Should I buy a HHKB

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Khers

30 Jul 2017, 22:35

Put dental bands on it; while it does not make it linear, it removes most of the tactility. FWIW, I hated the dental bands.

DerpyDash_xAD

30 Jul 2017, 22:36

I just did a direct compairson of my old red poker pro to the hhkb, side by side. The red is quiter, but the topre has a nicer sound. the topre PBT caps are miles better than the shitty ABS caps on the pure pro; this is the only keyfeel improvement the topre offers. even with the overly light keyswitch in the cherry red, the linear smooth taptaptaptap is just so fabulously smooth and liquid, it's positively cloudlike, like typing on a breast. the topre on the other hand feeds like there is a resistive barrier that must be passed, and then instant bottom out, which I despise. Also, the topre makes my wrist sting a little, which is why i wrote the huge rant earlier. That said, the topre has a vastly more striking appearance, and the UNIX layout is incredible. I'm a true unix layout lover now. The topre looks good on my desk where as the pure pro stands out in ugliness lmao :D

DerpyDash_xAD

30 Jul 2017, 22:39

Khers wrote: Put dental bands on it; while it does not make it linear, it removes most of the tactility. FWIW, I hated the dental bands.
I'll try that before anything more destructive, thanks for the advice.

User avatar
wobbled

31 Jul 2017, 02:48

You could also buy one of those 35g capacitive dome sheets on ebay, not sure how good they are though.

DerpyDash_xAD

02 Aug 2017, 21:09

alright, I have dental banded my hhkb. It's a sidegrade. The sound is mostly improved, it's really rather quiet now, but it also has a touch of reverb where before there was none. I'm not sure what the cause is on that front, it may have just been I didn't notice it. To an extent I liked the snappy sound of the unsilenced topres, but quietness is favourable when I stream. I am still very very in two minds about the hhkb. I adore the layout, and the appearance, it's simply gorgeous, as well as capactive switching. However, I also despise the keyswitches. And this combination of factors means I really can't decide what my opinion of the board as a whole is. I absolutely don't understand the topre obsession though - people are perfectly correct to say it's a great rubber dome, but it really is a rubber dome in feel. It has the terrible lumpy feel of rubber domes, done well, but still like BLUH BLUH BLUH when I hit the keys.

User avatar
wobbled

03 Aug 2017, 14:51

You should become obsessed with them like I am, it's good fun!
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DerpyDash_xAD

03 Aug 2017, 15:45

Wobbled, do a full flop front row, looks amazing.

My next plan is to decide how to make a mx hhkb. I think I may end up diy-ing a wood case and wood plate, and direct soldering wires to switches.

Long term I want linear capactivies. But I don't know enough about capacitance to know where to start, although I may just start screwing about with arduinos and metal...

User avatar
wobbled

03 Aug 2017, 18:36

Get a plum 35g topre clone, there's literally no tactility at all. It's just a very smooth linear switch.

DerpyDash_xAD

03 Aug 2017, 19:05

wobbled wrote: Get a plum 35g topre clone, there's literally no tactility at all. It's just a very smooth linear switch.
That's cool, I didn't realize they were non-domed capacitive switches. I thought they were just literal clones. How do you rate the feeling in comparison to red and black? I prefer a heavier switch and I'd rather go to a black/vintage black board as a next buy over an unknown factor after hhkb experience. Has anyone ever done a cherry mod to a sun type? To be honest, I think my best bet may be a hand drawn and etched pcb for a keyboard that fits my wants, in a wood shell that I can make fairly easily.

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wobbled

03 Aug 2017, 19:08

Oh no the plums do still use rubber domes except they are so light you don't feel any tactility. They just collapse very lightly. They are much smoother than reds and have a softer landing if you bottom out. I personally hate reds, and blacks more so. They wont be your cup of tea if you like heavy linears though.

DerpyDash_xAD

03 Aug 2017, 19:10

wobbled wrote: Oh no the plums do still use rubber domes except they are so light you don't feel any tactility. They just collapse very lightly. They are much smoother than reds and have a softer landing if you bottom out. I personally hate reds, and blacks more so. They wont be your cup of tea if you like heavy linears though.
I don't believe I will like that then, since that sounds pretty similar to the descriptions of dental banded HHKB/Topre, and I found that to be no improvement. Do you know of any unix layout MX boards? or is it DIY time?

User avatar
wobbled

03 Aug 2017, 20:39

Sounds like you're going to have to DIY it mate, what colour is your HHKB out of interest? I'm going to be looking for a black pro 2 soon.

