Yep, my 1.5u alt key on Handarbeit R2 is crooked but my control key looks normal. My plan for tsangan bottom row is now ditched for this set. ![]()
Neo 65 pricing was announced.This seems like a really good value for what you’re getting? I was about to jump on the TKD Cycle7, but I might hold off now since I prefer a 65% layout.
Prices:
Some $40 alternatives to CRP? Just caught these on Divinikey. Haven’t bought any keyboard items lately, but I’ve been meaning to get my hands on CRP Tulip… this might a a good alternative!
An update to the twisted stem issue
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/159awk5/gmk_update_twisted_stem_issue/
Vortex is really on top of their game. Always has been and always will be. They definitely stand out in a crowd of OEM boards in my view.
Welp, I got them! For anyone wondering… look and feel pretty good! Wish I had a CRP set to compare them to.
Very impressive kitting for a $50 set!
NovelKeys are back with mystery switches (or maybe they have been available for a while and this is just a flash sale)
This may be a new round or a continuation. They’ve done it a couple of other times recently. In two successive rounds, I got Gateron Blues and Gateron Greens - click jackets and extra heavy click jackets. Personally not planning to roll the dice again ![]()
Very good finds with the Novelkeys B2G1 and JC Studio keycaps.
Interestingly, it would cost $100 CAD to purchase and ship a $50 USD keycap set from Novelkeys. It would cost $73 CAD to do the same with a $35 USD set from 21kb. [After a late $5 discount during the order finalization.]
I am not sure what a JC Studio set would cost for a Canadian, the starting point would be $53 CAD.
Anyway, I like the JC Studio Desko Black.
Didn’t there used to be a clone set like that on AliExpress? Guess I should have got it. Only the Xerox sets [which are really cool] are still available.
You might be thinking of Shenpo, there’s a couple beige sets on the Keebox store on aliexpress.
From checking the pictures and a couple of discords Shenpo, 21kb and JC Studios all seem to use the same blanks, the difference with JC Studios is that they offer sets with multiple legends per key and apparently have the best print quality.
I’ll have to break out my 21kb set (v1) to confirm, but I think these JC Studio keycaps feel better! Probably placebo… haha. Agree with the print quality though. Very very impressive for the price.
I will push back on this a little bit and say I don’t think they all use the same blanks. It has been noted on here - and I can personally attest - that 21kb/xiami have sharp edges. Another user on here, donpark, has made me aware of this, and he is absolutely right.
CRP remains IMO the best feeling pbt keycap. I don’t know what magic they have attuned, but they run away from the pack in terms of feel and smoothness (not so much color). And those smooooooth as fuck corners.
JCStudio is Shenpo but with way better legends.
CRP keycaps definitely have a unique feel to them. It is more ‘ivory smooth,’ if that’s your thing.
I actually find them a bit non-grippy for some keyboards, but they would be really good at enhancing the smooth perception of linears, IMHO.
And yes, the corners are unbelievably smooth. I believe with CRP you are paying a premium for:
-highly-consistent keycap blanks
-smooth piano texture
-slightly better dye-sub than the competition
-better kitting options during GB and extras phase, more versatile, combinable, and flexible
-best spacebars
I think most, or all of these advantages are marginal. But for high-end or specialized-layout PBT builds, it makes sense to go with CRP. I like their spacebars.
Get a set of micromesh and polish away to your taste. Sharp-edges, texture, whatever. While CRP texture is nice, I prefer warm feeling texture so I polished my 4 sets of 21kb keycaps to match that of ePBT. Just be sure to use circular motion for the final pass to avoid keycap feeling different depending on direction.
For ePBT texture, I only needed up to 8000 grit. I’m not sure if using the finest grit mesh (12000) I have would be enough to get to CRP texture though.
Neo65. They’re doing a FRL TKL and an Alice or Arisu, too.
The QK Discord has a sound test. Sounds great. There is a TikTok out there in which they should how the mounting works a bit. I think there are gasket tabs that hold an o-ring. It’s not clear to me if it can be built plateless or simply is plateless.
I linked to this page before which has their planned pricing, and other info. Did the TikTok you saw show an actual keyboard being assembled? I am definitely interested in this board.
Oh, thanks. I did a quick search for Neo65 before posting but didn’t see that.
The TikTok does show more about the build.
I’m interested in the 70%, but I’d really like them to do a full TKL or larger ![]()
The Verge has a really interesting article about the buttons on the original Zenith TV remote. I also found it amusing to see that the 1950s advertisement for the remote detailed many of the same complaints we still have today (long commercials, dead batteries, etc).





