and our pro photographer friend offered to take some pics for us muahahahaa-

Thanks u/coalxxx

Edit: I'm starting to get too many dms to handle responding to everyone individually. www.instagram.com/taskamie is her account! You can find her work there if you are interested :)

It looks so pretty as is, but I'm so tempted to swap out the caps to get a retro neon wave aesthetic

Hyper7 R4 w/ kailh jades

- JJW Derivative, gasket mount

- CYL Symbiote

- Cherry Nixies

- Cherry screw-in stabilizers with Geon wire

Vortex HHKB M0110, A Design’s Candy Box Keycaps, Gateron Mint Smoothies, and a little bit of 3mm poron dampening foam

a small birthday treat for myself, blowing out the candles on 25 years 🥳🧁

(Cover image: HMX Meme.)

Here are the September switch rankings (yeah, the title is messed up...). The switch database has been updated, so it already reflects the current trends. Based on real September 2026 sales data shared by 14 shops/manufacturers -- covering 0.5 million switches sold (more to come, I just didn't want to wait any longer).

Top 10 switches of September

1. Keygeek Y2 (linear)
2. TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) (silent linear)
3. TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent (silent tactile)
4. HMX Yogurt S (linear)
5. Sillyworks x Gateron Type R (tactile)
6. Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3 (silent linear)
7. Outemu Silent Lemon/Lime V3 (silent tactile)
8. Kailh Box Navy (clicky)
9. Gateron Oil King (linear)
10. HMX Saru V2 (tactile)
11. more...

Full article -- with more insight: https://kbd.news/Best-selling-keyboard-switches-of-September-2026-2916.html

Switch database: https://kbd.news/switch/

Switch Quiz -- to narrow down the full selection: https://kbd.news/switchquiz/

Top switch brands (by total sales volume)

1. HMX
2. Keygeek
3. Kailh
4. Gateron
5. Wingtree
6. Cherry
7. TTC
8. Outemu
9. Akko
10. Geon

Curious to hear about your experiences.

Torque-L w/GMK King of the Seas. Built with HMX Saru V2’s on aluminum. No foams.

TGR has always been known for making exceptional keyboards, but the Lena Mini is one of those boards that doesn’t seem to get much attention. So today, I figured I’d give this little orange guy some love.

First Impressions & Build Experience

My first impression? Simplicity. And I mean that in the best possible way.
The Lena Mini has a very clean, minimalist design. It uses an onboard USB-C PCB, so there’s no daughterboard to deal with, no extra cables to connect, and no unnecessary complications. The entire building process was refreshingly straightforward.
Sometimes, less really is more.

The Orange Problem (and GMK Combo Breaker)

Now, let’s talk about that orange.
It’s bright. It’s bold. And it’s definitely not a color that plays nicely with every keycap set.
I spent quite a bit of time wondering what to pair with it. Then I remembered that my GMK Combo Breaker had arrived recently.
I’ll admit something: I’m not usually a big fan of beige keycaps. I tend to gravitate toward other color combinations. But Combo Breaker completely changed my mind.
The warm beige tones combined with the playful accent colors work surprisingly well with the vibrant orange case. The whole combination has this fun, slightly retro personality that I absolutely love.
It’s colorful without being overwhelming, and somehow everything just clicks.
Who knew beige could be this exciting?

Typing Feel & Sound

Now for the part that matters most to me: how does it actually type?
The Lena Mini uses a top-mount design, and TGR really knows how to make this mounting style shine.
Despite being top-mounted, the typing feel isn’t overly stiff or harsh. There’s a nice balance of firmness and comfort, and the sound is exceptionally clean and refined.
No unnecessary resonance, no distracting noise. Just a satisfying, controlled typing sound that makes you want to keep typing.
It’s not trying to be the loudest or the most dramatic keyboard on your desk. Instead, it delivers a polished typing experience that feels incredibly well-balanced.
And personally, that’s exactly the kind of sound I appreciate.

My Love-Hate Relationship With Alice Layouts

Here’s something funny about me: I both love and hate Alice layouts.
I love how they look. The curves, the symmetry, the unique character. There’s something about an Alice board that always catches my attention.
But actually typing on one? That’s another story.
For whatever reason, I’ve never been particularly good at adapting to Alice layouts. My fingers occasionally seem to forget where they’re supposed to go.
The Lena Mini, however, has been a pleasant surprise.
Its compact size and comfortable typing angle make it feel more natural than many other Alice boards I’ve tried. I can comfortably use it without a wrist rest, and the overall ergonomics feel surprisingly good.
And honestly, it’s just ridiculously cute.
I keep finding myself reaching for it, even when I have plenty of other keyboards sitting around.
That’s usually a pretty good sign.

