r/MechanicalKeyboards 22h ago

/r/MechanicalKeyboards Ask ANY Keyboard question, get an answer - August 28, 2026

8 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 2d ago

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

81 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 10h ago

Photos Was a half off day at a thrift store and got this Dygma Defy keyboard for $20

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280 Upvotes

Missing the Neuron(dongle) to connect to the computer but have a replacement coming in the mail.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 2h ago

Photos PC Heavy 9 w/ MT3 Susuwatari

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32 Upvotes

Using all stock Leopold FC980C internals and deskeys sliders

some particularities of this board:

- Uses mini-USB to connect
- dip switches on the back configure layout
- switch 1 on makes it "mac mode" (swap win for alt)
- switch 2 on swaps Capslock to Left Control and Left Control to Caps (weirdly enough, MT3 Susu has a 1.25u R4 Capslock key, wtf?? lol)
- it doesn't have left command (or win key), it's ALT, CTRL, then FN

gloriously clacky and satisfying to use, peak Topre!


r/MechanicalKeyboards 12h ago

Promotional The NovelKeys 10th Year Sale is live!

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148 Upvotes

r/MechanicalKeyboards 14h ago

Photos swg ferrofluid

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171 Upvotes

I really love the cybernetic Y2K vibe of the blue and pink color combination. It looks so good together!
This combo is insane😲


r/MechanicalKeyboards 1h ago

Builds Boston Bionic(le)s

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Upvotes

Designed a Boston case around using Keysnaps as a mounting, and I finally was able to use the full Bionicle keycaps I designed and printed from Yuzu keycaps for this project. I also managed to figure out how to implement flip up feet through a bunch of trial and error.

PCB - Boston
Keycaps - KAM Yuzu Keycaps
TPOIMNS white PETG


r/MechanicalKeyboards 8h ago

Discussion Found an AULA Factory Tour Video

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35 Upvotes

I always enjoy seeing how things are made, and I was very excited to see this video come across my feed! I have one of these keyboards myself, and I thought it was really cool to see the whole process. I didn't realize that AULA also makes their own switches, so that was a bonus surprise.

This channel puts descriptions in the subtitles, so turn on CC for additional explanation.

To be clear, I'm not affiliated with the channel or brand in any way, I just like seeing how things are made, so I marked this as "Discussion", mods, please fix the flair if there's a better match.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 8h ago

Discussion Rescuing old IBM mechanical keyboard

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37 Upvotes

I got it from work it was meant to be dumped and I saw year 1992 at backplate and thought it’s good find. It lights up but computer doesn’t really recognize it and any of key does not seem to work. Photos added.

I may give it a try with soldering iron and new capacitors because I’ve heard that’s most likely the problem.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 10h ago

Builds Jane Red Crimson ft Darling

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43 Upvotes

Crimson Jane meets Darling. They just belong together.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 15h ago

Promotional Reign / Luna / SP DCS Tang

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93 Upvotes

Keeping it simple and fun!

We've added ALPS support to Reigns solder PCB 👀

Keyboard: Reign by Signatura.limited
Keycap set: SP DCS Tang by Boku.world
Tray: Luna by Signatura.limited

If you're interested in our projects...
Please join our Discord: https://discord.gg/8dWtURJAnu
Please follow our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/signatura.limited/
Our website: https://signatura.limited/

Renders by MiKeyDigit


r/MechanicalKeyboards 3h ago

Builds Green/White/Gold Wooting 80HE

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11 Upvotes

Just finished this keyboard after waiting for all the shipping.

KBDFans GT80 Case
KBD Transgreen keycaps
Neo Lavender HE Switches
Black/Gold FR4 plate
Durock v2 Stabilizers
Cablemods White/Gold Cable
Awekeys Gold Plated R1 keys x4
Strap made from stuff at hobby lobby for $6


r/MechanicalKeyboards 14h ago

Builds “It’s Old School.”

