I can hardly wait to no longer exist anymore alongside her!
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Another quick shot of my Tess65; I managed to all-but perfectly level-out the pipe key by sanding the little feet off one side of a Roller switch underneath. I’m really enjoying this little keyboard.
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I got the new 3d printed sides in the mail from Jawstec yesterday where I dropped the cutout for the reset switch down 1mm, and it is perfect. This is vapor smoothed PA12, and they did a fantastic job on the vapor smoothing. It feels and looks great!
Also, I swapped out the MX2A silent reds for MX2A silent blacks. The MX2A silent reds took my spot for favorite switch from non-silent MX blacks. These MX2A silent blacks stole that top spot as my favorite switch.
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Seneca still on my desk but I’m trying out some more keycap profiles.
I used HSA for a few days. This is white on black, but my cream on brown would probably look better
HSA sounds the best so far. But I believe that Topre (and these new switches from Ryan) suffer from sculpted keycaps because there is a slight bit of binding on extreme off-center presses. Of course, this is true of most every switch on the market; however, I’m looking for the most beneficial setup for my personal typing style. The aim was near perfection with the Seneca, so why not try to personalize it even more? It’s not rigid binding, or any sort of friction that you feel, but it makes the switch seem slightly heavier than with dead center key presses from above.
So next up is DSA. (DSA Eve here) My hunch was that it could help avoid steeply angled off-center presses with its slightly shallow dish and non, sculpted profile.
As I suspected, this is the best the switches have felt so far. It could be the uniform profile, or it could be the thinner plastic, or a combination of the two.
I plan to try out PBS and DCS over the next week. I’ll report back.
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Ouuu yea I wonder how many different profiles Ryan/Taeha tested on the Seneca.
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knowing Ryan, he probably tested out everything he could get his hands on. 
MTNU is certainly a popular option at the moment and the aesthetic fits in perfectly with his retro futuristic vibe. It does look stunning. And, as we all know, profile preferences are quite subjective. I suppose it’s very possible that someone else typing on MTNU would never notice this.
But with my setup and typing style (mostly hovering above the keyboard, but occasionally using a wrist rest for support), the switches feel best with DSA so far. I would rank, in terms of switch feel so far (from best to worst) DSA>GMK>MTNU>HSA
I also have to remember that most people don’t have hundreds of keyboards 
Most people probably type on a keyboard for months or years and get accustomed to it. I usually only keep with one keyboard or keyboard/switch/keycap setup for a week at most. Then I change it up. So I’m not exactly accustomed to any particular feel. So, I likely have a different perspective than many keyboard users.
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That second photo is quite nice. Looks like a render! 
IIRC most of Ryan’s released keysets are DSA or DSS, so I am not surprised they work well on Seneca.
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I found myself drawn back to using my Jris65 with N2Os, built plateless. Hadn’t pulled it out in awhile, and I forgot how much I enjoyed the sound and feel of this thing (even if I’m not overly fond of the poor QA that as involved in the first round of N2Os when they first came out).
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Trying out DSS on the Seneca. This is Honeywell. DSA is still better on this board to me, but DSS and DCS are both quite nice. I’m fairly certain it’s the thinness and lightweight nature of the caps that makes them feel better to me. It makes the domes feel lighter and snappier. Very happy with thinner ABS on this board.
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re: keycap profiles on Topre-MX i absolutely was not a fan of HSA (Hyperfuse) on my mx’d Norbaforce R2. it just felt sluggish compared to GMK on keypresses (mine is uniform 30g, Deskeys 1u, KBDfans 2u)
DCS - topre/mx should be decent like you already probably found out. i gave up though and im mostly just sticking to OEM Topre + resin sets. pls keep doing more seneca science for the rest of us!
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The finish is so uniform on your Seneca that I thought a spec of lint was a defect. I had to go back and look at an older photo to my relief discover it was only lint or dust. Ryan really knows his business.
There should be a separate thread for Seneca pictures. I want to see them with various color keycaps. Most pictures I’ve seen use very muted caps, or the stock caps.
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Had the urge to use the Bigfoot again today. I wonder if it’s just the nostalgia for the sound or if it’s still a great keyboard, but I do enjoy the heck out of it. I bought this a long time ago NOS and didn’t realize how nice of a deal I got.
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Wow that board is insanely clean, not a single splotch or speck of discoloration.
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Yep. It was still in the box in plastic completely unused. Also gave me an appreciation for new Alps switches.
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NOS ALPS are something else! You can clean & restore till your fingers fall off, but you’ll never match that brand new never been pressed feeling!
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Going back through some old boards again. Today is a Chicony with Green Alps. Delightful in feel and sound. This one has a full metal back plate so it sounds even more cavernous.
Again, mint condition. This is a trip to use because of the control and escape key positions and cross style cursor keys. Bonus points for the stepped alt, stepped caps key, and 10u spacebar. Minus two points for the single unit backspace and rearranged nav cluster.
I also love punching the huge F keys. Need more reason to hit F keys!
I purchased this from @gainsborough about six years ago on ebay. He has an account on here but doesn’t seem to visit anymore. He’s still around on GH.
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That keyboard got me into the hobby! It is now all discolored living useless in my attic.
I was wondering whether there is a TKB or 68% PCB/project case around to salvage those wonderful ALPS switches?
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Good question. My updated alps builds are mostly in 60% form factor. I do have a build with a Hiney TKL PCB and plate that can go in a HineyTKL or my Jane v2.
It seems that Alps appreciation was on the rise again, but it got a bit sidetracked by the community response to EC options and also, to a smaller degree, new Hall Effect builds.
I definitely prefer the feel and sound of my OG boards to anything I’ve built in a hefty aluminum case. I was thinking about that when I posted this photo. Perhaps it’s time for someone to run a proper new kit for Alps. Something TKL sized with a stiff plate in a hollow plastic case.
I suppose someone could make a PCB with a JST connector to use with the Classic-TKL from Novelkeys or the BauerLite from Omnitype. But you would need a proper steel plate and not polycarbonate. Also, those boards are gasket mounted, which takes some of the firmness out of the build.
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