Realforce 10th Anniversary Uniform 55gr

matt3o · 12 Jul 2013, 00:04

The only legends I really don't like are Home/Insert/Delete/End. They used a different size and letter-spacing for each key and they are so close to each other that the difference is clear. Everything else seems fine to me.

I find SP random aligning, font thickness and kerning way worse than this.

Muirium · 12 Jul 2013, 00:10

Well, it's certainly not Arial, the usual fallback. G, R and the lowercase t say Helvetica to me. Topre just did an imperfect job at cramming it into place. The weights aren't right (real fonts come in a lot more shades than just regular and bold) and they tightened it willy nilly, on adjacent keys. So it's a jarring mix of good and bad you see. Some things are just right. Unlike certain other keyboards already mentioned!

Compare to a HHKB, which is a more consistent example of Helvetica, or indeed an old IBM

Jmneuv · 12 Jul 2013, 00:19

On this lightgrey Rf i'd just mix in a set of those green or blue blanks from EK.. i like blank/legend mixes. That'd be like 120€ shipped extra: so there we go again with twice the price for all things topre.
Still those amounts are also quickly accumulated while 'researching' MX caps.. so in reality it isn't all that bad.

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Jul 2013, 01:16

002 wrote:I'm curious to know what people's beef is with the text legends?

I never liked the arrow on the Enter key. It just looks tacky to me.

I do think that red Esc looks good on the 10th anniversary board though. But then, it always looks good: it's a very gentle shade of red.

002 · 12 Jul 2013, 01:22

Don't get me wrong, I love the red Esc - I just think that the anniversary board looks weird with it. It clashes too much with the blue and grey which really is the highlight of this board. On a drab white/grey or charcoal Realforce, there is no highlight...so putting a red Esc on them is appropriate and gives it a bit of flair

Muirium · 12 Jul 2013, 02:01

Drab white? I think you must mean "dashing"!

I doubt I'd put a red Escape on it if I had one either. Such flair always looks better on other people's (inherently wrong) favourite colours!

matt3o · 12 Jul 2013, 16:23

I really didn't give this keyboard a serious try before yesterday but it is growing on me very quickly. It's really hard to type on anything else after just two days on these gorgeous switches. I probably have to sell it fast if I want to keep buying other keyboards and building my customs...

I just want to add a note about case build quality. Filco case is better built, the realforce is good and heavy but the top plastic is just slightly loose and it slightly bends when moving the keyboard around grabbing from the sides. Nothing to worry about but —again— from a €300-keyboard you expect top quality.

Muirium · 12 Jul 2013, 16:27

Step 1: Build custom metal case for the Realforce.
Step 2: Build custom Realforce for the metal case.

pasph · 12 Jul 2013, 16:43

Muirium wrote:Step 1: Build custom metal case for the Realforce.

http://www.ebay.it/itm/Full-Aluminum-Ke ... 257440bf55

matt3o · 12 Jul 2013, 16:45

a custom Topre would be something but actually I don't even know if feasible. I would need a realforce (or other topre) to dismantle and make tests... but you know, they don't grow on trees

Muirium · 12 Jul 2013, 16:54

Whoah! If only it weren't pink…

Everything Topre costs more money. (For good reason: low supply and high demand.) It does invite exploration of making your own components though. Cases, caps, controllers! Maybe one day.

pasph · 12 Jul 2013, 16:55

matt3o wrote: I would need a realforce (or other topre) to dismantle and make tests...

You need to destroy it for your tests?

cookie · 12 Jul 2013, 16:59

I like the red esc on the anniversary board.
Esc must be red!

Topre switches are really a joy to type on, I am happier from day to day since I got mine.
The only sad thing about it is that I started to dislike my mx blue switches... They feel like there is sand in the switch :/

Edit: For now Id rather like a aftermarket PBT Spacebar then an allu case! Man this is something what really bugs me... So much money for a ABS Spacebar :/

matt3o · 12 Jul 2013, 17:00

pasph wrote:
matt3o wrote: I would need a realforce (or other topre) to dismantle and make tests...
You need to destroy it for your tests?

dismantle, not destroy... but at some point you have to cut/file/saw (eg: to make a 60% out of a realforce)

Muirium · 12 Jul 2013, 17:01

A Realforce 60%? You think it's worthwhile when the HHKB already exists?

matt3o · 12 Jul 2013, 17:04

Muirium wrote:A Realforce 60%? You think it's worthwhile when the HHKB already exists?

considering that there's no 55gr HHKB... yes

you could always exchange the springs but you'd need €600 to make one TKL 55gr.

cookie · 12 Jul 2013, 17:17

But this would be so HIP!

Are you sure that only the spring influences the force? Maybe there are some differences in the dome material as well?

Muirium · 12 Jul 2013, 17:23

Sounds like an experiment!

002 · 13 Jul 2013, 00:57

It's only the dome. The spring is always 5g so changing them around wouldn't really make much difference.

matt3o · 13 Jul 2013, 07:49

okay fine, so exchange the dome then

If anyone in interested in a mixed 44/55gr realforce I'll make myself a 55gr HHKB

Muirium · 13 Jul 2013, 12:22

Isn't the HHKB a bit different to other Topre switches?

The main switch housing is moulded onto the plastic. Only the plunger can be removed, as opposed to the standard Realforce switch, which can be removed completely from the mounting plate.

Perhaps you can work it out. Have you poked around inside an HHKB?

Jmneuv · 13 Jul 2013, 12:24

You swap around only the domies.

Muirium · 13 Jul 2013, 12:31

How do you get at them? By removing the plate I suppose, and then they are exposed on the PCB?

(Needs more pictures!)

Jmneuv · 13 Jul 2013, 13:00

that's from some guide i bookmarked:

: srf012l.jpg (96.67 KiB) Viewed 5662 times

Muirium · 13 Jul 2013, 13:11

Pic doesn't hotlink. Surprised to see it's still alive! Might want to host this on DT. Here's the link: http://www.geocities.co.jp/kousaku_situ ... rf012l.jpg

Wow, that really is quite the membrane… of rubber domes. Looks just like the innards of a crappy old white and clear Apple keyboard, and that thing's feel was wretched. Clearly, there's more to this than meets the eye.

Jmneuv · 13 Jul 2013, 13:23

Yea, i bet having a rubber sheet that costs 20 cents to produce instead of 10 makes all the difference.

matt3o · 13 Jul 2013, 13:43

I would need to cut some of the membrane... it should be actually feasible. Very tempting but still too expensive

Jmneuv · 13 Jul 2013, 16:02

I guess with that many screws sandwiching the rubber it should theoretically be possible to even cut every dome to single unit.

Muirium · 13 Jul 2013, 16:10

"Review". And on page 2 we're talking about how to dice it up into bits to make a better keyboard. Ah, Deskthority!

matt3o · 19 Jul 2013, 14:18

I'm gonna say this heresy. I'm on a RF since a couple of weeks now. It's definitely one of the best keyboard I had so far but... Topre switches are boring. I mean... typing on this thing is fantastic but it gives very little finger orgasm. I'd say it's good for the body and poor for the soul. Anyway it's my daily driver at the moment so...