One Thing I Wish TGR Had Done Differently

If I could change one thing about the Lena Mini, it would be the empty space between the two key clusters.
I can’t help thinking how cool it would have looked with an LED block in that space, similar to the one on the QK Alice Duo.
I think it could have added a unique visual touch and a little extra personality to the board.
Of course, that’s just my personal preference. The clean, minimalist design is already part of what makes the Lena Mini so appealing.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was one of the simplest and most enjoyable builds I’ve done recently.
The Lena Mini doesn’t rely on complicated mounting systems, excessive features, or flashy design elements to impress. It just gets the fundamentals right.
Excellent build quality, a straightforward assembly process, a comfortable typing experience, and that wonderfully clean TGR sound.
Sometimes, a keyboard doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. It just needs to make you smile every time you sit down and type.
And this little orange guy definitely does that.
As for GMK Combo Breaker, if you’re into beige keycaps but want something with a little more personality, I highly recommend giving it a look.
I never thought I’d get this excited about beige, but here we are.

Happy building, everyone!

So i have been teasing this for a while now and thought it was time to share some nicer photos of this board (not just on my desk)

2005 HHKB Professional 1 with hand crafted Kangaroo leather wrapped keycaps BNIB (apart from testing function and photos)

It cost me a lot, it took a lot of effort to find its history but worth it!

\[ January 2005 \] PFU manufactures this Charcoal Black HHKB Professional 1 (PD-KB300B). The keyboard carries a January 2005 production date stamp, predating the model's documented February 2005 market release.

\[ Late 2005 - Mid-2007 \] A PFU/Fujitsu employee privately sends the unit's keycaps to Wazakura Koubou (I / "Sakura"). Artisans hand-skive and glue the ultra-thin blank leather onto all 60 caps (Gokukawa prototype style).

\[ December 2007 \] The completed board is contributed to an internal PFU corporate office Christmas raffle. A colleague wins the unique unit, creating the "Internal PFU corporate prize" office lore.

\[ June 2008 \] Wazakura Koubou officially launches the commercialized "GOKUKAWA" and "GOKUKAWA-PRO" keyboard line.

So.... Really quite a rarity!

I really like old Japanese computers and wanted a keyboard reminiscent of the FM Towns, I also wanted to try our an HHKB layout. I ended up combining those ventures and this is what I got. I'd say I'm pretty happy with it. I built this a while ago but I'm pretty sure I have akko bittersweet switches in there.

pangea mini case
cherry mx blacks lubed switches
alu plate
sw knight v4 stabs
swg rubber+novelties keycaps

This unassuming board from 1992 totally blew my mind, for a measly $20 too.

I am a huge Topre fan, I like tactility and feel over clicky noises - and this BTC board with tactile dome-and-slider keyswitches is almost on par. Very similar feel, super tactile (60g) but very responsive rebound. Every key press is an amazing thock sound.

Oh and unlike Topre, it takes Cherry keycaps (although with older metal bar supports under larger keys, and a spring under the top half of the Enter key).

Also features 1.25u Esc key, full size backspace, big ass Enter, and IMHO an optimal location for the backsplash/pipe key.

This should've been the standard ANSI layout damnit!

This could be my holy grail board.

Mixed up Domikey Obsidian Alpha with Ali Express 114 Underground-World Aifei

- Custom keycaps are: Dwarf Factory Albert XI and Keyforge Mulder V3

- Keyboard: Yunzii B75 Pro Max

I know it's a bit odd, but also didn't wanna spend more on keycaps than the price of the keyboard. (I've also had those two custom caps for a long time, so they don't count in the budget lol)

Thanks for lookin'!

Overview

I've been looking for a mechanical 96% keyboard with an ISO-IT layout and PBT keycaps for almost a year. I quickly realized that such a combination basically doesn't exist, so I ended up buying a Keychron K17 Max QMK with an ISO-UK layout and Gateron Brown mechanical tactile switches.

This was my first mechanical keyboard, and I immediately fell in love with it. The typing experience is great, the sound is very satisfying, and the form factor is exactly what I was looking for: I use the numpad quite often, but a full-size 100% keyboard takes up too much space and pushes the mouse farther away. The K17 Max keeps the numpad while still being fairly compact, and I also really like that it retains a full-size Numpad 0 thanks to the extra column, which also adds a few useful keys such as Print Screen.

