Mechanical Keyboards

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Keycaps with rare materials (discuss.tchncs.de)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I've fallen in love with ceramic keycaps and built two very heavy but very satisfying keyboards with them. But now I crave for more.

One thing that I find somewhat disappointing is the fact that I never found any other vendors besides cerakey for ceramic caps. It's not that I don't like them, but I could go for other styles and layouts given the opportunity.

The other thing is that I would like to explore other materials. I've found wooden caps, again only from exactly one vendor and stainless steel caps by yet another single vendor.

What I would much rather try out are aluminum and glass, both materials I could imagine being pretty great for typing.

And maybe there are other options I haven't even considered yet?

Give me your best shops/stores with rare materials caps, I'm really interested!

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Pure, compressed, lead-lined asbestos.. You won't believe the thock I get!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

I can vouch for lead-lined asbestos keycaps! They give a really nice, heavy metal response to your typing.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'd go for enriched uranium. No need for a backlight

[–] gens 2 points 1 week ago

There is uranium glass that glows in the dark. It's also pretty safe, contrary to what it's made of.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

https://www.asymplex.xyz/ has unique keycaps

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Now this is the kind of caps I'm looking for, thank you!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Make your own using metal clay!

I never had the opportunity to work with it when I was a smith, but it's supposed to be pretty easy to work with.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Most plastic keycaps are ABS or PBT, also vintage ones. But there are some white on black double shot cherry profile POM vintage keycaps as far as I remember. You would have to find them on ebay or something or research on which boards they came in order to get em.

edit: I just look it up, it seems you can buy POM keycaps new. The vintage one just stuck in my head for some reason.

[–] voklen 2 points 1 week ago

I saw these on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1680997176/periodic-table-metal-element-keycaps-for although I'd doubt you'd make an entire keyboard out of them…

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

I have a full size keycap set in Walnut wood from Aliexpress which looks and feels really nice, not exactly a rare material though