Submitted by cruzkinegaming t3_123scd2 in MechanicalKeyboards
cruzkinegaming OP t1_jdw9ttq wrote
Reply to comment by darknessblades in Keyboard manufacturers outside of China by cruzkinegaming
Just was curious. Want something different and unique that would stand out from the crowd. Each time I go to meets its normally the same thing you see over and over just with different variations. Every now and then I come across boards like Keycult and even the Frogs in which you can tell the level of quality is different. I am into craftmanship. Even the level of detail that go into stacked layer cases from Switch Couture, SM keyboards, IV works, P3d I have been amazed by. Maybe because its different or I am just not getting the itch no more over the past few years. Lots of players in the game now and so much too choose from but they are all looking and sounding the same. Time for custom ergo builds? lol IDK.
MayAsWellStopLurking t1_jdwhoy3 wrote
Many coveted boards that have very unique design language and aesthetics are still ultimately ‘made in China’ because they have a very robust CNC market.
Fraaaaan t1_jdwiac4 wrote
> Every now and then I come across boards like Keycult and even the Frogs in which you can tell the level of quality is different.
The thing you're noticing is probably the quality and attention to detail in the design process of the keyboard, not the manufacturing part.
A mill in China and a mill in the USA will do the job equally well. Any CNC machine that is capable of milling a keyboard will do the job pretty much exactly as good as the next one. The finishing process (mediablast, anodization, coating etc.) is what you'll notice most across different keyboard manufacturers.
cruzkinegaming OP t1_jdwjj6i wrote
That is true, the level of quality is definitely different. Maybe it’s just the tiers I am looking at and not necessarily where they are manufactured from I should be concentrating on. Budget vs mid vs high end tiers and the boards they are custom built from ground up.
Fraaaaan t1_jdwl81w wrote
Definitely. When you're buying a custom keyboard you have to keep in mind that it's not all black and white. Expensive doesn't mean better, more complex doesn't mean better and manufactured outside of China doesn't mean better.
Take your time picking out a keyboard and make sure it's coming from a reputable makers that has made good keyboards in the past. Some great examples are Geonworks, westfoxtrot, ai03, TGR, Vertex and SingaKBD. The board you're buying doesn't necessarily have to come from a well known maker, but it really helps if you're new and can't recognize good projects yourself quite yet. Even if you find something from a less known/new maker, you can always ask around and see what other hobbyists here on Reddit or Discord think of it. Getting a few opinions before you dive into something is always a good idea, especially since keyboards are a big investment in terms of time (if you're joining a GB) and money.
cruzkinegaming OP t1_jdwqb9b wrote
Awesome thank you so much. I have over 12 boards and it seems like I am losing the itch. Started off with budget boards, tried a Frog TKL and recently got a Therav2 and am like meh. Was going to see what the Mode hype was but now not sure if I should jump in.
cruzkinegaming OP t1_jdwnh0t wrote
Thank you so much for the advice. Greatly appreciated
NoOne-NBA- t1_jdwy2sq wrote
>Each time I go to meets its normally the same thing you see over and over just with different variations.
This is the point at which you need to decide whether to let your own creativity loose.
If YOU design your own keyboard(s), you can make them as different from everything else out there as you want.
You don't necessarily have to design everything from scratch either.
You can buy some portions outright, and have other portions custom built.
The keyboards in the pic below both use off-the-shelf KPRepublic 60% cases, but are a night and day departure from the original keyboards those cases were designed to house.
I designed those layouts myself, for my own use, in two very specific locations.
I had plates cut, to mimic the mounting of the originals, but with dramatically different layouts, then hand-wired everything together, using Elite-C controllers.
cruzkinegaming OP t1_jdwyxno wrote
This is awesome! The Ergo/Ortho community also is so inspiring. Totally on a different level.
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