Best keycaps 2014

[webwit]

Please suggest nominees for the Best keycaps in 2014. It can be novelty keys, complete sets, etc. You have to give a short motivation for each suggestion. The keycaps must be released since November 2013.

By voting in the third round of this category, you can win a NovaTouch TKL and Reaper from Cooler Master|CM Storm!

In this round you can earn multiple entries in the draws for voter prizes: if you are the first to suggest a particular nominee and the suggestion gets at least 5 votes in round 2, you get an extra entry in the draw for the prize by the sponsor of the related category. If your suggestion is voted as an official nominee and makes it to round 3, you get another extra entry.

The first round ends on Thursday 27 November, 00:00hrs UTC.

Current suggestions (this list is frequently updated):

• The Granite set by matt3o
• BSP keycaps from imsto
• Facetsesame's "webwit" keys
• ClickClack's Night Owl MKII
• Leopold's blank dark blue and side-printed black or white ANSI sets
• Galaxy Class set (based on Star Trek LCARS design)
• Tai Hao second-round selections (Almost Dolch, Almost Olivetti, and Almost Granite)
• Vortex thick double-shot PBT sets
• Datamancer typewriter set
• Ivan's Cherry profile thick PBT Pitch BLACK edition
• alinh's Vim cap madness group buy
• Logitech G910 keycaps

[Halvar]

To nominate the obvious, even though I didn't get these caps myself: matt3o for the Granite set. Beautiful self-designed legends, great support of international legends, great novelty legends, and the best interest check thread ever, like ever ever.

A huge success, too.

[photekq]

I nominate the BSP keycaps Imsto has being doing group buys with. Keycaps from BSP, dyesub+GB done by imsto. They look wonderful, and they're probably the closest you're going to get to reproduction Cherry dyesubs [which are what I would've nominated, if it weren't for the date limit].

[scottc]

I can't agree with you more, Halvar.

Since I can't nominate granite, I'd like to nominate Facetsesame's "webwit" keys (since I'm not sure whether R5 will be released before next year's DT Awards).

[snoopy]

I nominate ClickClacks Night Owl MKII. Classic CC skull with an awesome color schema that looks good on every board.

Will add a pic if I find one that does justice.

[Muirium]

Matteo said he's refusing any awards he wins this year (we call this doing a Beardsmore: you know you're so far ahead that standing aside isn't just gentlemanly but a practical necessity) so I'm backing Facet's ducks!

[Findecanor]

I'd like to nominate Leopold for their ANSI sets: blank dark blue and side-printed black, side-printed white.
Thick PBT, Cherry profile. Sharp. Great texture. Inexpensive. Each blank set contained also two keys for an ISO Shift and the key next to it, requiring only a Cherry ISO Enter key to make a ISO set.
Looks great on my Ducky TKL. The best keycaps I got this year.
Plus, they came packaged in the kind of "Keycap storage case" that EliteKeyboards sells for $6 each.

Thread on Geekhack with pictures and more info: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=59780.0

[pasph]

I'd say Round 5 but that can't be located in a trivial dimension like time, so Granite

[IanM]

Galaxy Class set (based on Star Trek LCARS design)

I wish I'd been able to get this set, it looks awsome and beautifully made.

[Hak Foo]

I'd like to nominate Tai Hao second-round selections (Almost Dolch, Almost Olivetti, and Almost Granite). As much as we like some of the amazing stuff SP and GMK throw out, gotta give Tai Hao some credit for putting out a decent quality set (with nicer typography than SP) at a price low enough that you can buy a couple sets "just in case you want to go back to MX one day"

[matt3o]

Matteo said he's refusing any awards he wins this year (we call this doing a Beardsmore: you know you're so far ahead that standing aside isn't just gentlemanly but a practical necessity) so I'm backing Facet's ducks!

@Muir, I find your comment mildly irritating or at least it doesn't reflect my feelings.

I don't feel "so far ahead", I already won multiple awards two years straight and I even got a wingnut which I didn't deserve (and I gave it back to the community this year). I'm not accepting awards not because I don't want them or because I put myself on a high horse but because I prefer to participate as a sponsor and give to the community rather than taking from the community. I feel that if I donate some awards I cannot accept awards for myself. This is how I am.

If granite can be nominated and wins, granite takes the win and I don't take the prize.

[Muirium]

Fair enough. To me, there's no difference between what you or I said, but that's just my take. I don't see you or Daniel climbing on a high horse, but simply standing aside to encourage others to compete.

