[IC] GMK Ursa | In GB!

Hello Keebtalk!

I wanted to share with you my first keyset, GMK Ursa!

I’m pleased to announce that the Group Buy for GMK Ursa will begin on November 19th, 2019! Stay tuned over the coming weeks for exciting Artisan collaborations, desk mats, and more!

Inspiration

My home away from home, this keyset is inspired by Lake Tahoe, California.

I started working on this project in early May when I went up to Tahoe. Everything from the air, to the sound of the birds, and the colors of the forest allow me to breathe and unwind. This keyset is designed to convey those feelings.

The name of the set, URSA, comes from the black bears who make the forests their home in the summer.

Design

I wanted to keep this set relatively low cost. As such, it uses two stock GMK colors and one RAL color for accurate color matching.

Proposed Kits

Major

Base

Cub

40 + Ortho + Split

O Horizon

Spacebars

Honey

Novelties

Paddington

ISO, featuring an exclusive novelty!


Renders

Renders

Iron 165 FE | Smith + Rune



U80A | RAMA



KBD19X | KBDFans



ATS-45 | Abec13 <3



Deskmats



Artisans

AmBEARssador | C.Y.O Artisans


Resin + Walnut | Object.Garage


Aluminum + Enamel | RAMA.WORKS

Vendors

US: Kono
EU: CandyKeys
Asia: ZFrontier
Oceania: SwitchKeys

Pricing

I’m pleased to announce pricing for GMK Ursa! While these numbers are pretty much finalized, they are subject to change before the start of the GB.

Kit MOQ Kono (USD) CandyKeys (EUR) zFrontier (CNY) zFrontier (USD) SwitchKeys (AUD)
Ursa Major (Base) 250 $129.99 €124.00 ¥969.0 $148 $204.99
Ursa Paddington (ISO) 100 $29.99 €30.00 ¥215.0 $31 $44.99
Ursa Honey (Novelties) 100 $39.99 €40.00 ¥285.0 $42 $59.99
Ursa Cub (40s) 100 $49.99 €50.00 ¥360.0 $52 $71.99
Ursa O Horizon (Spacebars) 100 $29.99 €30.00 ¥214.0 $31 $42.99
Ursa Tessie (RAMA) 50 $51.99 €60.00 TBD TBD $81.99

Donation

I’m also excited to announce that the vendors and proxies behind GMK Ursa are proud supporters of the League to Save Lake Tahoe. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to their organization. Learn more about them here: https://www.keeptahoeblue.org/

“The League to Save Lake Tahoe is dedicated to protecting and restoring the environmental health, sustainability, and scenic beauty of the Lake Tahoe Basin. We focus on water quality and its clarity for the preservation of a pristine Lake for future generations. “Keep Tahoe Blue” means a crystal clear Lake, protecting watersheds that support native plants and forests and abundant wildlife, an active and informed community of residents and visitors who act as stewards for the Lake, and communities and facilities within longstanding urban boundaries that harmonize with the natural environment, and provide low-impact outdoor recreational opportunities now and into the future.”

Ursa Major: 20%
Ursa Paddington: 20%
Ursa Honey: 20%
Ursa Cub: 20%
Ursa O Horizon: 20%
Ursa Tessie: 100%

Transparency: These percentages reflect the share of my profits that will be donated to The League to Save Lake Tahoe. Each vendor will also be donating $1 per kit sold. A total donation amount will be disclosed after the completion of the group buy. Both a screenshot of my donation to The League to Save Lake Tahoe via their website and a copy of the relevant bank statement will be posted together.

Social

Next Steps

Find vendors
Color correct renders
Deskmats
Gather community feedback
Artisan Collaborations

Acknowledgments

  • One huge thank you for the beautiful Abec13, he was an invaluable resource in the creation of this kit, from doing the renders to consulting on naming and novelties.
  • Thank you to r/keycapdesigners, you guys provided a lot of great feedback on both name and colors.
  • The photographers at Unsplash for the backgrounds in my images.

Update History

9/8/19 - IC Launch
9/10/19 - Announcing SwitchKeys as the Oceanic proxy.
9/13/19 - Announcing Kono, CandyKeys, and ZFrontier as the US, EU, and Asian proxies.
9/22/19 - Changed white from WS1 to CP. Moved ISO out of the base kit and into a separate it.
9/26/19 - GB Date Announced!

8 Likes

:+1: From me for that colorway and keeping numpad in base kit. Plus going RAL for GMK is a pretty big brain move, and novelties are :ok_hand:. About all I can nitpick is going icon-only mods, not really my jam.

2 Likes

BIRD NOVELTIES!

Consider doubling the 1u novelties for symmetry!

And I might have some bee novelties coming soon to round out the set.

3 Likes

bees would be an A+ addition

1 Like

This is so gorgeous. I love it.

With a rather small amount of novelties would it be possible to include them in the base set? I feel like they are integral to this sets idetity

Possibly, depends on kit pricing. I don’t want the base to be too expensive.

Hey Keebtalk!

I’m pleased to announce GMK Ursa as the launch set for SwitchKeys, a new vendor in the Oceanic market. This partnership will feature exciting collaborations and perks. Stay tuned for details!

  • Nathanalphaman
2 Likes

I really want a set like this or GMK Bento without the white alphas. Wondering how granite would look. Good work though! Awesome set.

1 Like

Hey KeebTalk!

I’m pleased two more vendors for Ursa: CandyKeys in the EU, and ZFrontier in Asia. More details to come late about an exciting collaboration between CandyKeys and myself that will be available in all regions!

  • Nathanalphaman
1 Like

I saw Candykeys IG post earlier. Really happy to see this make it :smiley:

Yeah, I wanted to announce yesterday but waited for ZFrontier to confirm before saying anything.

Hi again KeebTalk!

Sorry to post twice in quick succession, but I’m excited to announce Kono as the North American vendor for GMK Ursa! A GB date will be announced soon, so stay tuned for updates!

3 Likes

I really like how “earthy” this set is :smiley:

I don’t think I’ve been excited for a brown set like this since Chocolatier

1 Like

Apologies for the noob question: Does anyone know how the white/off white keys wear compared to darker colors? I imagine it’s more a factor of material choice and finish, but I’m curious.

wear in what way?

Specifically I’m curious about discoloration, dirt aggregation, icon and texture wear. It’s hard to tell if the finish on the keys are matte or gloss in the renders, but I’ve noticed on some of my keyboards that the discoloration and gradual polishing of ‘matte’ finishes happens pretty quickly. Wondering if the perception of that would be faster on lighter keys.

it will be GMK ABS, so they have some fine texture that can shine for some people over time and with heavy use. The legends are double shot so they will never wear off.

1 Like

Word. Thank you!