Realforce R2 PFU Limited Edition

[vinzbe]

For Europe, I think the pre-order from MyKeyboard is a better offer and you avoid import taxes.

They don't seem to have a version with APC. Thought, the difference between the 3 settings was too subtle for me when using 30g, 45g or purple domes. So it's not necessarily a big loss.

[Muirium]

Re: the KBDfans caps, that's me back home now and I've popped them onto my Realforce, too. First impressions are pretty good. The sore spot is left Shift on this keyboard, and right Shift on the HHKB, which are both a bit rotated. Nothing to get in the way of typing, but a notable imperfection. I'll write about them properly in a picture thread once I've given them some time and taken some pictures. The legends and key shapes, however, are a real treat.

[Hypersphere]

Re: the KBDfans caps, that's me back home now and I've popped them onto my Realforce, too. First impressions are pretty good. The sore spot is left Shift on this keyboard, and right Shift on the HHKB, which are both a bit rotated. Nothing to get in the way of typing, but a notable imperfection. I'll write about them properly in a picture thread once I've given them some time and taken some pictures. The legends and key shapes, however, are a real treat.

I am pleasantly surprised. I was skeptical about the KBDfans Topre caps. The genuine Topre caps are so elegant in every way (at least this is so for the alphas; I am not as keen on their combinations of symbols and lettered legends on the modifiers). I had suspected that the knock-offs would be ill-fitting on the switches and/or that they would have inferior legends and/or an objectionable surface texture.

[Muirium]

No, they're really pretty good. I especially like the legends. Now I have mostly symbol mods on both my Topre boards. I say "mostly" because, inexplicably, KBDfans neglected the Realforce's Control and Alt keys, which are text! The Shift keys and Backspace are just right, so it's strange to see this mix. They also left the whole navigation sixpack (Insert through Page Down) and Print Screen through Pause in text. Matteo made such a tour de force with those in Granite, which I am still to see anyone rival. Though, to be fair to these caps, the legends are on par with Topre's own.

I haven't noticed any discrepancy in key shape—which I should, as Topre's are my favourite and my daily type—or indeed anything unpleasant to their texture. They may have a subtly different sound—I should try a mixed layout with the two kinds side by side—but there's nothing objectionable about it, with the exception of the spacebar issue I mentioned before. That's something I'll investigate before writing them up properly. For now, both my boards have Matteo spacebars.

[Hypersphere]

Any idea who actually manufactures the Topre caps for KBDfans?

[Laser]

Any idea who actually manufactures the Topre caps for KBDfans?

I think you can ask on the KBDFans site, either in the comments section here, or on their discord channel.

[Hypersphere]

@Laser: Thanks for the suggestions. I will try the KBDfans site to ask about the Topre keycaps.

[Laser]

BTW, somebody's selling a HHKB set of the KBDFans Topre keycaps here (Europe): https://www.reddit.com/r/mechmarket/com ... _keyset_w/

[Hypersphere]

I've looked at the KBDfans Topre-switch keysets. I don't like the font.

[Muirium]

I like them quite a bit. Still to do my review, aren't I? The alignment isn't perfect—of the stem mount, not the legends—on two of my Shift keys, and the spacebars are too tight—so I'm still on Matteo's—but besides that no complaints. They're a refreshing change for both my Topres.

[Hypersphere]

I like them quite a bit. Still to do my review, aren't I? The alignment isn't perfect—of the stem mount, not the legends—on two of my Shift keys, and the spacebars are too tight—so I'm still on Matteo's—but besides that no complaints. They're a refreshing change for both my Topres.

The KBDfans Topre-switch keycaps with legends that I saw did not have Helvetica font. And you liked them nevertheless?

I would also insist on the same perfect fit that I enjoy with my genuine Topre keycaps. Premium boards such as a RF87U or HHKB Pro 2 deserve premium keycaps.

[Laser]

A bit snobbish, I dare say

[AdrianMan]

A bit snobbish, I dare say

Isn't a deep dive in this hobby taking us all there? )

[Hypersphere]

A bit snobbish, I dare say

I'll take that as a compliment! Thank you! (Although I prefer the term, "elitist")

[Laser]

A bit snobbish, I dare say

Isn't a deep dive in this hobby taking us all there? )

Heh - Actually, I hope I'll rather find, fund and develop my quirky unique taste, and not necessarily go in the direction of the most expensive, most unique and most refined typing experience ... that resembles a kind of particular hell, like only being able to dress in velvet

[Hypersphere]

Yes, I must say it is rather exhausting continually striving to live up to one's impossibly high standards!

It can be refreshing to lead a Jekyll and Hyde existence, at times reverting to the primitive, visiting the tawdry slums of our keyboard collections, reveling in the decadence of backlighting and undulating RGB underglow, bringing forth whimpering crepitations of blue cherries by the fevered presses of bony hands.

[seebart]

Very nice Hyper! Congrats, no wonder it's "out of stock" now.

[Hypersphere]

Recently, they have been back in stock on Amazon.

My first one is in my home office. I ordered a second one for my work office.

[g0tlib]

Hello everyone,

First of all excuse me if I make any English mistake since it's not my mother tongue.

I purchased a brand new Topre Realforce R2 PFU limited edition (R2TLSA-US4-BK-L) with grey and blue keycaps (apaprently it was made with or for Leopold but it's still a Realforce).

It's awesome and silent but I only have one problem with it, I don't know if it's a defect of my particular unit or not.

