Post the ugliest keyboards you've seen!

[User101]

I secretly kind of like this one.

Actually saw and tried one in China. It feels like shit(especially the space bar). Comes in a box with paper shavings quite nice packaging. Case and spacebar both very glossy, definitely NOT durable. I think it's a showpiece more than anything...

[Erderm_]

s-l1600.jpg

Lol this was mine. First time wrapping so you got me there.

I will defend that it looked pretty good with the different grey/black caps I had on it. >:]

[Reimu64]

I secretly kind of like this one.

Actually saw and tried one in China. It feels like shit(especially the space bar). Comes in a box with paper shavings quite nice packaging. Case and spacebar both very glossy, definitely NOT durable. I think it's a showpiece more than anything...

Is it RGB? Because some of those legends are nearly impossible to see! They should've made them bigger at least.

[Blaise170]

I actually got sent a sample of one of those when they first started producing them and they were okay for what they are but the key shape made it really difficult to type on. On the plus side it was backlit and bluetooth which is pretty nice. Mine was just white keys with a teal case though, so much less of an eyesore in my opinion.

[AJM]

I think the key shape is not the main problem. If you hit the keys in the middle, it doesn't really matter, if there are corners or not. But the big problem for touch typists is, that the offset between row 2 and 3 is wrong (0.5u instead of 0.25). So you would have to relearn the number and "qwerty" row.

[Blaise170]

Well you also can't really tell from the photos but the keys are smaller than 1U, they are probably something like 0.85U which really throws me off as a touch typist. Plus I use the edges of the keys to figure out where I am in terms of board so having rounded keys like that is even worse.

[AJM]

Ah, ok. That's the final straw to make it quite unfit to be used for something other than decorating a makeup stand.

[kbdfr]

Sushi Theme keycaps:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164555774083

[headphone_jack]

Sushi Theme keycaps:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164555774083

That colorway has potential, but my god it hurts my eyes to look at. Would look about a thousand times better without the background on the alphas.

[Kneeboard]

Sushi Theme keycaps:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164555774083

I honestly don't hate this. Its just a little too colourful imo.

[TNT]

By far the ugliest board I've seen,but I do love that the owner uses it,the notches on the keys for the Numpad layer are a very nice touch.

I think this one is super unique and kinda charming. Looks like a pirate-keyboard. The case on the other hand...

[eekee]

I've missed this thread. I'd buy about half the keyboards in it. Only about half though.

That wooden one is intriguing. It initially repelled me because it looks so old and grimy, but looking closer, a lot of work went into it. Also, I often find myself wanting to make my own keycaps, and I guess wood's my only option. I don't quite have the room for a CNC machine like the Keymacs guy, and probably not the money either. I'd seriously get one if I did, though.

Here's one I actually did buy despite thinking it looks ugly. I don't know why I didn't post about it two years ago. To quote from the first page of this thread:

I know I'll probably catch a lot of hell for posting this, but I can't think of another keyboard that shows Plumber's Crack...

I see your plumber's crack and raise you hideously-shaped keycaps!


That second pic might just-about convey how ugly the keycaps look IRL, but believe me, that artless, raggedy divide in the middle is worse. It also doesn't help that the left column is full with a random assortment of keys from menu to scroll lock; it adds to the clutter. At least there's no Fn key on mine. It's all for function, of course, but it's not a keyboard I'd have out if I wanted to impress someone. Other than for the "whoa, what?" factor, anyway. You should have heard my landlord's voice as he said, "Excuse me for asking, but is your keyboard broken?" It was in full tent mode at the time, which makes the raggedy divide even worse! I don't have it out at all these days. It's far too high off the desk if you don't use the rests, a bit too low if you do, and it reminded me how much I hate typing on sphericals. And I honestly prefer the switch feel of my cheap Logitech, although I think the Fujitsu's keys will still feel new when the Logitech's are wobbling about all over the place. The Logitech also has a proper enter key; my finger kept falling into the gap on the Fujitsu's. That's because I have slender hands, which is also why insert over up-arrow is an ergonomic disaster. It's far enough to move over to the arrow keys that my fingers don't come down precisely. I could use good keys on an 18mm pitch to be honest. Standard is 19mm.

Edit: I almost forgot how much my muscle memory gets confused when the keyboard is open. Even if it's angled so my fingers rest on the right keys, I still can't put them on the right keys without looking because I have decades of practice with straight keyboards. This especially happens with Minecraft for some reason. Typing is not so bad, probably because I look down.

