Do you like a thin bezel? A thicc bezel? A negative bezel (low profile keyboard)?.
When is bezel enough bezel and when does it go too far?
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S7 Elephant: just enough
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I had to go in on R2 of the Elephant, just because of those ridiculous enormous bezels. There’s a point where it crosses from usable to unfortunate, and then a second point where it enters this special nostalgic space, where no attention was paid to ergonomics or practicality, and every keyboard looks like a prop from Space Odyssey. The Elephant is just on the right side of that second point.
I wonder what @norbauer thinks of the Elephant. Cue up Donald Fagen’s “IGY”.
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I’m all for it. Whatever is weird and extreme and makes the universe less boring is way cool by me. 
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I think a lot of different bezel sizes can work but it depends how you use it. If you want a large bezel to be a good thing, it needs to be a feature.
I think one of the best OEM examples of using a thick bezel was the original Ducky Mini. It was made back when large bezels were way out of style, when the poker 2 and pok3r were flooding the front page of r/MechanicalKeyboards and everyone was trying to copy the no-bezel floating keycap design. And despite deviating from the norm with a bezel that was absolutely larger than it needed to be, the asthetic just worked.
Now, as far as customs go? The “in” style has been swinging back towards thick bezels for some time now but I feel like the ones that do it best are still the ones that make it a feature. @keyboardbelle’s cases, the Grid 600, and the thermal come to mind. There are several customs that have tried to mimic the look of bezels on older boards such as the CA66.
Personally, I’d say the elephant is a bit over the top, but from a certain perspective that is in itself a feature. It’s designed for people who want a thick bezel, and that’s exactly what you get. A big hunk of aluminum on every side, surrounding your keys. If that’s what you want, it’s a great product.
As far as bezels too small go, I wouldn’t like a no-bezel board with gaps between keys anywhere on the board. So a 60% with no bezel would be fine but I think a 100% with no bezel would look seriously out of place.
I actually forgot the biggest monstrosity of thick bezels when I originally wrote this: the Keeblade. Does that even count as a bezel? Who knows! But it’s definitely more of a novelty item than a keyboard. That is definitely a bezel that’s too big, even if it is a feature.
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It’s not a thick bezel unless the board is built into the desk.
Personally, I don’t get the whole thick bezel thing since it tends to reverberate unless one applies a bunch of damping material.
I’m also not a fan of cooling fins (really?), badges, etchings, lights, or appliqués (even storm troopers going pew pew), but am tolerant of people who sticker bomb or dig an entire F row of artisans.
Function over form for me. I’m not into statements, I just want a board that feels good.
Bert vs Ernie.
Anything more than a RAMA sized bezel is too much bezel in my opinion. Even a RAMA sized bezel had to grow on me at first.
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I like them thick bezels. Sadly had to pass on Elephant as I’m already over my keeb budget as it is 
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I love the elephant, but I just don’t need more keyboards right now. As long as the keyboard is unapologetic about having large bezels I’m all for it
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I’m with ya there. I’ve never understood the cooling fins aesthetic. A keyboard will never ever get hot enough that it needs cooling fins, let alone any kind of heat sink anywhere on it. It’s interesting to me that it seems to have popped up as popular for keyboards. If I was to see any other electronic device with the cooling fins on it I would just assume that the device was going to get hot. The thermal seemed cool in concept but I really was not a fan of the aesthetics at all.
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Bring 'em on. I love thick bezels. Exent was always a stunner for me
Thin bezels annoy me. Everything over 1 cm is nice.
Right now, as for lookers I like the HB85, incoming Relic SSK,the Typewriter 68, the Elephant is cute but would favor previous in buying.
For functionality? I realized I don’t get out much from the 60% cluster on all boards I own, except F-Row when it’s there on the board.
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What if you hotrod the lights in the case like a flashlight where it has to step down if its thermals get too hot?
It could maybe be cool if the keyboard glowed so violently that it lit up the whole room.
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what does this phrase “too far” mean?
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I think what really makes it or breaks it for me is the size of the forehead, relative to the rest of the board.
Exent/S7 Elephant? Too much size bezel, not enough forehead.
Canoe/Kayak? A little small on the forehead, but getting close to the right proportions.
Duck Mini/HHKB BT? Nice idea, really weird shape!
The Norbaforce? That, that right there is bezel perfection.
Ah, the first board I ever loved for the case. Never went for it, but the OG Ducky Mini is still a cute lookin board in it’s own right.
Everyone here loves the Norbaforce, and don’t get me wrong its a great looking board, but nothing beats my Heavy-6 really. That is the perfect shape for the board, and any FC660C without a Heavy-6 is bad. Even but big bezel is the best kind of bezel, foreheads can be nice, but not for me sadly.
For the 660 layout FC660M has the perfect bezel for me. Even FC660C’s stock case is a little bit too much of a bezel for my liking. The Heavy-6 looks great but it’s just not for me.
On top: enough for a place to put pencils.
On the bottom: enough to provide rounding for anyone not using a wrist rest, but not so much as to push a wrist rest too far away for anyone using it.
On the sides: erring on thinner to take up less desk space, but thick enough to not make the board look unbalanced.
Topre Realforce with a slightly taller “forehead” is what I’m thinking. Sort of like a G80-3000 with thinner sides and a pencil groove…
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