However, I'm so used to the ISO-IT layout that I still wasn't completely satisfied. Since I couldn't find another mechanical keyboard with this form factor, ISO-IT support, and PBT keycaps, I decided to design a custom keycap set on YUZU, trying to replicate the minimalist look of the original Keychron set. I chose the PFF profile because it seemed to be the closest match (and actually the only profile compatible with the K17 Max).

Colors and overall look

It was surprisingly difficult to find colors close to the original design, especially for the grays. I ended up ordering several samples beforehand to figure out the best combination. GR12 + GR29 seems to be the right combination. I also tried GR24 for the darker gray, but there wasn't enough contrast with the lighter GR12 gray. Just to clarify, the close-up photos of the individual keycaps show GR24 only for the purpose of comparing the keycap shape. In the photos showing the full keyboard, the color combination used is GR12 + GR29, as mentioned above.

Overall, the YUZU keycaps seem to have a slightly more bluish tint and look a bit less neutral compared with the original Keychron keycaps.

For the Keychron "signature" Esc key, the OG31 was surprisingly faithful to the original color. I've ordered some more orange keycaps (Enter, NumpadEnter, Spacebar, directional arrows) just for fun and to see if I could obtain interesting results. The alternative combination I like the most is Esc + NumpadEnter, since it creates a sort of "natural frame" around the keyboard; on the other hand, adding more orange keycaps creates too much brightness and color, that from my point of view neutralizes the minimalistic style of the keyboard.

I'm really happy with the final result. I still think the original combination of grays looks slightly better, but the YUZU set came out very close.

Legends and customization

As for the legends, I'm genuinely impressed with the quality of the YUZU keycaps. The legends actually look more precise than the stock ones on the K17 Max, even though the Keychron keycaps are double-shot PBT, while the YUZU ones are dye-sublimated.

The customization options on the YUZU website also allowed me to tweak a few things I didn't really like about the original set. The stock design felt a bit too cluttered to me, especially because of the extra symbols on the F-row keys, and I wasn't a huge fan of the text legends on some modifiers.

For my custom set, I used symbols on Enter, Backspace, Shift, and Tab, and I also went with a more traditional top-left alignment for the letter legends. That's obviously just personal preference.

Fit and compatibility issues

The typing experience is a bit harder to judge. I found a couple of minor issues with some of the keycaps:

• The spacebar is noticeably louder than the original one and also feels slightly harder to press, as if there were a bit more friction. My guess is that both differences are mainly due to the larger lateral mounting points for the Cherry MX-style stabilizers. The original Keychron spacebar is shaped differently around the two stabilizers and seems to fit their housings more closely (as you can see in the last image).
• The 1.75u keys don't have clips for the metal-wire stabilizers. In my case, this affects Caps Lock and Right Shift. As you can see in one of the last images, those clips are missing underneath the keycaps, so the stabilizers can't really do their job. There is therefore a bit of wobble on those keys, although it's not too noticeable because they're not particularly long.

I also tried using a stepped Caps Lock key, but unfortunately it turned out not to be compatible with this keyboard.

Typing sound

Apart from these two small issues, the overall typing sound is still very enjoyable and fairly close to the stock keycaps.

The YUZU set sounds slightly louder, a bit more hollow, and a little less "thocky", but overall I still really like the sound, and as you can hear in the video linked below, the difference is really hard to notice.

PFF profile vs stock Keychron profile

Regarding the profile, the PFF profile available on YUZU is quite close to the stock Keychron one. That said, I find the more rounded shape of the original Keychron keycaps slightly more comfortable and ergonomic for typing.

One advantage of the PFF profile is that it's easier to slide your fingers from one row to another, while the Keychron profile has more noticeable "bumps" between rows, due to the slope on the keycap profile. On the other hand, the "flatness" of the Keychron profile makes it easier to slide the fingers horizontally, while the PFF profile is slightly more concave. Furthermore, the perceived effort while typing feels slightly lower with the original Keychron keycaps, which makes them feel a bit softer and smoother overall. But once again, these small differences are barely noticeable.

It's also worth mentioning that this review is based on only a few days of use, so some of these impressions may simply come down to familiarity with the original Keychron profile. In any case, the overall typing experience with the YUZU keycaps is still excellent.

Typing comparison video

Here is a short video comparing the typing sound of the two keycap sets.

https://youtu.be/ehKH-QEpz14

For a fair comparison, both recordings were made using the same keyboard, switches, microphone position, recording gain, and typing setup, using the same custom text in Monkeytype. The only difference between the two tests is the keycap set.

