To Topre Enthusiasts

[Go-Kart]

So, I, like many of you before, recently got Topre-curious. I've seen a few people say that there's many dome with slider designs that are comparable to Topre. However, those people don't strike me as "Topre enthusiasts" in my estimation. They rate Topre but don't rate it as highly as Alps, Buckling Springs, etc..

What I want to know is what someone who considers themselves a Topre enthusiast thinks of supposedly comparable key switch designs. BTC dome with slider, Scorpious dome with slider, etc.? I myself have two Maxi Switch boards, cleaned and lubed. Both really surprised me; they're great! A/B my Anykey and my HHKB and difference in feel is slight, with the Topre being ever so slightly smoother (although this is a brand new HHKB against an Anykey from '93). I'd say the tactility of the Maxi Switch is a little sharper. Both are similarly weighted. The build quality and sound of the Anykey wins hands down but obviously a comparison outside of key feel for two such chassis is absurd.

Do you consider yourself a "Topre enthusiast"? Do you rate any of the dome with slider designs in as high a regard? And why does no one talk about Maxi Switch boards!?

[Muirium]

Topre enthusiast? Check. Dome slider knowledge? Nope.

I’d suggest a Realforce if the HHKB ain’t your jam. Some Topre enthusiasts are all about them and their hard plate feel, while others, the ones who are right, adore the HHKB for its easygoing softness.

Just bear in mind I’m judging you. Always.

A touch more seriously: what’s so nice about Topre is the capsense. You don’t have to mash them down on every key press. Try it out. Try typing softly. See what I mean?

If not: back to the judging!

[Go-Kart]

Topre enthusiast? Check. Dome slider knowledge? Nope.

I’d suggest a Realforce if the HHKB ain’t your jam. Some Topre enthusiasts are all about them and their hard plate feel, while others, the ones who are right, adore the HHKB for its easygoing softness.

Just bear in mind I’m judging you. Always.

How'd I know I'd see you here!

I thought it'd be interesting to get a Topre enthusiast's perspective on this since I really rate my Maxi Switch boards. I suppose it'd be interesting to put an RF up against my Anykey if RFs feel significantly different to HHKBs.

[Muirium]

Had some booze, at keyboard now, story checks out…

Realforce and HHKB? They’re quite different. I like ‘em both, and I’m glad the little guy had the lighter feel, or I’d always be pining for it. Helps my Realforce is 55g, which is Topre really dialled up, if you know what I mean. They only really meant that weight for the Escape key!

It’s more than just key weight though. That metal plate gives it a certain harshness, like my better IBMs. It’s just I prefer my stab of steel in a riotously clicky keyboard where it makes more sense.

[Go-Kart]

O.K., typing softly... I'm a (metal) drummer/weight lifter/ice climber, I have little finesse. My hands are 60 % callouses! However, if I concentrate, and *try* to type lightly, the Topres do "break" more easily. If I try and type likw that on my Anykey, I can barely depress the Space Bar.

I fear I may always be a caveman. I am aware of it at the very least!

...and, that thread

[Muirium]

Yeah… you defo want some of that sharky 55g good stuff. You might even feel it without all this tiresome trying!

For what it’s worth: I’m heavy handed, too. Mostly bottom out without meaning to on any keyboard. But… how do I say this… I like to stroke the keys when I’m thinking. It’s not weird okay. No one said you can just walk on in here and judge the judge. This curly wig is cool because I say so!

[zrrion]

If you can get one try getting a type heaven. I wish topre still made them as they are very nice boards. I got one for my wife and added silencing rings and it is a really nice board. If I had another I'd use it more but they like it too much to let me borrow it.

