Topre to pre-try

[Palatino]

Does anyone a keyboard with Topre switches they wouldn't mind lending me just for a few days so I can try them out? Happy to pay a deposit and some extra for your trouble as they're quite expensive boards - hence wanting to try before buying - but it will be in safe hands, and safe transit (I must have a kilo of bubble-wrap from the last six months of collecting). Ideally UK or Europe. Thanks.

[Muirium]

Trying Topre before you buy one is a great idea. I had my first taste of it thanks to 002's Realforce tour, many years ago. I'm a cheapskate, though, so I've only 2 of them myself. My HHKB is my front line board, and my Realforce is fully equipped with aftermarket damping rings which really improve it, but are misleading as to the out of box experience. It's also a 55g, which is a bit of a marmite proposition: love it or hate it, there is no middle way!

If you've a deposit, I'd suggest just buying to try, and using a return in case you don't reckon it's worth the price. Amazon UK carries them nowadays, which they didn't back when 002's tour was alive.

[Go-Kart]

While I have no experience of Topre myself, I can echo what Muirium has suggested here. I built my brother in law a gaming PC a few months ago. For his peripherals, he really didn't know what he was after so he ordered a handful of mice and keyboards of Amazon. He's a fan of Amazon and claimed that he could try them all out over a month and simply send back the ones he didn't like for a full refund. Inspired by his use of Amazon, I subsequently did this when I wished to pick a new gaming mouse. I tried five different mice, narrowed in down to two, ending up keeping one. Sent the rest back to Amazon, carefully repackaged and received a full refund. Amazon make so much money, I didn't feel too bad about it.

[Muirium]

Amazon make so much money, I didn't feel too bad about it.

I strongly suspect Amazon loses next to nothing for returns, and pushes the cost onto the sellers / manufacturers, as an overhead for using Amazon’s platform. They didn’t get that rich by kindness!

My own track record is to keep most things I try-buy. Though I did send this one back a while ago, because power supply noise is unacceptable!

[Go-Kart]

For every ten bought reviews, there's a legit gem detailing why a product is gold or utter shit. Blessed be the people who take five minutes to leave a real product review.

[Palatino]

Using Amazon to try and then return is a nice idea. I might follow your brother-in-law's strategy and try a load of stuff (and put a big red cross in my diary in case I forget to send them back). Thanks for the tip.

[Go-Kart]

Palatino, I don't know if this was the type of Topre board you had in mind but this eBay shop seems to have a handful of HHKB Pro 2 boards, "Opened - never used". £125 - 25 % voucher, so pretty much £100? Seems cheap to me but their feedback suggests they're legit.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HHKB-Profess ... SwIRdfiHdI

[Muirium]

£100 for a sweet little HHKB is a bargain. I’d prefer to see pictures of the actual keyboard instead of stock pics like those, however.

Anyway, I hardly touch eBay so don’t consider this an informed endorsement! Paypal went and locked me out with 2 factor on an outdated phone number and I didn’t even notice for a year or so. I still need to get on the phone and remedy that.

[Muirium]

That seller also has Realforce R2 PFU edition: a high end Topre if there ever was one, factory damped.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REALFORCE-R2 ... Sw1m1fkA9b

Ships from Edinburgh? I swear this isn’t me! I’d kind of like to go see all these in person on the very odd chance they know DT…

[Go-Kart]

They had a TKL too, I was tempted...

[Go-Kart]

That eBay shop have just added a few more Topre keyboards. Some even tastier

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REALFORCE-R2 ... 0290.m3507

[Elrick]

Yeah, the Thorpie disease has bitten me hard (for many years).

Could not ignore them anymore, using 55g everywhere now within my home.

The feeling of pressing those precise keys and getting that subtle kick back from the 55g, is what makes this tech so appealing. Tried to use my son's HHKB but couldn't handle the smallness, and it's shifting about on the table-top when pressing any of their obtuse keys.

Think it's my arms coming in at opposite angles, that ruins any HHKB usage.

In the end, going full on Realforce 104/108 was my only consideration at this time in Life.

[kelvinhall05]

Bump, maybe you can try buying one and then making up bullshit reasons to scam the seller into giving you a return? That might work.

[micmil]

Bump, maybe you can try buying one and then making up bullshit reasons to scam the seller into giving you a return? That might work.

It might work but then you're a cunt, as is anyone that even suggests doing this.

A multi-billion dollar corporation like Amazon doesn't even give a shit but Steve in Jersey will be fucked right off.

[raoulduke-esq]

Amazon passes those refund fees right along to the sellers using them as a storefront, so of course they're happy to grant returns for just about anything; they're not ones paying!

[Muirium]

Amazon passes those refund fees right along to the sellers using them as a storefront, so of course they're happy to grant returns for just about anything; they're not ones paying!

Unfortunately correct. Real multinational megacorps win on heads and tails.

It might work but then you're a cunt

While I agree with the rest of your point, you’ve put it in a real cunty way, cuntface.

[Dingster]

Amazon passes those refund fees right along to the sellers using them as a storefront, so of course they're happy to grant returns for just about anything; they're not ones paying!

Unfortunately correct. Real multinational megacorps win on heads and tails.

It might work but then you're a cunt

While I agree with the rest of your point, you’ve put it in a real cunty way, cuntface.

I think it was a fitting reply for a suggestion of that caliber

[kelvinhall05]

Bump, maybe you can try buying one and then making up bullshit reasons to scam the seller into giving you a return? That might work.

It might work but then you're a cunt, as is anyone that even suggests doing this.

Funny you mention that as being exactly what a cunt would do, because that's EXACTLY what OP attempted! I won't give any details to protect the identity of the seller, but I would never sell anything to this twat.

From the bottom of my heart: fuck you, Palatino

[micmil]

While I agree with the rest of your point, you’ve put it in a real cunty way, cuntface.

I couldn't cuntain myself.

[Palatino]

Bump, maybe you can try buying one and then making up bullshit reasons to scam the seller into giving you a return? That might work.

It might work but then you're a cunt, as is anyone that even suggests doing this.

Funny you mention that as being exactly what a cunt would do, because that's EXACTLY what OP attempted! I won't give any details to protect the identity of the seller, but I would never sell anything to this twat.

From the bottom of my heart: fuck you, Palatino

Erm, hello. I've not spoken to you before. I know we're not in the nineteenth century any more, but "cunt" and "fuck you" aren't the most pleasant introduction. I did buy a keyboard recently - not from you - and ask to return it, because I didn't think it was quite as described. These were not "bullshit" reasons, and I said I'd cover the return postage. The seller declined: fair enough. I then offered to accept only a partial refund as well as cover return postage, i.e. the seller would get the keyboard back with a profit and be able to resell it, and I'd take a £30 hit. He declined again, and suggested I resell it. I left it at that. I will resell it. That is not "scamming". That is a request, a polite refusal, and acceptance of that refusal. We didn't call each other cunts or twats. Clearly you are friends with the seller, but I don't understand why you've attacked me in public. There is no need to "warn the others", so to speak. Perhaps you have a second-hand version of events. I've bought many things from many people on here and never had any problems. The purchase you're referring to I hadn't counted as a problem either - until your comments.