wasdkeyboards.com - affordable & fast custom keycaps

[sordna]

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/

They are based in California, and sell custom keyboards (cherry mx blue/brown/black), and keycaps in sets or individual, in various colors, with choice of font, text, and text location on the keycap. Looks like even dual legends are supported, a variety of symbols, as well as words of your choice.

The site has a tool to build a completely customized keyboard, you can specify every individual key, and you can order just the keycaps or an entire keyboard. Build time is only 1-2 business days! They also sell parts, stabilizers, inserts, key pullers.

[TheSoulhunter]

Humm, some questions...

- Are there real life images of the keyboard?
- What features does it offer etc.?
- What material are the caps made of?
- And how are they "legended"?
- Are there real life images of the caps?

[hoggy]

I hope it works out.

I loved the interface of the mini-guru site so I'm glad someone has taken that idea (although it's not quite as exciting). I might be tempted to buy a set of caps soon. More options for the keyboard itself would be very welcome.

I'm going to wait until someone reviews the keyboard and service...

[CeeSA]

---------
All WASD Keyboards are full mechanical keyboards featuring Cherry MX switches. We offer Blue, Brown, and Black Cherry MX switches.

Features:

Cherry MX Switches
Full N-Key Rollover with PS/2
6-Key Rollover with USB
Blue LED keyboard indicators
Discrete, low contrast logo
4' braided USB cord


Specifications:

Dimensions: 48 x 135 x 330 mm
Weight: 1200g
Interface: USB and P/S2 (with included adapter)
ANSI 104-Key Layout
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux
Case Material: ABS
Key Material: ABS
Switch Mount: Plate mounted
Switch Life Cycle: 50 million operations

---------
from the product page.

oh man, no tenkeyless

nice for keycaps and parts

[sordna]

Looks like the legends are laser etched.
The owner introduced himself and posted some useful info at another forum, see post #42 in this thread.

[webwit]

Nice show, let's hope it works out for him.
Me, I especially like the blank sets.

[TheSoulhunter]

Back with some sleep...
Sounds fantastic, think I gonna order 1 or 2 boards after the update ^_^
Probably with red on black and dark grey on black caps + some other stuff!

[itlnstln]

I think I might grab one of these. I definitely like the idea. I was playing with the custom keyboard designer and was a little disappointed that there was no option to edit all the caps at the same time without selecting all of the caps in the multi-select screen. Even then, you couldn't edit the font or text color. I would want to call them instead of trying to mess with the app.

[ripster]

Specifications:

Dimensions: 48 x 135 x 330 mm

I'd be wary of their attention to detail.

I've never seen a full sized keyboard only 330mm wide. (and you thought Americans didn't know metric).

[The Solutor]

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/

They are based in California, and sell custom keyboards (cherry mx blue/brown/black), and keycaps in sets or individual, in various colors, with choice of font, text, and text location on the keycap. Looks like even dual legends are supported, a variety of symbols, as well as words of your choice.

The site has a tool to build a completely customized keyboard, you can specify every individual key, and you can order just the keycaps or an entire keyboard. Build time is only 1-2 business days! They also sell parts, stabilizers, inserts, key pullers.

Nice

Too bad they don't have any compact keyboard template, nor ISO ones.

BTW it's always nice to see keyboards that are expensive for a reason.

[Findecanor]

I asked them a couple of questions, including one about the key plastic because I had missed seeing that on the site. They answered quite quickly:

We do not have any plans to offer ISO layouts at this time. Sorry.

Key caps are made of ABS. I know there is demand for the other plastics, but we just can't get any at the moment.

These keys are exact profile you would find on Filco, Das, Steelseries.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you.

[TheSoulhunter]

HoHumm...
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?2029 ... post387828

[Findecanor]

The guy behind the company is there in that thread. Very helpful. He/they did not offer inexpensive USPS First Class mail International at first, but changed his mind after pressure from people in the thread.

[pascoa341]

Looks interesting, but for some strange reason I do not seem to be able to add the pound sign

[TheSoulhunter]

Special characters don't seem to work (yet), also wanted to add some like Umlauts (Ä/Ü/Ö) or scientific symbols (Ω∆∞ᴓ½⅓¼¾≈≠) for Alt layer, but no go! :/

[pascoa341]

I e-mailed them about this, so hope to have an answer soon. I do like the look of them in the (short) review that was posted on geekhack.

[daedalus]

Special characters don't seem to work (yet), also wanted to add some like Umlauts (Ä/Ü/Ö) or scientific symbols (Ω∆∞ᴓ½⅓¼¾≈≠) for Alt layer, but no go! :/

On Geekhack, wasdkeyboards said that this was due to a limitation in the site, I'm not sure whether it extends to the printing process too.

I have asked wasdkeyboards on behalf of Deskthority to join up here to answer any questions that any one might have.

[wasdkeyboards]

Greetings everyone,

daedalus was nice enough to let me know about this thread so I came to answer any questions everyone might have.

As of this moment, the Custom Designer does not take Unicode characters. This issue will hopefully be fixed within the next week. On my end, I can practically put anything you want on the keys. The website is just a tool for the customer to convey what they want to me. Imagine explaining your keyboard through an email, there would be more ambiguity.

If you have any requests for special symbols, you can simply leave that area on the keyboard blank and just send me an email when you order with what you want on those keys.

If you have any other questions, please let me know and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. I will usually make at least one round through all forums daily.

Thank you for the interest everyone!

PS. I also posted a coupon over on geekhack. "GHFIRST10" for 10% off your first custom keyboard order.

[webwit]

Good show! Do you have any keycaps with ducks?

[Input Nirvana]

I just came from WASDkeyboards, spent a couple hours there. I had a couple keyboards last week (one has no legends, the other has legends). Really nice people, committed, service oriented, excited, experimenting with new ideas, a strong personal interest being taken to the next level. There is some money in the operation, and the idea to carry it as far as it can go. A custom shop. I'm more impressed now, than I was earlier on. As a few more of their keyboards get out and reviewed, I think the interest will grow. The keyboard with legends I had posted on GH, had keys from a dumped "key test bin" so not a good example after what I have seen in their shop. I'm getting more things from them and will try having a Kinesis Contoured case laser etched.

I'm a fan

[daedalus]

Whenever they get some PBT caps and a tenkeyless keyboard for sale, I am almost certainly going to order one.

If only because I had so much fun with their website on a rainy Sunday morning

[lal]

[...]The keyboard with legends I had posted on GH[...]

Care to provide a link?

I'm sorry to say, but I do hope deskthority does *not* get that many users as GH. At least not that many gamers and chatterboxes.

[webwit]

I tried to view that topic, but you have to be registered and logged in to view the images, so I saw nothing.

[daedalus]

I'm sorry to say, but I do hope deskthority does *not* get that many users as GH.

I'm inclined to agree.

[webwit]

The gamers are the beginning and will be the end of the new mechanical keyboard hype.
I give it 2 years. The seeds for the end have already been planted.

[JBert]

I'm sorry to say, but I do hope deskthority does *not* get that many users as GH. At least not that many gamers and chatterboxes.

I wonder if there is a forum out there with a post per day quota...

As for WASD keyboards... seems his site gots lot of options. Let up hope he can keep up.

[webwit]

We could install a registration mod where you have to recognize the right ALPS type just from a grainy eBay photo. Go hardcore.

[Input Nirvana]

I'm in California, U.S.

I will post photos for you tonight.

[daedalus]

*pokes*

Have the pics?

[Matuka]

Just in case if anyone is wondering what those multi-colored key caps are for: Weapon binds for switching weapons in Quakeworld... Love the llama logo.