Honestly no one talks about Maxiswitch because it isn't very good. Its better than a lot of domes for sure, but for how stiff it is the tactility is lacking. Caps are nice enough I suppose but the stabs suck and they aren't compatible with anything else (on mine the numpad 2u keys are unstabilized and have notmal MX stabs so I guess those would work on other things, but who needs extra numpad keys)

[Reshala]

I consider myself a "Topre enthusiast" but unfortunately my dome(or sleeve in some cases) keyboard experience is limited to low profile ITW magvalve, Topre, Mitsumi, and Libertouch.

Purely subjective ranking for the switches I owned: Libertouch, Topre standard 45g with standard, Topre RGB 45g, Topre short-throw(has the potential to be super good if I can get the lubing done), Topre standard 30g, vintage Topre 25g hi pro(probably degraded lol), Mitsumi in 5576-b01(shit tier don't buy unless you are also an IBM nerd like me). I haven't got ITW converted so no conclusion yet, but the first impression is good.

HHKB is the worst-built Topre I have owned (which is also one of the only two models known so far that has a plastic plate). In terms of build quality, Realforce R1 might be the best.

Non silenced standard Topre has that annoying upstroke clack and very slight wobble(the solution is to get 3rd party silence ring).

If you prefer heavy weighting, give 55g Topre and BKE redux domes a try(OG BKE as well if you can get hold)!

[Go-Kart]

Honestly no one talks about Maxiswitch because it isn't very good. Its better than a lot of domes for sure, but for how stiff it is the tactility is lacking.

This to me sounds like my heavy handedness is hindering my appreciation of the subtle differences between Topre and nicer/other dome with sliders. I first noticed that different keyboards impact my enjoyment of typing and typing speed about two years ago. Funnily enough that was using two different garbage rubber dome boards in work. There was one of those oddly shaped Dell SK-8115 boards and THAT was the one I typed best on! At least it helped me realise that there was something to keyboards but it has lead me down this rabbit hole

This curly wig is cool because I say so!

Judge away, brah! I'm here to learn and learn a lot from such judging! Even just the hint of "try typing softly", made me consider that I don't have to always *attack* a keyboard with full force. Caveman hands are one thing, caveman brain is another.

Purely subjectively ranking for the switches I owned: Libertouch, Topre standard 45g with standard, Topre RGB 45g, Topre short-throw(has the potential to be super good if I can get the lubing done), Topre standard 30g, vintage Topre 25g hi pro(probably degraded lol), Mitsumi in 5576-b01(shit tier don't buy unless you are also an IBM nerd like me). I haven't got ITW converted so no conclusion yet, but the first impression is good.

I've just, somewhat accidentally bought a Libertouch. I was initially just curious about the typing experience but I've just got a new job and I'll be in an office two days of the week. Getting a full size that's quieter than my Bigfoot, 2000 Plus or M122, etc. was the best excuse I found to get ANOTHER keyboard. I may have to ask someone to hide my credit card after this week Unless I see a BFK for sale

[Muirium]

It was one of these monstrosities that made me truly notice keyfeel in the first place. The acrylic terrarium itself: the Apple A1048.


via Wikipedia

Feels. Like. Actual. Shit.

Lesson learned! Got to see about understanding me these keyboards.

The irony being I had, of course, used better keyboards in passing, long before this. I’d just overlooked them because I was a kid. By the time I was buying my own, the keyboard depression of the early 2000s was upon us. Took a long while for me to get my hands on a good one.

Anyway, domes like that piece of garbage schooled me just how bad they can be. Miss me mush?

[ddrfraser1]

When it comes to topre, I don’t think any stock topre is that great. Every topre keyboard I own I have modified with lube, BKE redux domes and weight inside the case to give it more heft. In this configuration, topre boards can be some of the best typing experiences in existence.

I do have a BTC board that I like a lot. I made similar modifications to it and it’s pretty great to type on as well. However, the keycaps aren’t as solid as topre caps and so I would put topre as better. Yes, I know you can put MX caps on the stems but not on the BAE, escape, or SB. That being said, the BTC domes make for a pretty fun typing experience

[Muirium]

If there's one thing we can all agree on: there's no such thing as the perfect keyboard. Topre's just the closest, out of the box, for some of us, at least.

