My Collection|Inventory

[plasticchair]

Intro
With only 5 keyboards I'm probably at my all time low since I started with keyboards but those are the ones I really like.
I also sold quite a lot of more or less rare keyboards because life happened. (G80-5000, G80-2100, ...)

Lessons learned over the past 2(?) years:
- 60% is just not for me. Sold those.
- I won't change to ANSI so I have to accept that I'll be missing out on some stuff.
- Topre is nice (had HHKB2, RF87, RF88) but I didn't fall in love and there's not a lot of room for customisation.
- If I don't like a keyboard for typing, I'll probably get rid of it quite fast. I'm not a person who collects just for the sake of it.

Collection

1 Filco Majestouch 2
Used and abused but still my favorite keyboard and daily driver.
Vintage Blacks with 65g springs, white stickers, G81 cable, filled with shelf liner.


2 GON Nerd TKL
Pretty recent addition. Pretty much the only way to get a korean custom with ISO layout so I saved up for that one.
Ergo clears, Pexon cable.


3 IBM SSK
Got that from Seebart. Will either convert it to ISO or try to find somebody who's willing to trade.


4 IBM XT(?)
My first step into the "non-Model M" IBM world. The springs feel really light and it sounds amazing.


5 Cherry G80-0510
This one and the XT above: Brothers from different mothers
Couldn't find the time to add a wiki page yet but that will happen soon.
Also, retrobright.


Not pictured: Model M, G80-3700, ISO Dolch keybord, scarface keys and other stuff I can't remember right now.

Probably not that impressive but I'm quite happy with the diversity even after downsizing.

[guk]

That's what I want myself, less keyboards than fingers+toes+X but an overseeable quantity of quality keyboards. Really nice collection.

[seebart]

ahh my old SSK has found a good home! Very nice collection. Quality over quantity. The way it should be imo.

[plasticchair]

I think minimalism is the way to go. At least fo me. Less fluff and more focus on quality.

I can't deny the irony though that after having tried so many great keyboards, the Filco is still my go-to

[scottc]

Yeah, I agree re: minimalism. Unfortunately, it's not something I follow. I've got far more boards than I need, and none of them are perfect. They all need some tweaks and fixes. I'd love to do something like this and consolidate my collection to a small set of polished boards. Nice collection.

[seebart]

Yeah, I agree re: minimalism. Unfortunately, it's not something I follow. I've got far more boards than I need, and none of them are perfect. They all need some tweaks and fixes. I'd love to do something like this and consolidate my collection to a small set of polished boards. Nice collection.

yes my problem also, when I began collecting keyboards I did not have the knowledge I have now and bought kb´s I would not buy today! And selling can be though, for different reasons. We share similair taste plasticchair, I own a Filco Majestouch 2, IBM XT and still have a SSK also.

[Muirium]

Where's the Topres? Where's the ALPS? The Montereys? The Space Invaders? And the Beamspring on the cake?

Well, I guess the phrase is "Cherry on the cake", but I'm still to find one of those where it's appropriate! Maybe an MX 5000. If they ever emerge at Cindy Price…

Nah, you've got a nice wee collection really. I just wonder what you're finding in vintage blacks and ergo clears that Topre and IBM can't match. Something tells me the high resale value of Topre boards helped you part hands with them as much as the feel! But I must reckon I've yet to try the modded MX that I truly like. Maybe Nixies (I've just the one switch) or maybe these Korean springs on their way to me, in some vintage blacks. But… but… I'll believe it when I when I find it!

Re: minimalism and experience. I've done reasonably well with my boards. My most total mistake was getting a low end Tipro for £12 or so, which was impossible for me to program, and wound up getting destroyed in my attempts to mod it. (The plate isn't thick enough to securely take switches alone. Ugh!) And I've a couple of larger Model Ms that I never really use. But besides that, I'm eyeing a lot of boards I really like around here. There's very few I have any intent to sell. Until something dramatically better displaces them…

How on earth do you find those XT layouts, Plastic, if ANSI is an adaptation too far for you? I switch around a whole lot, and my XT is still the weirdest layout of my fleet.

[Stabilized]

I am interested in your Filco, I assume you had to de-solder every switch and replace the innards; did you replace the plate at the same time? Are you still running a stock plate and controller?

Love the mix of boards you have here! I am jealous of all these vintage German Cherries found on eBay and the like

[plasticchair]

Muirium: I've used a RF88UB for quite a while but 45g was too light for me and I didn't feel like going through all the trouble to get 55g springs.
Their build quality is top notch but somehow I didn't have a deeper connection with the boards in the end. You might be right though, that the higher resale value makes it easier to part with them even if there's just a small issue.

Stabilized: Yes, I took the whole thing apart and desoldered all the switches. Running a custom controller as well; forgot about that
I never changed any layers or macros though...
It's still the original plate because I didn't quite see a benefit and the supply was low back then.
I think I basically did everything there is in terms of customisation.
The whole process is documented here: n0tch2k.imgur.com
Always happy to help.

[Muirium]

Customisation is your thing. I get that. There's not nearly as much to be done to a Topre (dome swap, silencing rings, lubing and finding other Topre caps) as there is all the fiddling you can do with MX. Similar story with buckling spring.

The trouble is, for me, Topre starts where Cherry ends. Or can't hope to reach! The thing that some of us are after is a tactile subtlety that MX just can't produce, by design.

Different goals, paths, and collections for different folks. As always.

[Madhias]

A fine collection - even the Cherry G80-0510 is a German version! I am looking to only have one keyboard of each switch type, for example not to own 3 Topre boards or 4 MX keyboards. OK, a lot of buckling springs, but that's only for spare parts and one never knows what will happen in future.

Intro
Lessons learned over the past 2(?) years:
- 60% is just not for me. Sold those.
- I won't change to ANSI so I have to accept that I'll be missing out on some stuff.
- Topre is nice (had HHKB2, RF87, RF88) but I didn't fall in love and there's not a lot of room for customisation.
- If I don't like a keyboard for typing, I'll probably get rid of it quite fast. I'm not a person who collects just for the sake of it.

In about one year my lessons learned in answer to yours:
- I am also not into 60% layouts, don't know why. Maybe because i have always place on my desktops.
- I have switched to ANSI, but main reason was because of switching between different OS.
- Topre is my favorite tactile, not clicky switch type!
- Exactly the same! If i would collect something, then because i *could* use it.

[CeeSA]

@plasticchair - converting the SSK to ISO would be infamy...
Hope you will find someone for trade.

[Muirium]

ShivaYash has an SSK in need of a boot mod. The right Shift is dodgy thanks to failed rivets. Better karma if you two swapped (he likes ANSI just fine) and the SSK that needs modded gets modded!

[seebart]

You could do a semi ISO mix layout like I did if you have spare ISO caps.

[Muirium]

Huh? Got a picture?

[seebart]

Huh? Got a picture?

IMGP6719.JPG (1006.21 KiB) Viewed 4765 times

yes you are right Halvar, page 10 it was.

[Halvar]

That thread has 12 pages with the default settings ... IIRC you have a "German ANSI" layout like me, right?

[Pby]

what keycaps are those on the filco?

[ramnes]

You could do a semi ISO mix layout like I did if you have spare ISO caps.

Or you could get a real ISO SSK: http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Model-M-Spa ... 7675.l2557

[photekq]

Bad link

[ramnes]

Try again.