Intro
I’m a big fan of mechanical keyboards. My journey began around four years ago when I bought my first mechanical keyboard, a Keychron K2. I chose it because I was looking for a compact keyboard with a Mac layout and a good typing experience.
However, the K2 was… very disappointing. Everything about it was terrible. After a few weeks of using the K2, I switched back to my Magic Keyboard and forgot about mechanical keyboards for months.
But during the COVID-19 pandemic, I started thinking about mechanical keyboards again, and that marked the beginning of my hobby.
At this moment, I’m writing this post on my Monsegeek M1 (v3).
Below is a list of my favorite keyboards that I own or have owned:
Kinesis Advantage 360 Pro
This is the most “complicated” keyboard. Litteraly and not ;)
Designa & ergonomic
This keyboard is designed to reduce the load on your wrists. Its curved shape is really comfortable (after a while :)), but if you have small hands and fingers, it might be a problem. I have medium to large hands, and it’s really comfortable for me.
A big problem with this keyboard is that it takes time to adapt. TIME TO ADAPT – I spent a weeks getting used to it. You learn this keyboard through persistence. After a while, when you start feeling comfortable with it, your hands and fingers will start playing like a piano, trust me.
I recommend it if you type a lot of text every day. It doesn’t matter which kind, just a lot of characters.
Also, you might want to check out the Glove80 & Moonlander.
Build quality
My instance was with Gateron Brown, not the best switches. They sound and feel like a piece of two copper plates :).
Overall build quality feels like a tank: solid case, consistent gaps, nothing squeaks except the switches.
Why am I not using it every day? Well, I want to replace the switches with something like WS Silent Tactile. I’m using WS Heavy on my Monsegeek M1, and they feel so nice, but they are a bit loud. The silent version should be better for working at night.
Why haven’t I replaced the switches already? Because I need to desolder all the switches from the plate. This keyboard is not hot-swappable. I need to make up my mind and just do it at some point.
HHKB
HHKB… my love, but I’m using it really rarely. It is a perfect keyboard with perfect Topre switches, but after a few years on a 60% layout, I decided to switch back to 75%. Now, using a 60% layout is a bit uncomfortable for me.
Topre switches sound and feel like a drop falling on velvet. Smooth, quiet, and light. Unfortunately, you can’t buy Topre switches separately. I lubed them a bit, and they started to sound even better, but out of the box, especially the Type-S versions, they sound perfect. Highly recommended if you need to type a lot of text and don’t need the arrow keys or F-row often.
Just my desk with HHKB on it.
Monsegeek M1 (v3)
I bought it accidentally just because someone in one of the keyboard chats posted a message about it. I bought the barebone version (without switches and keycaps).
It’s almost the perfect keyboard. I replaced the stabilizers and installed WS Heavy switches with PBTFans BOW keycaps.
It feels like a tank, almost 2kg in weight, with a CNC case. It sounds very nice and the flex feels very good.
To be honest, I don’t know what else to say. It is such a lovely keyboard. Highly recommended.
WOMIER SK75 is a very good option if you want a ready-to-use keyboard with wireless connectivity and VIA support.
KBDfans 67Lite
My first keyboard that I built. Currently, I’m using it as a playground for different switches and keycaps. It’s light and looks perfect. Unfortunately, KBDfans stopped selling it.
In conclusion
That was a brief overview of my keyboards. I think in my next post I’ll discuss switches and maybe how I replaced the switches in the Kinesis Advantage 360 Pro.