deskthority

Stabilized wrote:

matt3o wrote: color matching is 80%, that is the best you can get from an already injected piece of plastic.

we would need to make 10 injection tests with a slight color variation and pick the best one to have a 100% color match. That unfortunately is something we really can't afford.

Oh right, I understand; will still be buying one even at 80% colour match, as I really like the colour scheme.

Can't wait for these and the silencing rings to be put into production so that I can finally have the perfect Leopold FC660C

To be honest, Topre's own colour matching with ABS space bars isn't 100% either. I could see my white HHKB's spacebar wasn't perfectly matched to the white PBT alphas the moment I opened the box.

Sorry Topre, you ain't no NMB!



Vintage PBT spacebar. This isn't rocket science, believe it or not.

Model m / F spacebar is PBT right ? as are PBT cherry and alps sets ( at leat some of them)

for one of the most premium boards you can buy new you would think they could make a PBT spacebar

and still...

IBM's buckling spring spacebars are indeed PBT (usually, there are some exceptions out of Greenock!) but they're thin, a touch flimsy and a bit meh, overall. Meanwhile those NMBs are the real deal. Like Granite! And this GB right here…

PBT Cherrys do come with a PBT spacebar, but unfortunately BSP doesn't do them. So there isn't a good place to get OG quality Cherry PBT spacebars any more.

Muirium wrote: To be honest, Topre's own colour matching with ABS space bars isn't 100% either. I could see my white HHKB's spacebar wasn't perfectly matched to the white PBT alphas the moment I opened the box.

Oh, I haven't actually looked extensively at the spacebar compared to the rest of my keys on my white RF. Just looking at my Leopold, they seem like quite a good match, but it's harder to tell with dark grey. Will have to check on my new black/grey HiPro when it comes.

Still, I think this just proves that 100% colour matching isn't that big of a deal, for me anyways.

Related: do white Realforce bodies yellow in sunlight? I've been keeping mine boxed at day, thanks to that damn abs spacebar…

dunno but I did see a yellowed HHKB here somewhere a while ago.

seebart wrote: dunno but I did see a yellowed HHKB here somewhere a while ago.

yellowed hhkb crew roll out

sth wrote:

seebart wrote: dunno but I did see a yellowed HHKB here somewhere a while ago.

yellowed hhkb crew roll out

go ahead and roll ya yella crew out, I can take it!

Stabilized wrote: PBT Cherrys do come with a PBT spacebar, but unfortunately BSP doesn't do them. So there isn't a good place to get OG quality Cherry PBT spacebars any more.

where does imsto get his spacebars ? Mine on my absolutely outstanding black on grey dyesubs is most defiantly PBT

sth wrote:

seebart wrote: dunno but I did see a yellowed HHKB here somewhere a while ago.

yellowed hhkb crew roll out

No chance!

andrewjoy wrote: where does imsto get his spacebars ? Mine on my absolutely outstanding black on grey dyesubs is most defiantly PBT

The spacebars on imstos winkey KBC dyesub sets are PBT.. But they're 6.25u, not 7u.

The spacebars on imstos winkeyless sets using blank BSP keycaps which are then dyesubbed by imsto are from GMK and are ABS.

matt3o wrote: Next Monday or Tuesday everything will be revealed!

Friendly it's tuesday reminder

The group buy should start at the of this week, max early next.

Unit price is still undisclosed but should be around what we already said. I'll know better in a couple of hours.

The group buy should last approx 1 month, as soon as it starts we will pay for the mold and for 100 pre-production spacebars. A couple of weeks later I should receive some of the production samples (I only have the prototypes now), if all is good we start full production and soon after the GB ends we will be fulfilling orders. In the unlikely event that the samples suck, we still have time to ask to a backup manufacturer that we already found.

So we are all set. Hold tight.

Did you hear anything good?

no, and honestly I'm pissed off.

Bugger. Everyone's forever over-promising these days. The best way to make loyal customers is surely be realistic and don't fool us around.

Have these guys played fast and loose with you before? The prototypes look good, and I think it's worth doing business with them, but it'd be better to know what we're really in for, time wise.

well, there are 3 interested parties in 3 completely different time zones. Possibly tomorrow I'll wake up and find the quote in my inbox.

ok. the guy was sick yesterday. he is excused. I hope to speak with him later today.

