is big in Europe, ANSI most other places (unfortunately this means if you want ISO there are many less options).
There's also aesthetic/sound/etc differences (case/plate material, foam/silicon inserts, weights, etc).

Are "Gateron" basically the same as cherry or are there notable differences, comparison charts doesn't seem to indicate such?

They are both good brands. Their switches don't feel the same though; gateron ones usually are "smoother" and have less spring ping than cherry ones, and for "browns" the gateron tactile bump feels smaller than cherry's (imo).
Keychron is a pretty good brand, and a relatively accessible one in Europe which is helpful in your case, so they should be a fine pick. >

Thank you very much for your response, that really cleared some things up, i will look into the things you brought up. >

What did you choose and why? Keychron Q1 v2 or Monsgeek M1? Keychron is more expensive, but it has my favorite color (silver grey). On the other hand Monsgeek cheaper and has polycarbonate plate out of the box. >

If QMK matters to you, I'd recommend doing some digging to make sure the M1 actually has QMK instead of just using VIA as a GUI for proprietary firmware. It's not on the list of QMK-supported boards and afaik they haven't submit a pull request, so there's a high chance it either doesn't do QMK or they've broken the QMK license. >

Monsgeek M1 (int. ver.) supports VIA and thats enough for me >

What premium boards can I get for a budget of $800-$1000? I'm trying to upgrade from the Zoom65 EE and have a QK75 coming in soon. I want to get the best for my budget for my birthday coming up. A board I'm considering getting is the Mode Sonnet, but what are some other options I can get for my budget? >

Enter a group buy. For those go on geekhack