You know, if it wasn't for the sphericals issue, I'd make a keyboard out of an old Atari 600XL. Atari's XL series are amongst the very few things I think look stylish in beige and brown. The grey metal strip doesn't quite look right though. Brass might be better, or maybe even copper. Hm. If I think about it, I'll start plotting despite the sphericals.

[ifohancroft]

No offense to the person that bought it with those colors or even liked the design, I'm just not a fan. This is a shot at myself, if anything.

That's a design I made a couple of years ago (without the heart key), that used to be available for purchase on WASD keyboards and I had no selected keycap colors so they were configurable on the website before buying.

I am not sure what I was thinking choosing that font. It looks like Comic Sans

[hellothere]

I am not sure what I was thinking choosing that font. It looks like Comic Sans

I don't really mind it. It'd be nice if it was bigger, though. The alignment of the letters vs. numbers on the function key row throws me off a little.

[ifohancroft]

I am not sure what I was thinking choosing that font. It looks like Comic Sans

I don't really mind it. It'd be nice if it was bigger, though. The alignment of the letters vs. numbers on the function key row throws me off a little.

Just to be clear - Do you mean larger as in font size or the fact that some letters don't have a capital equivalent so they look lowercase?

Also - just noticed the alignment issue.

[hellothere]

Larger in font size. Not only because I have old, worn eyes, but because I think the letters would pop a bit more, too, which is a benefit to those of us who don't touch type. If you're taking suggestions, I'd recommend all upper case or all lower case for the letter keys, the N and M being the most obvious. I like the idea of modifier keys with different colors. I also like the idea of a different color for the non-alpha keys in the alpha block (i.e. -=[]\;',./).

Of course, I say this as I'm typing on my very monochrome Apple Extended Keyboard II (swapped Alps creams for Alps orange).

[ifohancroft]

Larger in font size. Not only because I have old, worn eyes, but because I think the letters would pop a bit more, too, which is a benefit to those of us who don't touch type. If you're taking suggestions, I'd recommend all upper case or all lower case for the letter keys, the N and M being the most obvious. I like the idea of modifier keys with different colors. I also like the idea of a different color for the non-alpha keys in the alpha block (i.e. -=[]\;',./).

Of course, I say this as I'm typing on my very monochrome Apple Extended Keyboard II (swapped Alps creams for Alps orange).

Thank you! I am definitely taking suggestions.

As for the N and M, yeah... the font didn't have all the letters as uppercase, so even though they are shifted, they still look like lowercase.

[hellothere]

You're most welcome. I'm happy to offer any input I can.

You'd be my hero if you come out with an Alps-mount set. If you're not into fluorescent pink or yet another take on Dolch (I'm looking at you, Tai-Hao), there's not much out there.

Of course, I say this as I'm typing on my duo-chrome, non-Alps or MX, Sejin Futaba MA keyboard.

[Lanrefni]

Just look at the hideousness of that bottom row,I mean seriously,WTF?!...

[paperWasp]

Please add right Fn key, too!

[hellothere]

Just look at the hideousness of that bottom row,I mean seriously,WTF?!...

You need to send this to Chyros right now. I can imagine an epic video.

[depletedvespene]

Just look at the hideousness of that bottom row,I mean seriously,WTF?!...

You need to send this to Chyros right now. I can imagine an epic video.

This is worse than the "ultracompact" I intended to send him.

[Palatino]

Looks like an Accuratus - and you'd have to be pretty accuratus with keys that tiny.

[fohat]

I posted this years ago but it deserves a bump.

[ifohancroft]

I posted this years ago but it deserves a bump.

This is pretty ugly.

[Karmel]

I posted this years ago but it deserves a bump.

What's with low budget "gaming" keyboards and looking like this. I guess what they can't have in sleek looks they make up for in trying to make the design look as tryhard and gamery as possible, to market to people who think this looks good.

[davkol]

It looks fairly normal, doesn't even have a 1337 font, just the marketing is off: the photo and obviously the name (Jizz Magic Wand)

[paperWasp]

This one at least has an easy-to-remember layout. Missing space bar might be an issue for some though.

[Muirium]

Actually worse than my diabolical Nissan's resistive mushscreen GPS. Impressive!

[paperWasp]

Barbie keyboard, probably blonde switches
Found on the internet (for sale)

barbkb.jpg (836.17 KiB) Viewed 8344 times