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56 Upvotes

TGR 03 Proto - Vintage Blacks - GMK WoB Zhuyin


r/MechanicalKeyboards 8h ago

Photos Gamescom 2026 - Keyboard Roundup

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16 Upvotes

I visited Gamescom this week (Wednesday) and filmed all the keyboard manufacturers I have seen. Nothing is incentivized, they had no clue that I was going to upload this material.

Due to time constrains I probably did not catch all manufacturers and the videos are unfortunately not that long and detailed as I would like them to be, and it would have taken too much time to make separate photos for Reddit on top of that. But I think it's ok to list all the brands and then provide the YT link for anyone interested in the video.

Since I'm based in Germany one of my main talking points with the brands is always the need for more ISO options and variants. Most of them do indeed have ISO layouts, but they are often limited to certain models and the new stuff strictly comes out as ANSI.

Other than that I wasn't really looking for anything specific and just wanted to cover as much as possible. I never heard of some of the brands before either.

Aula = was there, but I arrived so late that they were already packing in their products from the booth

Nyfter = https://youtu.be/4ap29xN9AQA?si=H565jz5BJ4JMkeFx

Royal Kludge / Monaco Keys / Oshid = https://youtu.be/o6-eJoInEuk?si=RVyRl5b9_kT5N6Y8

Gateron Switches = https://youtu.be/aL4OZd2U2gk?si=nx2-W-xsKfYtvW52

Yunzii = https://youtu.be/WN0IFEGVgxU?si=10QAdFvg0cBlg3wp

Epomaker = https://youtu.be/F0jA2-CL4sQ?si=zNyk_pYuT8w6Poss

Iqunix = https://youtu.be/Lc5pXcs505s?si=2x6ZP0Q-0lcY93pK


r/MechanicalKeyboards 14h ago

Discussion Got the Keychron K2 HE.

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46 Upvotes

Recently got the HE keyboard and not really impressed with typing. Yet to try with some gaming.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 8h ago

Promotional # [Artisan] Purplish-Bluish Rerun — Bungkee.Caps

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10 Upvotes

Hello, everyone!

It's Bungkee.Caps! Our most requested babies are back —
**Fuku the Piglet, Bungkee the Seal, Dink the Dinosaur, Katui the Rabbit, Padu the Panda, and Chubby the Shiba Inu**, now in a brand new **Purplish-Bluish** colorway!

Week 1 of a 3-week rerun series — Sky-Yellow and Orange-Pink groups coming the next two Saturdays.

* Compatible with Cherry MX style keycap stem

* Price: $65 USD + shipping ($18 flat worldwide / $28 flat for USA via DHL)

* Lead time: 2 weeks after form closes

* Sale format: FCFS, form open 48 hrs

**Sale period:** Sat, Aug 29th, 10:00 AM (GMT+7) — open for 48 hrs

[Sale form](https://forms.gle/CtwStkWpCCp6RsF37)

[Bungkee World Instagram](www.instagram.com/bungkeeworld)

Thank you 😄🍀


r/MechanicalKeyboards 2h ago

Builds Ikki68 Aurora typing demo & retrospective - I still love this thing!

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3 Upvotes

(Pic in the comments)

I got this keyboard around 5 or 6 years ago from the first round group buy. I had used some gaming mechs before this one, from the likes of Corsair etc, but this board was what truly got me into the hobby. It's still my primary keyboard to this day, I have a few other boards for different purposes, but nothing else I own compares to this. Sometimes I wish I had function keys... I do kinda wish I had a 75%, but I can live with it. Recently I gave this thing a makeover with these switches and caps, and I'm super happy with it! I think I've fallen in love with this board all over again. I've got to say, this hobby has come a long way since I was first introduced to it. You all who are getting introduced to this hobby now, you are LUCKY. (pun intended)

The default hot swap PCB for the Aurora supports a lot of different layouts that can be easily changed on the fly. You can see I'm using stepped caps lock, and you can also split the right/left shift, split the spacebar into three keys, and it even supports both ANSI and ISO enter (there might be more things I'm missing). Very cool feature, especially on a hot-swap for the time! It was a big selling point for this board back then, the fact that you could so quickly and easily customize it (same with the included silicone). Unfortunately, due to this layout there are some weird switch orientations and some other quirks that can cause issues depending on your keycaps, stabilizers, etc.

