Does anyone else feel the lack of a fullsize option ruins the Model F repro?

[Muirium]

It is all very subjective, imho. I do own all Model F variants from Ellipse and a ton from IBM at good condition, including the F107. The quality from Ellipse is on par with the Model F from the past. The key feel is very close and the sound changes over time as it always has been. I even replaced 5 flippers with springs on the original F107 with those from Ellipse to see if I easily recognize them. When I am trying hard, then I can make them out, but it isn't super easy to do so.
I frequently switch out my primary keyboard and the F107 is seldomly in the mix - simple reason is the pure weight and bulkiness. If I want a huge keyboard like this, it has to have the F-row(s). And in terms of the F122 - I miss a third key in the Space row.

You see - everything is very subjective. Everyone wants something different. I still believe that the cost for what you get is very valid.

btw: when it comes to best sounding keyboard I own, I have to admit that the Alps keys (Amber) with polyurithane caps are superior.

Alps better sounding than Model F? Even my beloved blues aren’t there, I find (in a Focus FK-555 or solid aluminium cased Alps64). Though, as you know too, the whole keyboard affects the sound. My Kishsaver is a hop, skip and a leap ahead of my AT in The Noise department: in quality as well as quantity.

[darkcruix]

..
Alps better sounding than Model F? Even my beloved blues aren’t there, I find (in a Focus FK-555 or solid aluminium cased Alps64). Though, as you know too, the whole keyboard affects the sound. My Kishsaver is a hop, skip and a leap ahead of my AT in The Noise department: in quality as well as quantity.

And there you see how personal this is. And yes, I have to tell that I have tested the full rainbow of Alps switches (Blue, Amber, Orange, Salmon, Green, Brown, Black, Cream, White ...) in the general boards. None of them are as good as the F122 (which is the best sounding Buckling Spring board I own). BUT ... the Keymacs is on a different level (my taste). I have Amber Alps (with the lighter springs out of Orange ones in the board).
I enjoy extreme tactility with a satisfying actuation click, so the F77 classic from Ellipse has the better feel.

This is how I feel about it today and my preference might change in the future.

[Maledicted]

Ruins, no. But it's not as good as it could've been IMO. I definitely would've strongly preferred an F107, and would've used it a lot more than I do my F77 now.

Haven't you got an original F107 still anyway, or is that now stored in a secure vault and insured?

I'm pretty sure another reason Ellipse never reproduced it was it was originally the most common 4704 variant. Knowing this a few years ago, I set out to find one before the reproductions suddenly made them the rarest. I'm surprised there are multiple people here mentioning searching for years and striking out. It only took me a few months. Could have gotten one directly from Orihalcon before he started listing his again for something like $500-600. I ended up paying closer to $400 shipped for one that had been powder coated after just bumping a Geekhack classified post for a while. It seems like that investment was prudent, to say the least.

I think that Ellipse has balanced his decisions pretty well. Kishaver is perfectly usable for people accustomed to 60% boards, F77 is perfectly usable for anyone who doesn't use f keys or the numpad often ... which is most people these days. There wasn't much to gain by modifying the design and there was plenty to lose in doing so for the IBM purists.

By contrast, even the best of the original beam spring designs are a compromise in layout for the majority of typists. AT layout is about as weird as I go as a touch typist, personally. I have passed on pretty great deals on beam springs due to their given layouts. I even tried one in person at a local recycling place, so I could have bought it then and there and chose not to. I also (personally) don't think they feel or sound as good as capacitive buckling spring anyway, so a modern layout beam spring at a more reasonable price checks more boxes for me than any alteration to the 4704 family would have.

I have two reproduction F77s and both feel almost totally indistinguishable from my original Fs, and seem to be damn incredible facsimiles of the original 4704s to me.

[Seirin-Blu]

A bolt/screw mod is just driving a screw into a circular bit of plastic, thats it. You have to try very hard to botch a mod like that.

I’m a bit late to this thread but I’ve seen someone do a screw mod by just screwing screws into the existing rivets and not even drilling pilot holes before screwing the screws in. They’ve also just slapped rivets back on by using a soldering iron and melting them.

I do think this is rather out of a lack of care rather than pure inability. The person who does this flips and sells them on eBay. Person also has some other questionable business practices.

Screw mod is definitely doable by the vast majority of people who are enthusiasts though, I agree on that.