TL;DR

- GB will start really soon (few hours)
- order => what you committed (not less)
- colors will be: light blue, red, light gray, dark gray.
- the spacebars are actually already in production, you'll get them really soon

The story so far

A little by chance at the end of last year I found a manufacturer in Europe able to make the Topre spacebars in PBT. Only problem... a ginormous MOQ and quite a steep cost for the mold. Anyway I started this "purchase intent" to check on the interest of such a project and hopefully find some sponsors.

Sponsor that materialized in the form of Massdrop. Months passed and soon was clear that it couldn't be possible to produce the spacebar at a reasonable price point in Europe... so China it is.

From China with love

First of all let me say that all you hear about manufacturing in China is true. Making them do exactly what you need is a darn odyssey, but sure it's cheaper. Anyway, the purchase intent went well, so we have the numbers to proceed.

We ordered 8 prototypes. These prototypes are milled not injected, they are needed just to check that the 3d model is good. On that 3d model we will be forging the final mold.

And here we are now

I have the prototypes in my hands, the colors are still not perfect and there are few things to update, but that's what prototypes are for. Overall I'm very satisfied by the product. The 3D model is a perfect 1:1 replica of the original. Seriously you can't tell the difference.

I'm happy to finally be able to tell you that... the mold has already been paid for and it is in production! This means that when the GB ends the spacebars will be already done (or close to).

Shut up and take my money

The group buy will start very soon (it's a matter of hours now). I'll do my best to have some kind of bonus for all those who preordered but MOQ is still pretty high and margin very small. I hope you'll understand if that won't be possible.

The cost per key should be around what we estimated, $9, possibly something less, I'll know for sure in the next few hours. Volume discount will be available. It will be possible to buy 1 black and 1 white, 2 black, 2 white, 2 colors, all 4. I don't think it will be possible to buy only one, sorry. That is because the high MOQ.

Colors will be: white (aka: light gray), black (aka: dark gray), red, light blue. These colors have been chosen by you and I believe they are just perfect. Remember that you can always dye-at-home the white one.

Colors are all matched, but 100% match won't be technically possible.

Pre production samples

Let me thank the guys at Massdrop that made all this possible. Especially Andrew and Kunal. They agreed at running pre-production samples. This means that a couple of weeks from now, while you will be still ordering your spacebars, I will be holding a semi-final product. If anything is wrong with it, we will have 2 more weeks to fix it in time for the GB end.

I'm closing the "purchase intent" form now, if you participated, you are the one who made this possible. Thanks to the huge numbers we raised I was able to persuade Massdrop to join this adventure. As soon as the GB will be up I will be emailing you a friendly reminder. You can change your order, but please try not to order less than what you already told us.

Thank you everybody! Now let's inject some plastic!

Yours,
Matt3o

Great work once again, matt3o. Can't wait!
I'm curious to know if the Chinese company producing these been involved with keyboards before? Is it a well-known company?

Thanks again matt3o, can't wait to order some spacebars

002 wrote: Great work once again, matt3o. Can't wait!
I'm curious to know if the Chinese company producing these been involved with keyboards before? Is it a well-known company?

yes haarrrummbbaugghmmm.... can they make other keys?

002 wrote: Great work once again, matt3o. Can't wait!
I'm curious to know if the Chinese company producing these been involved with keyboards before? Is it a well-known company?

yes, they already worked with keyboards, but they are not the usual suspects. And yes, they can do anything

On pricing. It will be $15.50 for 2.

----

I ran the numbers on the "purchase intent" one last time.

We collected about 550 orders. I expect at least a 10% to resign, so let's say that if we get less than 500 orders I would be really disappointed

Color preference is as follow:

Red => 119
Sky Blue/Light Blue => 114
Medium gray => 104
Mint/Light Green => 93

Medium gray didn't make it for a whisker!

Community impact:

#1 Geekhack
#2 Reddit
#3 Deskthority
#4 KBDMania

I can't believe it!

It's live!

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/topre-pbt- ... guest_open

Wooooo!!! Let's do dis

Ha! No Topre yet, but I sense one in my future!Ordering ASAP!
Good job matt3o!

Massdrop wrote: $16.49
+ $6.70 shipping to
MSRP $35.00

I wonder where they got that idea?!

Time to set up MassDrop Europe. Or do a proxy, I suppose. Shipping's going to add up fast.

Are they flexible about this stuff now, compared to what happened with Granite?

Fun fact: I met the guys and visited their new HQ. (Yes, they let me in after all!) They're cool, with lots of different projects In the works and relationships with various, especially Chinese manufacturers. They're thinking big. But they're not really concerned about Europe. Their focus is square on the US market. And it shows.

Would definitely join a proxy to Europe.