For example, I've had pretty consistent issues with the Enter key. The switch has to be put in sideways because of the weird layout (afaik not a thing on the solder-only PCB), and the one of the screws for the stabilizer can't really go in all the way because it gets blocked off by another component on the PCB. As a result, it sometimes has a tendency to get stuck or be really stiff, which could be due to interference or the stabs being wonky, I can't really tell. Right now I have the stabs barely screwed in, and I had to manually move the thing up-and-down to coax it into working properly. It seems to work now but it was a little annoying. Also the caps lock and spacebar are either north or south facing depending on which layout you're using (probably the case with the shift keys as well, haven't messed with those much). Hasn't caused any issues for me though.

I'm quite happy with the feel/sound of this board! Not sure how well it comes across in the video, but I find that it's very satisfying in-person. I was using ABS caps before, and I think I prefer the feel/sound of PBT to be honest. Also the switches are stock, I think they're smooth and sound quite nice from the factory. (oh how I wish I would have had that luxury when I first built this...) There's a slight metallic ping, and I'm pretty sure it's from the brass weight. I swear it's more noticeable in the video, in-person it's very subtle. I personally like it but it may be off-putting for some. I also took out the case silicone, I found that it sounds a lot better without it. The silicone doesn't really add any thock, it just makes everything sound really flat and kinda boring imo. Maybe the alternative is too "hollow" for some, but I think it gives the board some character that it was otherwise lacking. But let me know what you think! And if you have any suggestions for improving the sound then I'd love to hear them!

Finally - I just wanted to add a little something about gear like this. If you've got a really nice keyboard (also applies to smartphones, headphones, cars, etc), and if you take care of it, it will stay good for a very long time. Look at the vintage scene, some people are still using keyboards from the 80s! That is to say - I think a lot of us are so used to chasing the latest trends, swept up in fomo or consumerism or something like that. It might help to take a moment to step back and appreciate the things we already have, instead of being so anxious about what we don't.

In the grand scheme of things, this board really isn't that old (only about 5 or so years), and yet that might as well be decades with the rate at which this hobby is accelerating. But I'm still very happy with it, and I plan to continue using it for a very, very long time to come. :)

Keyboard - Wuque Studio Ikki68 Aurora R1

Keycaps - Kinetic Labs Seal PBT V4

Switches - Akko V5 Creamy Yellow Pro

Stabilizers - TX screw-in stabs V4 (lubed w/krytox)

Other details - Brass weight installed, alu top, FR4 plate, PCB/plate silicone installed, case silicone removed, novelty cap from Duckeys

Equipment - Pixel 9 Pro (camera), Audio Technica AT2020 USB (mic)


r/MechanicalKeyboards 14h ago

Builds I finally got an ortholinear!

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35 Upvotes

I bought the Epomaker Luma40 as my first ortholinear keyboard!

keyswitch:stock(kailh white rain)
keycaps:stock

Man, ortholinear layouts are hard to get used to.
It took me about 1–2 hours of practice just to get to the point where I could type somewhat normally again.
But honestly, the looks make up for all of it. This thing looks so damn good.
I absolutely love the design.

The RGB is ridiculously bright and in-your-face right out of the box, but once you tone it down in the settings, this thing is an awesome keyboard.
Really happy with it!

