FKcaps custom keycaps wearing through and spacebar sticking, is this normal quality or a defective set?

Learning and discussion
1

I bought a custom FKcaps XDA shine through keycap set in December 2024 for about $100. FKcaps confirmed the caps are ABS with a PU coating and laser engraved legends.

This year I noticed coating wear, chips, pinholes, and marks on many keys. A and S are the worst, but several others are affected too. I do not use lotion, my hands do not normally sweat, I have never used alcohol or cleaning chemicals, and I only wipe the caps with a dry microfiber cloth.

Wear photos:
https://imgur.com/a/Z6NMdl7

Full email exchange:
https://imgur.com/a/EYOZqCk

FKcaps said they tested keycaps from the same line and could not reproduce the wear under “normal handling,” but they did not explain what test they performed, how long it lasted, or whether it simulated roughly 20 months of typing and gaming. They also said they had no similar customer reports, although public Reddit posts discuss similar FKcaps paint and quality concerns:

They offered replacement affected keys as a one time resolution, but said they would not take responsibility if it happens again.

I also have a spacebar problem. The FKcaps spacebar sometimes sticks down, while a thinner spacebar works on the same switch and stabilizers.

Chiclet style spacebar test:

Stabilizer test:

FKcaps spacebar test:

Spacebar photos:
https://imgur.com/a/eFBiPwG

The FKcaps bar can also be difficult to seat evenly. Sometimes the center and right side connect, but the left stabilizer side does not. Some regular FKcaps keycaps also grip tightly enough to pull the entire hot swap switch out with the keycap puller.

Does this look like normal wear and a keyboard issue, or more like an FKcaps coating and manufacturing tolerance problem?

2

Sounds like the spacebar is bent, which I’d definitely ask for a replacement for.

The rest unfortunately sounds about right for this kind of keycap manufacturing style. Nothing is stopping physical action from chipping off the bits of PU from the underlying plastic, because you’ve got a joint between different kinds of plastic which have very different properties. Additionally, skin oil is going to wear down the inner ABS through the legend, which then leaves the PU unsupported, which makes it easy to chip, which then can repeat to erode more and more of the PU coating.

IMO, the reddit reports are correct and the manufacturer is claiming far more durability than is possible with the materials used.

For completely custom cats, you might have better luck with Yuzu and KAT profile, as they use dye-sublimation, which embeds the dye in the plastic using heat, so it won’t chip off (and the PBT wears slower than ABS). But, no shine-through legends.