The mechanical keyboard rabbit hole. Once in, it's hard to get back out.

The mechanical keyboard rabbit hole. Once in, it’s hard to get back out.

by Richard May 13, 2021

Back when I had my first computer a keyboard was a keyboard. Never would I have thought about a mechanical keyboard or things like different switches. It was just Something that just came with the computer my parents bought in the store. I personally didn’t pay much attention to it. I remember it being this big clunky creamy-white thing with green indication lights on it. All I cared about was playing games on it (Red alert and Magic carpet were the first games I had on the PC)

“After plugging in my old membrane board I immediately knew this was a relationship that wouldn’t last”

About 10 years ago I accidently dropped my laptop and my wife said to me: why don’t you try to build your own computer instead of buying a new laptop? At first I thought to myself: no way I can build a computer. Why not just get one from the store? I decided to go online anyway and put Google and YouTube to work. After diving into the world of computer parts, visiting forums and watching YouTube videos I started the adventure of building my first rig.

I didn’t pay much attention to my mouse and keyboard. I just grabbed a set from the local store and went with it. It was a simple set from Logitech, it got the job done. After a while I started thinking what I could do to “perfect” my build. Well as we all know, that is the first step into an endless loop. After changing my gpu a couple of times, I started reading more and more posts about people using mechanical keyboards and I started to get interested.

I started reading about different switches, of which at the time most mainstream boards had a selection of brown, blue and red. I watched and read reviews and opinions on these types of switches and after a while I bought my first mechanical keyboard. It was a Coolermaster Masterkeys with Cherry brown switches. I was instantly in love! The sound, the weight, the looks, never did a keyboard genuinely got me enthusiastic.

Two years or so went by until disaster struck; My cat decided it was time to puke over my beloved mech! After plugging in my old membrane board I immediately knew this was a relationship that wouldn’t last. I went online, thinking I would just order the current version of my beloved mech. Then I saw already a lot had changed. Mechanical keyboards where getting even more populair and more and more brands were pumping out boards. Brands like Razer, Logitech, Corsair, Cooler master and many others were offering all kinds of cool boards.

My previous board had red lights in it which I thought was really cool but man Unicorns were starting to puke all over these things! Eventually I bought a newer version of my trusted board instead a little less bulky and R&B lights (yes no G!).

A year or two ago I started looking at boards again. And this time the landscape had once again changed drastically in my eyes. People were getting more and more serious about mechs. Apart from the usual suspects brands like Leopold, Hyperx, Akko, Glorious, Ducky and many more were pumping out beautiful and many different keyboards. No longer was it just about looks. Things like size, colors, feeling, Hot-swap, low profile and colored keycaps were a thing now. All this was already happening in the enthousiast scene but now it started to get the attention of the average consumer as well.

After a whiIe bought myself a Glorious TKL board which really launched my enthusiasm for the mechanical keyboard hobby. Then I began experimenting with different switches, keycaps, lubing, modding. At first I started with small stuff like cheap keycaps on sites like Ali Express and Soon I found myself getting deeper and deeper in the rabbit hole…

7 comments

Andre May 17, 2022 at 1:38 pm

Mechanical keyboards can be items to fall into a rabbit hole for sure but that depends on how you pick out your keyboard and if you are prone to addictions.
In my case I just wanted a perfect working fun to type keyboard which also look good to replace my notebook keyboard which deteriorated after 8 years of use.
I love to type stories and columns and looked for a replacement to fit that need.
This lead me to the KBD67lite which I could buy from Marktplaats sealed and brand new for a good price.
Combined with also as new Boba 4UT’s from Marktplaats and new Akko switches, I already got my endgame board since this combo leaves nothing to wish for anymore.

It’s easy to be persuaded for a next new board but I try to withstand that feeling by getting a kind of relationship with this board, becoming good friends.
Unfortunately this means that my keyboard hobby will end here. Nonetheless I like to follow the forums and read at the individual stories and new designs and developments of keyboards.
So my focus will be on using a keyboard and enjoying that every day.

Richard May 17, 2022 at 2:12 pm

That’s a very nice combination indeed!

Andre May 17, 2022 at 1:40 pm

Akko switches = Akko caps

Guneyd May 18, 2022 at 9:32 am

The infamous rabbit hole… it can get quite expensive for sure. I remember thinking that 80~100 euro’s for a mechanical gaming keyboards was expensive.. now I’m typing this on my second Topre keyboard that cost twice as much.

At the end of the day, it is all about making sacrifices and being able to afford it. Fortunately, more and more “premium” keyboards are being made and sold for a far more affordable price than in the past.

Richard May 18, 2022 at 9:28 pm

Features like hot-swap and premium housing are finally getting affordable indeed. But we all know its hard to resist sometimes 🙂

Xavier April 30, 2023 at 11:38 pm

Man – you’ve seen nothing.
There are premium keyboards from mainstream producers that are not really that premium compared to quality stuff you can get from limited group buys, raffles buys, limited stock sales.
I went from Corsair K70 MK2 that cost 170 euro which I ditched pretty soon through other keyboards like Keychron K6 that cost me under 100 euro but soon was custom modded with switches and keycaps which brought the total cost to under 270 euro.
Then I jumped into premium boards like Mode 65, Mode 80, Rama U80, Iron160 (total cost for each one of those with switches and keycaps ranging from 600 – 800 euro).
Mode 65 and Mode 80 – due to high availability would be considered medium keyboards – they are still high quality above and beyond GMMK and other mainstream keyboard producers but they are not that sought after. Rama U80 and Iron160 are kinda getting there but still you can get them fairly easy from mechmarket reddit which is second hand market.
Recently I have bought two ultimate endgame keyboards – TGR Jane v2 ME – Crimson Red and Suave Blue – each one (jut the case – they are not built yet) knocking me down 1100 euro plus shipping and customs. These are sought after and harder to get by, by many considered a true endgame keyboards.
Still – there are levels above them:
TGR Jane v2 CE, v1, Keycult keyboards, Singa Kohaku, SInga Unikorn – these will fetch 1800 for Kohaku to 4000 euro for TGR Jane v2 CE.

Xavier April 30, 2023 at 11:46 pm

Just to add to my above comment – this is how you get down the rabbit hole – a year ago I would not consider dropping 500 euro on a keyboard worth it – but the level of quality that goes into those products is on the border of artistry – think of Dieter Rams utility designs that are to this day considered beautiful – they have high resale value (at least the ones harder to get) and the pleasure I get from typing or looking at them is huge. Yes, I dropped a lot of money on them, but I could afford them, there are people out there who have no problems spending thousands of euros on their endgame keyboard that they get to use all the time while working.

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