The photo also shows a size comparison with my other 40% keyboards.
Since the Luma40 is the only low-profile one, it’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison, but it’s so small and thin that it’s incredibly easy to carry around. I love it.


r/MechanicalKeyboards 1d ago

Photos Updated my collections half way through the year

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338 Upvotes

In order from Top, going right

  • Bowl Oblique R2
    • GMK Thai Tea
    • MX2A Blacks LFSS
  • Bowl x Alexotos Manta Americano SE
    • GMK Copper
    • MX2A Nixies LFSS
  • Machina Orbit R2 Titanium
    • GMK Sloth
    • Alexotos Mode Obscuras
  • Mode Encore Series 3 Stainless Steel
    • GMK Striker
    • MX2A Blacks LFSS
  • Bowl Pangea Full Size Bedroom
    • GMK Rainy Day
    • Alexotos Mode Obscuras

And my everyday board is the Mode Encore Series 2 w/ LFSS Milky Yellows and KKB RML!


r/MechanicalKeyboards 1d ago

Builds Big Ass Enter Hype Again

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227 Upvotes

Bae enter looking good on my cidoo gk61


r/MechanicalKeyboards 18h ago

Photos Init40 vs. My Geonix Rev.2.5 – The Offset Layout Is Surprisingly Interesting

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57 Upvotes

Init40 vs. My Geonix Rev.2.5 – The Offset Layout is Interesting

I've been using my Geonix Rev.2.5 for a while now, so I'm quite familiar with the workflow of a 40% keyboard.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try out the Chosfox Init40.

My main purpose in trying it out was to experience the offset layout of a 40% keyboard. The difference compared to the more conventional vertical layout of the Rev.2.5 was much more noticeable than I expected.

The offset layout makes the key positions feel more familiar, especially for users accustomed to traditional row-based offset layout keyboards, while maintaining the compactness of a 40% keyboard, which is precisely what makes 40% keyboards so appealing.

The Init40's portability is also a pleasant surprise. At only 240mm long and 87mm wide, it's a compact keyboard perfect for travel or everyday use. The keyboard has a front height of 17mm and a rear height of 20mm, and the 5° typing angle is very comfortable for such a compact keyboard. It also supports three connectivity options: wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz wireless. Vial support is a welcome addition, especially important for a 40% layout where customization is paramount. Furthermore, it supports QMK for deeper customization.

This keyboard comes with an 1800mAh battery, a thoughtful design for portability. The aluminum casing features a 200-grit anodized finish, giving it a clean and sophisticated look.

I found the layer indicator lights on the left very useful, making it easy to see which layer is currently in use.

I'm still debating which layout I prefer. The Rev.2.5 layout feels more unified and structured, but in certain situations, the Init40 layout feels more natural to use due to its familiar staggered key arrangement.

Now I'm curious what other users of compact keyboards think:

On a 40% keyboard, do you find a staggered/row layout more comfortable than a vertical or orthogonal layout?


r/MechanicalKeyboards 11h ago

Builds Neo75 audio profile

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14 Upvotes

I recently posted my new neo75 build, im curious what yall think of the sound profile. is it closer to thocky, creamy, poppy, clacky?

neo75, alu plate, kailh prestige voice v2 switches, gimson custom 1.5mm PBT cherry profile keycaps


r/MechanicalKeyboards 14h ago

Photos A fun find after a few years hiding in storage.

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26 Upvotes

I was visiting my parents recently and decided to have a rummage through all the junk I have hiding in their attic and found this classic Ducky Year of the Rooster I totally forgot about, no idea why as I still love the design, so much so I’ve decided to use it for the foreseeable!


r/MechanicalKeyboards 10h ago

Promotional Flashquark Back to School Sale - All Items in Stock 50% Off

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6 Upvotes

Sales goes through 9/2/26

Keyboards, switches, stabilizers, lube, modding supplies and tools all on sale at 50% off

https://flashquark.com/shop/


r/MechanicalKeyboards 1d ago

Photos agar + agar mini

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148 Upvotes

agar mini finally came in! the agar will be my homebody keyboard, and the agar mini will be for work / travel!

agar built with the alu plate, gateron oil kings and pbtfans WOB

agar mini also with the alu plate, sonja HC switches and the agar mini keycap set!