I've been slowly trying to document what I have for a while, and need to start being a bit more organized. Couldn't think of a better place to do that. I will update this on a regular basis (hopefully )
Keyboards are in no particular order. I have a good number more to add as I get better pictures, and need to find better pictures of some posted boards as well. I was going to document keycap sets as well, but have really gotten rid of most sets I had, as I generally use my Topre boards with stock sets on a daily basis, and was guilty of buying sets to put on MX boards to look at but not use, which was kind of a waste.
HHKB Pro 2 in Prototype Metal Case - 45g Topre - This thing is awful, in every single way.
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Leopold FC660C - 45g Topre
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Realforce 87U 10AE - 55g Topre, Modified plate (L CTRL) to allow for HiPro caps. My daily use keyboard at the moment. Also pictured is my 2nd 55g 87U with the same plate modification and Modifier caps from a 104UB.
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Realforce HiPro - 45g Topre
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Realforce 87U - 45g Topre
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Realforce 103U - 55g Topre
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Realforce 104UB - 45g Topre
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Cooler Master Novatouch - 45g Topre - Hydrodipped by Morbidstix.com w/ Engicoders 1976 SA caps.
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Cooler Master Novatouch - 45g Topre - W/ Jukebox SA
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Alps
IBM 6112883 - SKCC Tall Cream Alps - Have a few of these, eventually cutting one up with Engicoder to make a 60%
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IBM 6112883 - SKCC Tall Green Alps
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Chicony KB 5181 - Monterey Blue Alps
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Siig MiniTouch - Monterey Blue Alps
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Planck - Matias Quiet Clicks
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Apple M0110 - SKCC Vintage Cream Alps
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Need to add Image
Apple M0120 - SKCC Vintage Cream Alps
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Need to add Image
Focus 2001 - Complicated White Alps
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Dell AT101W - Complicated Black Alps - Have quite a few variants of these guys, not really worth documenting them all.
Raytheon 6104-04 - Magnetic Valve/Pulse (Full album)
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NIB Cortron 81 - Magnetic Valve/Pulse
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Aydin Controls 5153 - Magnetic Valve w/ Soarer's conversion.
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----------------------------------------- Typewriters
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Just for kicks and giggles, here are some of my typewriters as well. I was into typewriters before keyboards. Most of these are in storage, I'll have to dig them all out some day but it sadly isn't a priority right now.
That hydrodipping is amazing! Jeez I might not even get a metal case for some of my boards and just get them hydrodipped! They look so nice and they go together with the 1976 set so well.
Redmaus wrote: That hydrodipping is amazing! Jeez I might not even get a metal case for some of my boards and just get them hydrodipped! They look so nice and they go together with the 1976 set so well.
What is so bad about the HHKB?
Yeah, the hydrodipping was a really fun, and relatively inexpensive way to make a meh stock case look special and interesting.
The Original HHKB? The Fujitsu domes aren't even reminiscent of Topre, in fact, they are one of the worst rubber domes I've used. I had an HHKB Lite 1 that felt better than the OG HHKB. The domes are just very mushy and have no snap whatsoever It is a shame, it is a really cool board.
seebart wrote:I have nothing on 002 and his epic Topre collection though!
Few people do. I'd have to say that your typewriters are the most beautiful though. That Juliette 25 is my fave.
I think that is my favorite as well. They aren't very common at all, but are sadly on the cheaper end as far as manufacturing quality goes. Its just a bit creaky, but still a nice machine. They were often known as the "poor mans Valentine."
What the amazing beauty custom keyboard collection.
I'd like to see the IBM 6112883 keyboard, I don't know it has the SKCC Tall Cream. Want some picture of it!
photekq wrote: Great collection. Too many modern boards though.. You need more vintage!
Yeah, the majority of my collection is pretty new stuff. Almost all of the MX boards minus the custom built ones have gone to new homes, Topre has staying power for me though
I have a good few vintage boards I need to pull out of their boxes this week and take pics of and document still as well, I didn't want to post from memory as most of them have been in storage so long I can't remember specific models/switches or both
Engicoder is right up the road from me though and has a rather glorious vintage collection I've enjoyed seeing pieces of. Now that I've given him his first Topre board, maybe he will get tired of those dusty old keyboards and start selling them to me...
This collection is crazy.... don't want tho think of how much cash you've spent on all that.
I really like the vintage HHKBs, the first ones. You say NiB? How did you get your hands on those?
Maybe they are terrible to type on but they are amazing keyboards to collect
I am very impressed by that collection, mucho love for Topre
cookie wrote: This collection is crazy.... don't want tho think of how much cash you've spent on all that.
I really like the vintage HHKBs, the first ones. You say NiB? How did you get your hands on those?
Maybe they are terrible to type on but they are amazing keyboards to collect
I am very impressed by that collection, mucho love for Topre
I do love my Topre very much! Many of the MX keyboards I had were ones given to me to review, but I honestly can't say I have a lot of love for MX. I much prefer Alps varieties over their MX counterparts in almost every case. Many of the vintage boards I need to add are vintage Alps boards.
As far as the OG HHKB's go, I've actually had 2 of them. The first one I found used for around $100 on a yahoo.jp acution, and found the NIB one for about twice that a few months later on there as well. I was curious to see if the domes would feel any better on the NIB one than the heavily used one I originally had. If anything, they were worse haha. For their time period though, they really are something quite unique, so I definitely plan to hang onto it
I use a white 87U w/ modified plate and black mods on my home computer, and travel with a 55g HHKB w/ hypersphere rings and the custom steel case plate on a normal day. At work is where I normally swap out a keyboard a week, generally I use a teensied F AT or older Alps board there. Having an office to myself lets noise not be an issue.
I used to swap out boards at home, but I'm so indecisive I would just swap boards every 10 minutes, so by taking them to work I force myself to really get comfortable with the boards and start to feel out their nuances
@LSB: Ouhh that is actually not that chap, considering that you don't like the feel. I rarely keep keyboards which I don't like to type on. I have a quite similar opinion about Cherry MX, as much as I like Reds, I always come back to my beloved Topre. They are just nice for me. I wish that Cherry would come up with something new, instead of this MX Silver switch... After almost 5 years of continuos mechanical keyboard hype, they've missed plenty of opportunities to create literally a "Game Changer" switch
But probably the market isn't as big as I think, our community is quite niche
cookie wrote: @LSB: Ouhh that is actually not that chap, considering that you don't like the feel. I rarely keep keyboards which I don't like to type on. I have a quite similar opinion about Cherry MX, as much as I like Reds, I always come back to my beloved Topre. They are just nice for me. I wish that Cherry would come up with something new, instead of this MX Silver switch... After almost 5 years of continuos mechanical keyboard hype, they've missed plenty of opportunities to create literally a "Game Changer" switch
But probably the market isn't as big as I think, our community is quite niche
Again, very nice collection
I couldn't agree more about Cherry. They sadly haven't innovated much at all in the last 5 years, and really are missing opportunities to bring a "game changer" to the market like you said. Unfortunately most companies are creating "new" switches aimed at gamers, which in my opinion are just crafted to make for good box hype, but don't actually bring anything terribly new to the table. Gamers are a large market though, so it does make sense that is who the companies are targeting most with new products
)
Build log:https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=77 ... msg1957837
I'd have to say that your typewriters are the most beautiful though. That Juliette 25 is my fave.
It is a shame, it is a really cool board.