I may have to ask someone to hide my credit card after this week Unless I see a BFK for sale

Well… if you returned that sweet little HHKB of yours, and sprang for one of the same seller's Realforce R2 PFU special editions… it's not technically another keyboard but more of a switcheroo?

XMIT's detailed review of the R2 PFU:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23130

And Trev's: {Typehype RIP}
https://web.archive.org/web/20190413234 ... hotos.337/

And a bunch more first impressions here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19593

XMIT's typing video is exactly right. That's the Realforce sound. Reverberant spacebar very much included! The user-installable damping sheet is new to the R2 so I've never tried it. Might be useful.

Did Topre ever get around to making a Bluetooth TKL? That would be horribly tempting for me!

[Go-Kart]

Feels. Like. Actual. Shit.

I've got one of these in a box somewhere from an Old Mac Pro. Now I don't feel so bad that I've never even considered cleaning and using it!

When it comes to topre, I don’t think any stock topre is that great. Every topre keyboard I own I have modified with lube, BKE redux domes and weight inside the case to give it more heft. In this configuration, topre boards can be some of the best typing experiences in existence.

I do have a BTC board that I like a lot. I made similar modifications to it and it’s pretty great to type on as well.

I think that's one of the reasons I rate my Maxi Switch boards; I've put in the work and it will have shifted an otherwise tidy board up a level. It's good to know that fiddling with even high-end stock boards isn't just something I consider essential (but am often reluctant to do).

I may have to ask someone to hide my credit card after this week Unless I see a BFK for sale

Well… if you returned that sweet little HHKB of yours, and sprang for one of the same seller's Realforce R2 PFU special editions… it's not technically another keyboard but more of a switcheroo?

That's how I've been able to justify buying a Libertouch! Boxing up the HHKB this afternoon. However, if the Libertouch doesn't tick the boxes, I will have to look at an R2. From skimming some of those threads, it may just be the sweet spot.

[robo]

> The acrylic terrarium itself

LOL. I worked in deskside IT during that era of Mac keyboards. I still shiver thinking about it. Pretty sure I knew what color body hair every single one of my users had, after seeing their keyboards after 1+ months of use.

[Touch_It]

https://computers.woot.com/offers/abko- ... YsQAvD_BwE

Since we are talking about topre. I just recently sorta joined the game. Got the topre clone from the link above. It's my only experience with topre besides getting a test run on a co-workers type heaven 5-6 years ago. I'm really digging the switches. Enough that I have swapped out my AEK with salmon alps. Curious if anyone else has tried this along with other topre keyboards.

[micmil]

I'm coming at this from the other direction... I have no Topre experience but a TON of rubber dome experience including Topre clone (ABKO K935P). The ABKO has quickly become one of my favorite keyboards ever. The only ones I rate higher are my New Model M... and my BTC dome with slider boards. The reason for that is tactility. At least on this clone board everything feels linear, there isn't really a tactile bump. There's just a general "roundness" to the key stroke that never has a break point. That's fine. It still feels very nice. But the dome with sliders have a strong tactile bump that I adore. Probably because the first keyboard I ever used extensively was a Packard Bell 5130.

I don't get the idea that "mechanical" is always better than rubber domes. I'll take the 5130 over damn near every mechanical switch I've tried (only buckling springs and BOX Jades are superior, IMO).

I know nothing of Topre-related accessories, but if anyone could point me towards some more snappy replacement domes that would fit the ABKO I'd be more than happy to be a guinea pig.

[Touch_It]

I'm coming at this from the other direction... I have no Topre experience but a TON of rubber dome experience including Topre clone (ABKO K935P). The ABKO has quickly become one of my favorite keyboards ever. The only ones I rate higher are my New Model M... and my BTC dome with slider boards. The reason for that is tactility. At least on this clone board everything feels linear, there isn't really a tactile bump. There's just a general "roundness" to the key stroke that never has a break point. That's fine. It still feels very nice. But the dome with sliders have a strong tactile bump that I adore. Probably because the first keyboard I ever used extensively was a Packard Bell 5130.