Meanwhile, HaaTa knows exactly what he's after! He might give a chance at that prize to the rest of us into vintage stuff, but I do like poring through his pictures in any case…

[matt3o]

Vortex thick double-shot PBT sets. There are three of them, but I'd put all under the same roof.

also Datamacer typewriter set, not because I like it... but because it exists and it's something different.

Fair enough. To me, there's no difference between what you or I said

maybe I read it the wrong way.

Meanwhile, HaaTa knows exactly what he's after! He might give a chance at that prize to the rest of us into vintage stuff, but I do like poring through his pictures in any case…

HaaTa for president of the galaxy. Really.

[pasph]

I love so much Datamancer's work but those keycaps on a QFR are really out of place

[bazh]

come here for the BSP caps that are dye-sub-ed by imsto, was not disappointed

[Laser]

I'd like to nominate Leopold for their ANSI sets: blank dark blue and side-printed black, side-printed white.
Thick PBT, Cherry profile. Sharp. Great texture. Inexpensive. Each blank set contained also two keys for an ISO Shift and the key next to it, requiring only a Cherry ISO Enter key to make a ISO set.
Looks great on my Ducky TKL. The best keycaps I got this year.
Plus, they came packaged in the kind of "Keycap storage case" that EliteKeyboards sells for $6 each.

Thread on Geekhack with pictures and more info: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=59780.0

Was going to propose these caps - they got great reviews from those who bought them already (Ivan Ivanovich included). I can't speak from personal experience - yet, but i have them ordered (the navy blue, english/korean set - as a reminder: once upon a time, i practiced taekwondo). I think there are others keycap sets that may be better, but the price-quality combo may very well be unbeatable in this case.

[Muirium]

Clicks on thread. Sees pictures of avatars. Clicks on thread's links. Sees expired eBay auctions with thumbnails of the caps.

Anyone got some good pictures of these caps? I've heard Hypersphere going on about them, but I haven't seen them.

[Laser]

Clicks on thread. Sees pictures of avatars. Clicks on thread's links. Sees expired eBay auctions with thumbnails of the caps.

Anyone got some good pictures of these caps? I've heard Hypersphere going on about them, but I haven't seen them.

Well, the OP himself acknowledges that the ebay links to those caps are "volatile".
But on the following pages (3rd, 4th i think) in the thread, you should also find pictures of those caps.

EDIT: One ebay link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PBT-Keycap-Set- ... 3f3875098b

(seller: widebasket)

[davkol]

Ivan's Cherry profile thick PBT Pitch BLACK edition, because it's good quality and black-on-black is something a bit different.

[bazh]

Ivan's Cherry profile thick PBT Pitch BLACK edition, because it's good quality and black-on-black is something a bit different.

I'd say it still be too soon to tell since the fact that it's no where to be seen right now and PLUM messed it up with the production which causes the caps too dark to dyesub on

[davkol]

Isn't it round 3 right now? Might go with blanks as well.

[bazh]

yes it is the round 3, but the last time I check with the thread we now have to do another sample test again and so another couple of months is what to expect before we can get them in hands

[DanielT]

I know that I was part of it but I think I can nominate alinh and his Vim cap madness GB I nominate this not because of the design, we all know it wasn't an original one but for opening the doors for other "single key" GB's and showing that this can be also a success.

[Findecanor]

Ivan's Cherry profile thick PBT Pitch BLACK edition, because it's good quality and black-on-black is something a bit different.

And... if you put them on your Novatouch, then you will almost have a Realforce.

[matt3o]

"almost" is the keyword

[Laser]

I know that I was part of it but I think I can nominate alinh and his Vim cap madness GB I nominate this not because of the design, we all know it wasn't an original one but for opening the doors for other "single key" GB's and showing that this can be also a success.

You'll have my vote - and if your entry isn't eligible, i propose it instead here.
(The groupbuys with Vim keys from: http://www.pimpmykeyboard.com/business/ ... eeky-caps/ )

[jacobolus]

I nominate the Logitech G910 keycaps. They look stupid and the RGB lighting thing is a gimmick, but I’m curious about their changed top shape, which is as far as I know a new unique design. Has anyone tried them? Any reviews of the shape?

[davkol]

MagicMeatball^WBro Caps posted a review at GH media subforum; he liked them IIRC.

[Julle]

I nominate Filco double shot high profile keycaps. They are thick, tall, and well made. The little stabilizer clips can be easily pulled out (the glue is really soft), so you can with little effort use these on Cherry stabilizers as well. Plus, they are available in all the major layouts which is pretty rare for a product like this.

[webwit]

From 2013 and already nominated last year: http://deskthority.net/vote-for-nominee ... t6940.html