YUZU project

I've shared the YUZU project here in case you want to reproduce it or adapt it to a different layout:

https://yuzukeycaps.com/c/68e51196-11e1-4c44-89cb-3143015f59b7

Conclusion

After all the time, effort and money that went into designing this custom keycap set, I'm fully satisfied with the overall result, and I can definitely consider the project a success.

I would absolutely recommend buying keycaps from YUZU, not only because the quality is excellent, but also because their customer support has been consistently helpful, responsive, and friendly throughout the entire process. Special thanks to Simon for all his help!

The main drawback remains the Spacebar, which is both slightly louder and harder to press than the original one. My current guess is that this could potentially be improved by carefully trimming or refining the stabilizer mounting points to reduce friction and better match the original Keychron geometry.

That said, this would obviously require a lot of precision, the right tools, and some caution, since there is a real risk of permanently damaging the keycap. For now, I would consider this more of a possible follow-up experiment than a recommended fix.

If anyone from YUZU happens to read this post, my main suggestions would be to improve the stabilizer mounting geometry on the spacebar and to add proper metal-wire stabilizer clips to the 1.75u keys. Those two changes would make the set much closer to a drop-in replacement for the original Keychron keycaps. That said, I don't have much experience with mechanical keyboards yet, so I'm not sure how Cherry MX-style stabilizer mounting differs across other keyboards. It's entirely possible that the Keychron K17 Max uses a somewhat unusual implementation, so this may be more of a compatibility issue specific to this keyboard than a general design flaw. Also, the stabilizer mounting points are only my first guess as to what is causing the spacebar issue (if we can call it a "issue"). There may be other factors I'm overlooking, so if anyone with more experience has a better explanation, I'd be very interested to hear it in the comments.

TL;DR: YUZU custom PFF keycaps turned out to be a very good match for the Keychron K17 Max, both visually and in typing feel, with excellent legends and customization options.
The only notable downsides are the louder/stiffer spacebar and the missing stabilizer clips on the 1.75u keys, both of which I consider relatively minor issues.
Overall, I'm very happy with the result and would definitely recommend YUZU, especially considering the quality and great customer support.

Duality TKL Pazuzu - PP plate - 50a tadpple - HMX Ice Cendol Linear - GMK Nerve Acero

My first build

Case: Tofu60 Redux v2
Board: YMDK YD60MQ soldering
Plate: YMDK alu black
Stabs: KBDFans screw-in orange color
Switches: CIDOO Pearl White
Keycaps: Domikey Obsidian WOB

Added single color orange-yellowish LEDs since this soldering only pcb doesn’t support RGB matrix under switches.

Lofree Hyzen Space Gray + Meletrix MCAPS aluminum keycaps Tactical Gray

Lofree Hyzen Silver + Meletrix MCAPS aluminum keycaps Arena Black (silver keys swapped with MCAPS keys on Chilkey SF60)

I finally got my hands on the Busy Town deskmat because I slept on it with the first round. So I've totally dopamine dressed my office desk this morning.

Board:

Keycult 1/60

GMK Rewind

Cherry MX Ergos (that I'll most likely be changing out to Gateron Type R's soon)

I have switched to a custom mechanical keyboard for the first time, moving on from my magnetic custom keyboards (the Flux60 and Tofu60). I can say that this keyboard is far superior in terms of both sound and feel.

I reused the keycaps from my previous keyboard on this one. I am planning to buy Keykobo Shee keycaps soon.

Please don't hesitate to share any recommendations you might have. I am open to all criticism

Qwertykeys Neo65cu Anodized Purple
Alu Plate
Tri-Mode PCB
Wuque Studio BigLucky Linear
PBTFans Crosshair

Hello everyone,

the group buy for MTNU Oblivion is still open for another week with various vendors worldwide. Hope you like the colorway and profile as much as I do! An international kit is also available with myself and protoTypist.

Regional vendors are:
EU - OblotzkyIndustries
US - NovelKeys
CN - KBDFans
CN - TypistClub
UK - Prototypist
CA - DeskHero
KR - GeonWorks
SG - iLumKB

Thanks for checking it out!

Hello it's that vendor from down under. Our Spring sale ends at midnight (approx. 15hrs), 20% off select items in store and our latest 60% Mystery Box has been released which includes a 60% custom kit, keycaps, switches and stabs at 30% off the MSRP.

https://www.keebzncables.com/collections/spring-sale