Topre spare keycaps no more

matt3o · 11 Dec 2013, 11:53

if EliteKeyboards is to be believed, Topre will cease production of spare keycap sets altogether.

Hope this is true for keycaps only.

Muirium · 11 Dec 2013, 11:55

Perhaps they're going MX mount?

matt3o · 11 Dec 2013, 11:58

I doubt it. it's just there's not enough market for them (too expensive keyboards, too expensive keycap sets)

cookie · 11 Dec 2013, 12:56

Bad news, but it doesn't wonder me... The MX Keycap market is booming so noone would go for a topre keyboard if he loves to customize it with different keycaps. And the new CM and Keycool Products show topre stems which support MX Caps. Maybe this is the way to go?

This is maybe not that bad at all? So we can have nice caps on our Topre boards as well

I am looking for a PBT Spacebar on my HHKB! This will be killer!

I am only afraigt of cheapo MX caps who will get shiny verry quick due to bad materials and quality (just to keep it cheap)

Maybe we will see those new products come out at christmas, if not 2014 will be a interesting year for topre owner!

Game Theory · 11 Dec 2013, 13:01

I wonder if they also had patents on the keycaps (in addition to the switch) that are going to expire.
There are still a number of Japanese aftermarket sets on amazon.jp but that doesn't help those with non-Japanese layouts. I'd expect those to sell out quickly too if they are stopping all aftermarket production.

Argh getting the urge to load up on Topre caps. [I got a HiPro partially to stop myself from buying caps.]

cookie · 11 Dec 2013, 13:47

And we all know, an whole board is always better than just caps!

I am still a bit upset they will not provide replacement parts on their products, I think I will stick with my keyboards for a long while. And I'd be able to replace the caps with original topre onces if they get shiny. As far as I can tell the Topre caps are the bes I have ever typed on so far.

But I never got my hands on a nice, thick PBT set from imsto e.g

Belfong · 11 Dec 2013, 15:49

So I should stock up the white-grey HHKB blanks ???

cookie · 11 Dec 2013, 16:13

This is whay I am asking my self aswell

matt3o · 11 Dec 2013, 16:53

it seems elitekeyboards at least are not going to restock them (their "excuse" has been "topre stop producing them").

cookie · 11 Dec 2013, 16:59

Maybe topre stopped shipping them outside of japan? For europeans that wouldn't change much. I mean ordering from japan via shipping service or smartimports is pretty much the same like ordering on EK. I still think that most of the Items sold there are highly overpriced. I need to see if I can somehow order in Japan directly.

kyb · 11 Dec 2013, 23:29

Geez, so I thought: Let's buy one spare HHKB cap set. But with EK shipping to Europe being $56 the cap set would cost me half what a new HHKB costs.

That's no relation for a bag of plastic blocks.

QWERTim · 12 Dec 2013, 19:40

Game Theory wrote:I wonder if they also had patents on the keycaps (in addition to the switch) that are going to expire.
There are still a number of Japanese aftermarket sets on amazon.jp but that doesn't help those with non-Japanese layouts. I'd expect those to sell out quickly too if they are stopping all aftermarket production.

Argh getting the urge to load up on Topre caps. [I got a HiPro partially to stop myself from buying caps.]

Their patents are not expiring any time soon. They are the reason why I cannot stock any Topre key caps nor produce any key caps for them

Muirium · 12 Dec 2013, 21:26

Patents: stifling innovation. Gotta love 'em.

Not that they matter in China.
http://deskthority.net/news-reviews-f4/ ... t6741.html

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Dec 2013, 22:24

QWERTim wrote:Their patents are not expiring any time soon. They are the reason why I cannot stock any Topre key caps nor produce any key caps for them :(

Does Clack Factory have to pay a patent fee to make their Topre caps? Or do they just fly under the radar?

webwit · 12 Dec 2013, 23:06

I was going to say fly under the radar, but on the other hand CF sells through elitekeyboards, which is an official Topre dealer. Maybe they got formal permission for this. It's not like there money in it for Topre with those quantities, but it is good marketing.

002 · 13 Dec 2013, 03:16

If anyone cares, I've confirmed with a rep at Topre that they have definitely discontinued the keycaps

I think Leopold still have some in stock too but I guess as news spreads, people will snatch up the remainders. I wonder if sets in future will increase in value, similar to how the Realforce numpad did when it was discontinued (I think they're both discontinued now). There were some people on geekhack paying big dollars for those.

