Best vintage mx compatible KB

[tko2007]

Dear all!!

While not really liking vintage cherry KBs, I do like the wide range of cherry / mx compatible stuff. Since I generally do love vintage KB layouts and style, I am looking for an Mx compatible vintage KB to upgrade it with contemporary mx-type switches. Are there any, apart from G80s?

Many thanks for your help!

Thomas

[TNT]

I recommend you look into the Unitek K151L or 156, whatever Layout you prefer. Very nice build quality and nice caps.

[thefarside]

You can also find cherry switches in the Chicony KB-5181, but that keyboard can also come in a variety of other switches. Pics for reference:

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IMG_4467.JPG (2.08 MiB) Viewed 1538 times

[SK-8K]

You can mod a Dell Quietkey with PCB-mount Cherry MX switches as I have done. Haven't worked on the PCB much due to lack of interest from the community, but if you're interested I could work on it some more to make another round of PCBs and fix some of the errors/bad design in the previous ones.

Could in theory do similar to any RD keyboard with standard key sizes and flat barrelplate that's thick enough.

[zrrion]

WYSE boards are an excellent choice for switch swapping IMO. Folks tend to harvest just the switches from them so getting the leftovers should be easy enough if you ask around. Most people who harvest the blacks from WYSE boards don't care about the boards themselves

[Muirium]

+1 Wyse. I had a couple. Very solid MX keyboards with decent double shots and (in my limited experience) surprisingly smooth Cherry stabs. If a harvester has actually kept the board for a change, you could be in luck. They’d work great with modern MX rivals.*

*Formerly clones. But they’ve moved well beyond that now.