User avatar
Phenix
-p

03 Aug 2017, 20:46

wobbled wrote:Oh no the plums do still use rubber domes except they are so light you don't feel any tactility. They just collapse very lightly. They are much smoother than reds and have a softer landing if you bottom out. I personally hate reds, and blacks more so. They wont be your cup of tea if you like heavy linears though.
so they are ideal if I like mid-weighted linears?
(55g vint blacks eg)?

User avatar
wobbled

03 Aug 2017, 23:28

Phenix wrote:
wobbled wrote:Oh no the plums do still use rubber domes except they are so light you don't feel any tactility. They just collapse very lightly. They are much smoother than reds and have a softer landing if you bottom out. I personally hate reds, and blacks more so. They wont be your cup of tea if you like heavy linears though.
so they are ideal if I like mid-weighted linears?
(55g vint blacks eg)?
Hard to say until you try them, they're like a very smooth, soft landing red switch so they may be a little light for your liking. I ended up swapping out the dome sheet for a 55g one on ebay anyway because light switches are too uncomfortable for me to use. The plum boards are really cheap anyway so it may be worth giving it a try.

User avatar
Phenix
-p

04 Aug 2017, 00:21

wobbled wrote:
Phenix wrote:
wobbled wrote:Oh no the plums do still use rubber domes except they are so light you don't feel any tactility. They just collapse very lightly. They are much smoother than reds and have a softer landing if you bottom out. I personally hate reds, and blacks more so. They wont be your cup of tea if you like heavy linears though.
so they are ideal if I like mid-weighted linears?
(55g vint blacks eg)?
Hard to say until you try them, they're like a very smooth, soft landing red switch so they may be a little light for your liking. I ended up swapping out the dome sheet for a 55g one on ebay anyway because light switches are too uncomfortable for me to use. The plum boards are really cheap anyway so it may be worth giving it a try.
I own a novatouch btw: so (as a brief idea of the feel) the plum ec switches are softer and less tactical than Topre.
Will get the 45g then.. (and replace with e.g. 55g)

User avatar
wobbled

04 Aug 2017, 00:38

the plum I bought was 35g and it was a hell of a lot less tactile than topre, there was pretty much no tactility there at all. I jumped straight to 55g domes in the plum which felt more like a hhkb 45g in terms of tactility so the 45g topre clones will probably be somewhere in between linear and topre.

DerpyDash_xAD

24 Mar 2018, 15:09

@wobbled still looking for a black HHKB pro 2?

User avatar
wobbled

24 Mar 2018, 15:17

DerpyDash_xAD wrote: @wobbled still looking for a black HHKB pro 2?
Not anymore, I bought one, stuck some 55g domes in it and HiPro'd it, I'm hoping by some miracle I come across a red SA escape keycap that will match the profile of the hipro, and a red split SA right shift too
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User avatar
Dingster

24 Mar 2018, 15:31

wobbled wrote:
DerpyDash_xAD wrote: @wobbled still looking for a black HHKB pro 2?
Not anymore, I bought one, stuck some 55g domes in it and HiPro'd it, I'm hoping by some miracle I come across a red SA escape keycap that will match the profile of the hipro, and a red split SA right shift too
20180124_213901.jpg
Looks sharp :)

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wobbled

24 Mar 2018, 15:34

Cheers 8-)

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Dingster

24 Mar 2018, 15:35

wobbled wrote: Cheers 8-)
Just needs the trackpoint :lol:

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wobbled

24 Mar 2018, 15:38

Dingster wrote:
wobbled wrote: Cheers 8-)
Just needs the trackpoint :lol:
Oh my god that would be one of my dream boards :ugeek:

User avatar
Dingster

24 Mar 2018, 15:44

wobbled wrote:
Dingster wrote:
wobbled wrote: Cheers 8-)
Just needs the trackpoint :lol:
Oh my god that would be one of my dream boards :ugeek:
Same that mouse is just too comfy :D

DerpyDash_xAD

24 Mar 2018, 16:17

Very sharp Wobbled. I'm thinking I could do with a larger, heavier linear keyboard than my current pure pro red and though I might be able to trade you ;)

User avatar
Phenix
-p

24 Mar 2018, 16:59

Where can I acquire a thinkpad logo? It’s a sticker, no?

DerpyDash_xAD

24 Mar 2018, 17:01


User avatar
wobbled

24 Mar 2018, 17:08

Phenix wrote: Where can I acquire a thinkpad logo? It’s a sticker, no?
got mine off ebay

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