I don't get the idea that "mechanical" is always better than rubber domes. I'll take the 5130 over damn near every mechanical switch I've tried (only buckling springs and BOX Jades are superior, IMO).

I know nothing of Topre-related accessories, but if anyone could point me towards some more snappy replacement domes that would fit the ABKO I'd be more than happy to be a guinea pig.

https://www.keyclack.com/blogs/news/bke ... initiation

https://www.keyclack.com/products/bke-t ... placements

I have no idea what the difference between v1 and v2 is or will be, but everything ive read leads me to bke domes being the go-to replacement.

[zrrion]

A more constructive note, brother dome & foil is fantastic and depending on which flavor you get it is easily better than stock topre. Sure you can't really use it but whatever. Silver reed dome with slider is really good as well but likewise not very common. Smk integrated domes are good too, but the short travel may dissuade some people.

[Muirium]

Sure you can't really use it but whatever.

Now if that’s not Deskthority then I don’t know what is.

[Go-Kart]

I think that's one rule I do have when it comes to keyboard, I have to be able to use it. Guess I'm not quite legit DT enough

[zrrion]

i honestly think i might own more typewriter modules that would take work to convert to usb than i do proper keyboards at this point.
I want to make a custom with the dome & foil eventually and put it in a sturdy folded steel case but it is hard to source the switches. The keyboard modules I have are either too nice to scrap or not discreet switches and therefore not easily usable in a custom board.

[raoulduke-esq]

Since we are gathering the Topre crew here...

Anyone else feel like the HHKB just doesn’t spring up quickly enough? I wish it were just a little bit more crisp- sometimes feels like running in water instead of on land because of that slight delay in the upstroke...

[Muirium]

No!!

Since you asked.

For what my biased, HHKB-fanboy opinion is worth: I love that springy little plate. It softens out the landings, it quietens down the clack, and it's still light in hand, which is great, seeing how much I carry my HHKB around with me. My Realforce never leaves the house. My HHKB was out with me on daily work duty for a couple of years until [external non-keyboard induced societal event].

I get the Realforce's metal plate feel, I do. But I don't prefer it. And in a little 60% it would be out of place. My solid aluminium cased blue Alps 60% could probably use subtle bit of flex! Hardcore little bugger that he is*. Larger keyboards suck when they're plateless, but at 60%, if done right, it adds to the feel as much as it saves in weight.

Well, for some of us.


*I need to post a picture of it sometime. Can't find one.

[ddrfraser1]

Since we are gathering the Topre crew here...

Anyone else feel like the HHKB just doesn’t spring up quickly enough? I wish it were just a little bit more crisp- sometimes feels like running in water instead of on land because of that slight delay in the upstroke...

Put BKE domes in it.

[Muirium]

The domes are the one thing I haven't modified yet…



I suppose there could also be aftermarket cases, but I honestly prefer my HHKB's lightness much too much for that.

[raoulduke-esq]

That looks great Muirium! I can tell you really love that board. It the definition of “best” is “the one YOU enjoy using most and makes you the happiest” is that your personal best?

[Muirium]

By sheer amount of time I spend on it, yes, it’s my number one.

Trouble is: when you go making judgements like that, you feel guilty for all the other great keyboards. There’s, uh, plenty enough love to spread around!

What makes me feel delight is a change as much as a rest. Currently it’s the beamer, which is finally getting front line service thanks to Pandrew’s controller update. Absolute stonker of a keyboard. Nutso-good! But staying resolutely back at home for sure!

The Kishsaver is the same way. Man I love writing on the wee man. But he’s just too mental to take with me. Board like that will get a man arrested.