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!
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 
. About all I can nitpick is going icon-only mods, not really my jam.