Game Theory · 13 Dec 2013, 03:38

I care. Leopold keycaps at http://www.leopold.co.kr/?doc=cart/list.php&ca_id=20i0

webwit · 13 Dec 2013, 04:07

Topre Schmopre. The only thing they managed with the growing popularity of quality keyboards, was to launch the same old shit with different colors, oh, and some "innovation" involving 5 EUR of rubber rings for a 100 EUR price increase. Also I sometimes wonder if Topre is colorblind, because sometimes their sets are just fugly.

002 · 13 Dec 2013, 04:59

Spacebar aside, Topre's PBT caps are pretty consistent I think. Ive definitely seen worse (e.g. Leopold FC700).
The foam ring thing I completely agree with, but the innovation thing to me is like, yeah whatever, they're doing the same as everyone else really. The only ones truly innovating or trying to innovate are small scale hobby project and maybe some obscure ergo boards. Cool and all but quite a niche and expensive on top of an already expensive baseline offering from Topre. I wonder how many people own μTrons.

cookie · 13 Dec 2013, 12:34

webwit wrote:Topre Schmopre. The only thing they managed with the growing popularity of quality keyboards, was to launch the same old shit with different colors, oh, and some "innovation" involving 5 EUR of rubber rings for a 100 EUR price increase. Also I sometimes wonder if Topre is colorblind, because sometimes their sets are just fugly.

This 100 EUR price increase is made by EK not by Topre, if you take a look at japanese marketprices, the type-s is about 25 bugs more expensive, what still is a bit pricy but not that EK ripoff. Man I really hate those guys

ne0phyte · 14 Dec 2013, 19:55

Wow this really sucks. At least I have a spare blank set so my HHKB should be good for quite a few years.

But still.. It doesn't make much sense. I would never have bought a HHKB in the first place
if there wouldn't have been replacement keycaps. Such an expensive keyboard and now this. I wonder if they are releasing a successor and they first let people wear out their old keyboards...

adhoc · 15 Dec 2013, 21:39

Well I ordered my HHKBP2 after this was announced. I can not see how this would concern me...I don't really care if I will be able to buy replacement keys or not, at this price range I expect them to last me at least 5 years, after which I'm more than content with buying a new board...

cookie · 16 Dec 2013, 11:00

I can understand ne0, for a keyboard at this pricerange you expect to get at least new caps for it.
I got my second HHKB a few weeks ago and I feel kinda betrayed

matt3o · 16 Dec 2013, 11:03

well, the only real problem here is the spacebar... anyway just wait for CM sliders

mj45 · 16 Dec 2013, 14:47

Well EK started offering Topre spacebars recently for $4.50 USD only black so far. They were never available before so I bought a few in case. In my opinion I don't think they will discontinue HHKB replacement caps, only the colored RF caps but only time will tell.

cookie · 16 Dec 2013, 16:52

I hope you are right, I hope it!

Jeah, the white one will follow soon and I will order a few too, just in case

If I sea the wear of the caps on the pro1 and compare it to the pro2 you will be fine with one set of caps over several yeas.

@matt3o, I hope only the sliders will be available anytime soon

matt3o · 16 Dec 2013, 16:54

cookie wrote:@matt3o, I hope only the sliders will be available anytime soon

I wonder how they solved the stab thing though

cookie · 17 Dec 2013, 14:54

Me too, escpecially on the Spacebar!

Elrick · 22 Dec 2013, 00:48

webwit wrote:Topre Schmopre. The only thing they managed with the growing popularity of quality keyboards, was to launch the same old shit with different colors, oh, and some "innovation" involving 5 EUR of rubber rings for a 100 EUR price increase. Also I sometimes wonder if Topre is colorblind, because sometimes their sets are just fugly.

The ONLY one here who speaks with complete truth regarding Torpe's. A-Men brother. Everything related to that corporation has been about elevated price tags with little result in quality or design.

They still manufacture an ABS spacer key but pour so much media into promoting their keyboard with "PBT key-caps".....the reason they claim that they can't produce a PBT spacer key as well - cost's too much. Yet in China they have been making 6 and 7 unit PBT spacers with ease. Does that mean the Chinese are more advanced than the Japanese when it comes to key-cap manufacturing.... I suspect so.

Yeah Topre's are not worth the money, and their own so-called standards in keyboards are a lot less to be desired.

Muirium · 22 Dec 2013, 00:55

I'd agree if they weren't so damn nice to type on…

That and the dye subs. I've got to admire them for the nice sharp set on the HHKB. Reminds me more than anyone else today of IBM's best caps. Topre's own legends on the Realforce could use a cleaner design, mind, but the process is solid.