June 8, 2020 Log No. 905
Quarantine Hobbies Pt 2: Ariel
My quarantine “hobby” is mechanical keyboards (but mostly just buying keycap sets).
(Is buying things a hobby? Honestly, after spending an ungodly amount of time on r/mk on this subject, I think it is 90% of it.)
Work-from-home keyboard:
The base template: a Keychron K2 (75% form factor) with Gatetron blue switches
While waiting for the first “real” keycap set I ordered to come in, used this cheap OEM set from Amazon.
First groupbuy keycap set came in! SA Vilebloom from Mechsupply. First SA set and so satisfying to type on. Due to the 75% layout, the gradient in the F row isn’t exactly right.
Desktop keyboard–full-size with Cherry black switches:
Initially replaced the Rosewill stock keycaps with these cheap sideprint OEM ones off Amazon.
…and replaced them with these OTHER cheap keycaps off Amazon that seem to match my desk pretty well. Not the most comfortable typing experience but good for “aesthetic”
Penna bluetooth keyboard (75%) from Kickstarter with Gatetron blue switches:
In the process of replacing the stock typewriter-like caps with an SA Atlantis set–mostly just to see if normal keycap sets fit
Completed the switch. Looks okay though not great, but does make typing way more comfortable than the original keycaps.
2nd “real” keycap set, MT3 Serika, from the extras sold on Drop. Japanese sublegends for aesthetic. The MT3 profile is really unique, as is the texture–I like it.
Extra:
Lofree mechanical numpad/calculator from Kickstarter with Gatetron blue switches:
Almost stock–replaced 2 of the keys with extras from the typewriter set on the Rosewill.
Decided to try to use the caps from the Penna stock set. Had to get creative with some of them as the 75% layout doesn’t have a numpad.
A couple of “artisans” from Etsy:
It’s Wednesday my dudes
Gotta catch em all
Crystal keycap–the crystal allows the backlight to shine through
As is typical with this topic, this is only about half of the things I’ve ordered and I expect the rest to trickle in over the next year. I have 1 more keyboard coming–a standard TenKeyless layout with hotswap sockets–but I want to draw the line there, as I don’t want to be someone with 10+ keyboards I don’t use.