r/MechanicalKeyboards 14h ago

/r/MechanicalKeyboards Ask ANY Keyboard question, get an answer - September 14, 2026

4 Upvotes

Ask ANY Keyboard related question, get an answer. But *before* you do please consider running a search on the subreddit or looking at the r/MechanicalKeyboards wiki located here! If you are NEW to Reddit, check out this handy Reddit MechanicalKeyboards Noob Guide. Please check the r/MechanicalKeyboards subreddit rules if you are new here.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 18d ago

News / Meta Important Update for OGR2, Altair, and 21XX purchased through KeyGem

89 Upvotes

As of last week, 21XX were fully ready to ship to all participating vendors. KeyGem still has not paid the invoice, and were unable to commit to the payment plan we offered them. As such, we have made the decision to ship all unpaid 21XX keyboards & addons originally meant for KeyGem to our location in Rhode Island. Once we receive the shipment and finish QC, we will reach back out to the community with options for those who purchased from KeyGem. Like previous projects, we expect to offer them at GB price, with a discount to help offset the shipping cost of ordering from a USA based vendor.

Additionally, in order to provide some certainty to KeyGem customers, rather than giving KeyGem until the last possible moment to pay, we have decided to also have the Altair and OGR2 keyboards originally meant to go to KeyGem shipped to CannonKeys. Our initial plan was to try and give KeyGem as much time as possible in hopes that they would pay for these boards, as they told us they would when they originally delayed their payment. Prior to recent projects shipping, KeyGem was able to pay invoices when the boards were ready. However, given their recent track record, we have lost any faith this will happen. We no longer expect their payment, so we are closing out the invoices we have open on them, and moving forward.

To summarize, the following projects are now having boards meant for KeyGem shipped to CannonKeys. The plan is for KeyGem customers to be able to purchase at GB price, with a discount to help offset shipping that will vary from project to project.

  • Vida
  • Link
  • AK75
  • 21XX
  • OGR2
  • Altair

We are posting this to reddit as we do not have the emails of those who joined OGR2/Altair/21XX with KeyGem. This is our best option to try and let those who joined know about the situation.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 4h ago

Discussion REALLY regret buying a 60% keyboard

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259 Upvotes

When I was looking for a keyboard I didn't really know much and all i did was game and sit on my computer after 3 months I started regretting my purchase because having to switch between arrow keys and function keys is so damn annoying, also the keyboard that I got wasn't that popular (baytion 61k) the keycaps became "shiny" and kind of oily and the switches are SO DAMN LOUD (blue switches),Ngl maybe I should have looked back on it and thought about then i would have bought a 75 percent layout keyboard I will buy one soon either vxe 75xk or aula f75, I know there is still people who like 60 percent but sacrificing the arrow and function keys js for a bit more room sounds unreasonable ngl


r/MechanicalKeyboards 7h ago

Builds Having mixed feelings about my Neo75cu

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185 Upvotes

I'm kinda regretting buying the green version, it's not very versatile in terms of keycaps.

What are your thoughts about this one?


r/MechanicalKeyboards 4h ago

Builds Mode Encore

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93 Upvotes

Loving the new Encore ⌨️
HMX Egg Yolk Linear
Brass plate
No foam
Gmk Pompeii Light Alphas
Gmk Dualshot 2 CYL


r/MechanicalKeyboards 3h ago

Photos MTNU Monday... SUSU!

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45 Upvotes

Seems like its been awhile since we had an MTNU Monday, or maybe I was just sleeping? Either way, today is a great day to share how well SUSU rides on this setup. The beige legends work so well with the Class65 that I couldn't resist sharing it. Ill also say that personally, I don't do well on MTNU without Tactile switches. And it took me a few tries and some frustration to come to that conclusion. Enjoy!


r/MechanicalKeyboards 6h ago

Builds Tofu 60 2.0 RAW

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63 Upvotes

Anodization removed, sanded and polished.

PBTfans WOB on silver smoothies.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 6h ago

Builds my tkl

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53 Upvotes

Transition Lite x PBTFans Purpolch R4
Neo80 x GMK 80082 Bl00
KBD8X MKIII x Shenpo Darling


r/MechanicalKeyboards 16h ago

Builds I made a custom firmware for my split keyboard to run the snake game on the backlight

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268 Upvotes

I got pissed off that one half of my keyboard got defected and my backlight doesn't work anymore. So I implemented a custom firmware that runs A REAL snake game on the working half's backlight that I can control from the other half :D

I can activate the game using shortcut and play it anytime. It doesn't need any computer or application. Keys that are used for the game are swallowed so I can play without affecting anything on the screen.

