deskthority

Tell me your favorite keycaps

OG Cherry

WHAT oon EARTH is that top left one?! Oo

SA.

Cherry OG dyesubs

Cherry OG doubleshots (even better than GMK counterparts)

Cherry OG doubleshots as well, but don't ask me which colour of them looks the best

Prelim wrote: 12 Jan 2019, 12:17 Cherry OG doubleshots (even better than GMK counterparts)

they're the same thing tho

no, unfortunately they aren't... as someone already pointed out, GMK actually has lower quality caps than Cherry OG. This is most likely due to some of the original tooling degradation, awful QC and maybe different plastic quality than used in original Cherry caps.

Chyros wrote: 12 Jan 2019, 10:58 WHAT oon EARTH is that top left one?! Oo

Wow. That's.... something =o .

It may sound like a pathetic cop-out, but IBM's concept of M/F stems + caps with everything in the same profile is profoundly efficient and elegant.

There's nothing pathetic about efficiency and elegance, especially when combined!

fohat wrote: 12 Jan 2019, 14:45 It may sound like a pathetic cop-out, but IBM's concept of M/F stems + caps with everything in the same profile is profoundly efficient and elegant.

Came to say this, but I disagree on it being a pathetic cop-out. IBM F/M stems+caps allow for such level of freedom in the layout rearrangements that many cool things are possible and EASY to pull off, like...

IBM Mopar.

Topre cylindricals, trailed closely by and NMB’s and Cherry’s. All dyesubs. Cherry doubleshots are nice, too, but PBT always comes top for me. Apple’s vintage AEK caps are thick and playful, but just not quite as right.

Beamspring sphericals are fun, as are SA, but I just don’t spend much time with them typing. Fear of shining them or giving them all ABS sunburn? Maybe, but it ultimately comes down to what my hands prefer. Cylindricals are better.

IBM’s cylindricals are practical but boring. The caps are easily Model F’s weakspot in my view. Sterling keyfeel but lacklustre finger feel. The other classic sphericals get it so much more right.

Prelim wrote: 12 Jan 2019, 13:03 no, unfortunately they aren't... as someone already pointed out, GMK actually has lower quality caps than Cherry OG. This is most likely due to some of the original tooling degradation, awful QC and maybe different plastic quality than used in original Cherry caps.

I have this question too... like Myoth's
I just know that ABS caps are not all equal, even from Cherry itself throughout its history, as pointed out by Chyros's latest video on Cherry foam & foil keyboard.
How to qualify and quantity the potential differences can be some true science for further investigation.

Favorite keycaps to type on:

Cherry OG blank POM (or Cherry profile POM) > Topre blank PBT

Favorite keycaps to look at:

SA

Perhaps I have to get some Cherry profile sets that are more handsome than my SA...

OG cherry if its in row5 bottom row is by far my favorite. I just got cherry pbt a few days ago but i think i slightly prefer it to their abs

Interesting question, but difficult to answer. This is like asking "What's your favorite [movie, book, song, ... ]. It depends on many things, including your mood and the task at hand.

There are many variables to consider with keycaps:

+ Switch/stem type, e.g., Topre, Alps, IBM BS, Cherry, other.
+ Vintage or contemporary keyboard.
+ Keyboard form factor.
+ Keyboard chassis.
+ Keyboard layout, e.g., ANSI, ISO, HHKB, Dvorak, Colemak, other.
+ Keycap material, e.g., ABS, PBT, other.
+ Keycap profile, e.g., Topre, IBM BS, Cherry, Leopold, OEM, DSA, SA, DCS, other.
+ Keycap tops, e.g., Spherical, cylindrical, flat, other.
+ Blank, legended, or relegendable.
+ If legended, legend type, e.g., Double- or tripleshot, dye-sublimated, shine-through (backlit).
+ If legended, legend position, e.g., Upper left, centered, lower left, front, other.
+ If legended, font and typeface, e.g., Helvetica regular, Helvetica italic, other.
+ Keycap color scheme.
+ Keycap feel (in part a function of material).
+ Keycap thickness.
+ Keycap sound (a complex function of many variables).
+ Purpose (e.g., aethetic, functional).

Although I like the appearance of some vintage spherical thick doubleshot ABS found on a variety of terminal keyboards, this design is not practical for me.
Instead, I try for the best combination of keycap variables to suit a given keyboard form factor, layout, and switch type. Generally, I tend to prefer dye-sublimated PBT cylindricals in a sculpted profile. The profile can be afforded by the keycap set or by the curvature of the board, as with IBM BS.

Vintage: Honeywell sphericals, IBM beamspring sphericals.

Modern: SA, MT3.

I like the sculpted spherical caps you get with old SKCC boards the most. They're very nice.

depletedvespene wrote: 12 Jan 2019, 15:00

fohat wrote: 12 Jan 2019, 14:45 It may sound like a pathetic cop-out, but IBM's concept of M/F stems + caps with everything in the same profile is profoundly efficient and elegant.

Came to say this, but I disagree on it being a pathetic cop-out. IBM F/M stems+caps allow for such level of freedom in the layout rearrangements that many cool things are possible and EASY to pull off, like...

Spoiler:

+1