In fact the right half of the space bar is silent but when I hit it on its left side, it makes a bit of a clacky sound. In short; the space bar is not consistent. It's not bothering me when I'm typing since I use my right thumb to hit space, but when I'm gaming it is a bit noisy since I use my left thumb to jump, which is a shame for such a silent keyboard. Here's the video of how it sounds : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ansBbSe ... e=youtu.be

I asked the seller on ebay (widebasket) about it and he replied :

"According to the manufacturer, it was Normal.
The long key (Enter, Backspace, Shit ..) of this keyboard has the stabilizers with a plastic cylinder and a steel fixture.
In the stabilizer, there may be a fricative sound when you press the space bar.
Therefore it is structural, not defective.
The other keyboards are the same. "

He also told me that it was not just sepcific to the limited editions models made for Leopold since the only thing that they changed is the color of the keycaps.

It's not that I don't trust him, but I wanted to have confirmation from people who already own the same model. Thanks

Marc

[AdrianMan]

Hey Marc, you could try taking the spacebar off and place it flat on a table to see if it's straight. Maybe it's warped and that's why is inconsistent.

If it's not perfectly straight, you can heat it up a little with a hairdryer uniform and from side to site, then place something flat and heavy on it to straighten it.

After that try again

[Hypersphere]

My R2 PFU is not the Leopold version. My spacebar sound is consistent between right and left presses.

I have made several purchases of keycap sets from Widebasket in the past. I have always had a good experience ordering from him. He packs things very carefully and sends them promptly.

[Elrick]

I have made several purchases of keycap sets from Widebasket in the past. I have always had a good experience ordering from him. He packs things very carefully and sends them promptly.

Agreed.

Widebasket is the best Korean Seller on Ebay that goes the extra mile in providing anyone, with their fixation on unique and high end Keyboards.

Have never been ripped off or cheated by him and that says a lot about a person who deals on Ebay these days.

[Elrick]

Oh crap, did something I shouldn't here. Why is it that the text all seems so small these days you can barely see it.

[Elrick]

Fucked up with this, please forgive. YES I'm a Moron when it comes to using this Forum.

[g0tlib]

Hey Marc, you could try taking the spacebar off and place it flat on a table to see if it's straight. Maybe it's warped and that's why is inconsistent.

If it's not perfectly straight, you can heat it up a little with a hairdryer uniform and from side to site, then place something flat and heavy on it to straighten it.

After that try again

I tried what you said, the space bar was completely straight from the beginning. But I noticed that the space bar's key stabilizer on the left was maybe a tiny bit low compared to the one on the right... I don't know how to repair that and don't want to disassemble the keyboard.

[AdrianMan]

Hey Marc, you could try taking the spacebar off and place it flat on a table to see if it's straight. Maybe it's warped and that's why is inconsistent.

If it's not perfectly straight, you can heat it up a little with a hairdryer uniform and from side to site, then place something flat and heavy on it to straighten it.

After that try again

I tried what you said, the space bar was completely straight from the beginning. But I noticed that the space bar's key stabilizer on the left was maybe a tiny bit low compared to the one on the right... I don't know how to repair that and don't want to disassemble the keyboard.

Does the stabilizer housing sit lower than others ?Maybe it's not completely into place snapped in the plate, or was pushed hard down somehow. Try to take some pics of the height difference and the housing ...

[g0tlib]

Hey Marc, you could try taking the spacebar off and place it flat on a table to see if it's straight. Maybe it's warped and that's why is inconsistent.

If it's not perfectly straight, you can heat it up a little with a hairdryer uniform and from side to site, then place something flat and heavy on it to straighten it.

After that try again

I tried what you said, the space bar was completely straight from the beginning. But I noticed that the space bar's key stabilizer on the left was maybe a tiny bit low compared to the one on the right... I don't know how to repair that and don't want to disassemble the keyboard.

Does the stabilizer housing sit lower than others ?Maybe it's not completely into place snapped in the plate, or was pushed hard down somehow. Try to take some pics of the height difference and the housing ...

Yep that was exactly it, the left side of the stabilizer housing is a bit lower than the right side. I did not want to bother disassembling the keyboard myself as I never did that, so Widebasket kindly accepted a return. I lost some money in the process but it's not too bad. Thank you for your help ! I ordered the white version on amazon.com instead.

I have made several purchases of keycap sets from Widebasket in the past. I have always had a good experience ordering from him. He packs things very carefully and sends them promptly.

Agreed.

Widebasket is the best Korean Seller on Ebay that goes the extra mile in providing anyone, with their fixation on unique and high end Keyboards.

Have never been ripped off or cheated by him and that says a lot about a person who deals on Ebay these days.

Yeah in fact it was my first time buying from him and I was being a bit paranoid despite his very good seller feedback speaking for itself. He is very easy to communicate with, and accepted a return.

[AdrianMan]

Well, good you got another one.

I think it could be fixed on the spot somehow, if you manage to pull up the housing.

[Elrick]

In fact recently, I couldn't pass up on one of his products which he provided on his Ebay site;

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Topre-Realf ... 2749.l2649

Really beautiful Beige Coloured darling, in 45g (wish it was all 55g) but beggars can't be choosers here. Also still love the older design style of this keyboard.

She goes into my 'Thorpie Collection' as a Lighter Coloured example from Realforce with SA styled key-set. Just love the SA profile.

[Hypersphere]

@Elrick: That's a beautiful keyboard! 45g is my favorite switch weight in Topre. I have an all-55g RF and an HHKB that I modded with 55g domes. I enjoy the extra tactility, but over the long haul, I prefer 45g.

However, I have not tried the high-profile Topre keycaps. I wonder if they add enough weight (compared to the standard profile) that 45g might feel too light?