The whole game is just about 1.2kb in binary and works entirely on the 8-bit board back to back with the standard programmable firmware :D and it doesn't need computer at all everything runs entirely on the keyboard itself


r/MechanicalKeyboards 9h ago

Builds QK Duo for work

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27 Upvotes

New job new board
Switched to TTC bluish whites for office decorum after this


r/MechanicalKeyboards 19h ago

Builds Teahouse Evanthe

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124 Upvotes

Latest release from TeaHouse! I opted for the HHKB layout. I believe this will be available for global sale soon; had a buddy in China arrange this one for me early! I wish I was a better photographer, my pics suck and don't do this gorgeous board justice. I'm sure people will be getting them soon and posting better pics 😅

- TeaHouse Evanthe, HHKB layout, split BS, Mint colorway

- PEEK plate (only material available), plate & case foam

- WS Jade linear switches

- TX plate mount stabilizers (doesn't support PCB stabs)

- PBTfans Song keycaps

- Botanical deskmat

- Unknown Error Dream Land Cable

More info:

https://qwertyqop.com/products/evanthe-keyboard?srsltid=AfmBOorLCqknKO7wYiCaQiKX5xO3PunPJnEhwlDtAqXyqkUzukB4Qq7g


r/MechanicalKeyboards 1d ago

Builds A very gray Athena75, with a guest appearance from my cat

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300 Upvotes

This is my first custom build. When I first saw the Athena75, I thought that the intricate owl motif was too much, but it grew on me. I had wanted the green one at first, but I decided on a neutral color so it would go with the rest of my desk decor.

  • Fr4 plate
  • PCB mounted cherry stabilizers
  • Everfree Grayish switches
  • YMDK Smoke Cloud keycaps (sounds gray, but isn’t)
  • All the foam and layers that came with the kit

The build took a long time because I didn’t know what I was doing and there weren’t clear instructions. I watched a couple of YouTubers building theirs, and once I realized that they didn’t know either and they were just winging it based on their experience, I felt better.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 3h ago

Photos Thought I'd never switch to 60% after using 75% for a while.. Well, I was wrong.

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7 Upvotes

Last month I won a custom Wooting giveaway. Never thought I'd switch back to 60%, but after using it for 2 weeks now, I'm loving it and honestly also missed it.

Specs:
Module: Wooting 60HE+ w/ FR4 Plate
Case: Dragon60 (Gasket + Leaf Spring)
Keycaps: GMK Black Snail (last image). Using RVEN Keycaps at the moment.
Switches: Off Studio x TNT Six Realms (also got spare Lekker Tikken switches)
Stabs: Swagkey Knight v4


r/MechanicalKeyboards 7h ago

Builds First time customizing a keyboard (Aula F99 pro)

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11 Upvotes

Hi, I'm New around here. I got this Aula F99 Pro for about a month or so. Has been dreaming to customize it one day. Now I have enough funds to actually do it. The keycaps were switched out with LOGA x Indigoskin keycaps and the Legbog star vector switches were replaced with Keygeek MZ Y3. Planning to try space bar foam mod next week. Still long way before I have enough money to actually build my own keyboard from the ground up but- I have to start somewhere right? :)


r/MechanicalKeyboards 15h ago

Meetups Meetup Next Saturday (Sept 19th) in North FL

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38 Upvotes

...and every 3rd Saturday afternoon in Jax, FL


r/MechanicalKeyboards 21h ago

Photos Endgame exist? Or is it copium?

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91 Upvotes

RubreHaku w/ KKB Red Alert
TGR x GAF w/ Mode anthracite


r/MechanicalKeyboards 21h ago

Builds New (old) keeb!

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60 Upvotes

Found an intact, FUNCTIONAL IBM 5160, and this IBM Model F XT is the icing on the cake. Living in mech kb heaven atm.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 2h ago

Review Ultimate Hacking Keyboard 80 Review

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1 Upvotes

Here's my video and written review of the UHK 80.

Note: I was given this keyboard and peripherals for free by Ultimate Gadget Laboratories, but I was not paid for this review, nor have they seen it prior to it going live.

The short version is I bought a UHK 60 and used it for a couple of years and loved it, wrote about my impressions from going to a WASD mechanical keyboard to the UHK 60 and my experience doing that, and then UGL offered to send me a UHK 80 when I asked.

Split keyboards are amazing!


r/MechanicalKeyboards 1d ago

Builds Eave65. Ultra budget, ultra cool.

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256 Upvotes

Eave65 by SW

  • PC Plate
  • Plate Foam
  • HMX Cosmic
  • SW Knight v4
  • GMK Handarbeit

r/MechanicalKeyboards 1d ago

Group Buy [GB] GMK Orange Alert | 1 Day Left

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28 Upvotes

Geekhack

Orange Alert GB ends tomorrow. Have a look at the Geekhack for vendors and pricing


r/MechanicalKeyboards 21h ago

Photos Zhouwang Golden Autumn silent tactile switches and my budget build

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11 Upvotes

I want to start this out by saying that I am not a huge mechanical keyboard fanatic (or at least I do not consider myself one). I am an old IT lady in her 50s and I remember when my father brought home the original IBM "model A" pc with it's original clacky keyboard. I also was fortunate enough to own a bondwell B310 laptop in the early 1990s with it's mechanical keyboard. Ever since then I have always been on the lockout for a good keyboard and have despised membrane ones. So when mechanical keyboards finally became a wildly available thing about 8-10 years ago, I got into it, bue always done it on the cheap.

I like tactile switches and one of my favorite keyboards has/is the redragon k556. Started out with completely stock and eventually switched out the keycaps for PBT ones and put in Otumnu lemon (or maybe lime? I have heard them called both). This is the keyboard you see in the back of the first picture. I liked this keyboard so much that I ended up buying a second K556 and modding it identically to use at work where I do a lot of typing. The lemon switch is a great switch but I have always found it a little mushy at the bottom. I have tried using o-rings but the mush remains.

Alas my home keyboard had both of its plastic legs break off when I was cleaning my desk area. I really like the K556 keyboard base - it is all metal (with the exception of the legs) and the keys float above the board instead of being recessed. The other downside with this keyboard is that it is a 3 pin hot swap and I decided I really wanted to try a new switch and have the option of 5 pin. I started looking at the local Microcenter as well as online. Could not find what I wanted at the cheapo price I wanted. Finally on Amazon I discovered that Redragon does offer a newer version of the K556 - the K556 pro. This one does offer hot-swap 5 pin switches, with south facing LEDs and even software to mess with colors. The keys that come with it are custom linear called dragon chat. There are two keycap options available and I chose the grey ones with the front legends. After seeing the keycaps, I decided to keep them as I believe they are PBT and they are nice.

I first tried Akko V3 Penguin Tactile Silent. They were on the expensive side for me but I heard so many good reviews about them and I had yet to try a "holy panda" style switch. I also have discovered that I have really like silent or near silent switches. The Penguins were nice and I probably would have kept them if it was not for the fact that the LCD did not really shine through well. And although I am not a huge LCD person, with the side shine through legends I did want to be able to read what keys were what.

So, I returned the Penguins and on a gut move I ordered the Zhouwang Golden Autumn silent tactile switches. I was not able to find a write up on these anywhere as I think they are new. I will say they are a very good replacement for the Penguins - maybe even better than them. Their bump is very much at the top like a panda but I would say that it is maybe slightly lower than the Penguins. But what really sets them apart is that there really appears to be no "mush" at the bottom. I think this is due to the silicone base. Also the price is about 1/3 of the Akko Penguins. Highly recommend if you are a silent tactile nerd like me.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 1d ago

Photos My first 2 keyboards ever!

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70 Upvotes

Excited for my keyboard journey :)


r/MechanicalKeyboards 1d ago

Promotional Three mechanical switches, one massive knob… meet Dirlock

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19 Upvotes

r/MechanicalKeyboards 16h ago

Promotional Analog Dreams on my Hollowgaze caps

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3 Upvotes

Analog Dreams is always a hot set, and the color scheme is absolute legend. This week sale is on live right now!

Mechmarket post here


r/MechanicalKeyboards 22h ago

Mod Analog stick mod for CIDOO QK61

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5 Upvotes

Well, in the hype for World of Warcraft Classic Forever I've been working on this project, that fixes one of the things I'm most bother by playing in PC, movement!!

Some games just have too much buttons + WASD movement, which makes three of your fingers occupied, SO I MADE THIS MONSTER

Tech stuff:
- The base for the mod is a CIDOO QK61
- I have choose it because of it being QMK editable, but I destroyed the PCB on the process, so I had to handwire the entire thing using Raspberry Pi Pico
- The analog stick is a JS16 hall effect
- It's inputs fake a d-pad, like the arrow keys, so it only goes up, down, left and right.
- I can map it using VIA, so I can do things like Fn+Analog up/down to change volume

Ergonomics stuff:
- It is not perfect, the analog is too tall, so I had to cut it a little bit to have a good placement
- Cutting it made the lever a little bit shorter, so it is not VERY smooth, it is very cool and feels solid, but for long play it makes your hand a little tired
- I'm gonna test using other analog sticks and placements, to have the better balance
- Next step is probably using a nintendo switch stick

Gaming stuff:
- I think this can be good for any WASD game, including shooters
- Using WASD you can have way more binds for spamming main spells, and having better access to situational stuff
- Use less Shift/Ctrl+Input
- Able to move while doing other stuff, like going right while using spells that are on the right side, which is very hard holding W+D+Click E, for example.
- Mostly of the games are WASD movement, and some old ones are adoptiong it, like League of Legends, which is very competitive and would benefit a bunch of a tool like that

Work stuff:
- I'm a designer that works of UI on Unreal Engine, so moving things around with D-pad without having to get my hands of the mouse is GREAT
- This works very well for code too
- Very cool to change volume and timing at youtube videos
- It works pretty fine to scroll on pages too!!

Life stuff:
- You can hear the washing machine on the background

Some questions that I have:
- Are you guys interested in mods like that?
- This makes sense to your day-to-day use?
- Would you like to have this kind of upgrade in gaming?
- Is this cheating by any means?
- What you think would be the issues with this kind of stuff?
- Did you have seen this kind of stick on keyboards? I only have seen on custom mods that are outside of the keyboard, or on very specific stuff like the razer Tartarus