Look, I don’t need to be the guy who’s at all times posting about weird keyboard stuff. I actually have other interests. But I actually have to inform the handfuls of Verge readers with Topre keyboards about these keys. Ursa is a new spherical double-shot keycap profile for Topre that will probably be available in volume sales until May 15.
Reactions to the previous sentence will likely fall into three camps:
- I recognize a few of these words
- I’ve already smashed that checkout button
- Bulk purchase of keys? In 2024? On a new profile? For Topre boards? What could go mistaken?
I’m often in group three, but today I’m in group two. If you might be in group one, listed below are the meanings of a few of these words. Topre keyboards just like the Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional use different switches than standard mechanical keyboards. They use small rubber domes with a fast, firm tactile feel that you would be able to’t really get anywhere else (I’ve tried).
But Topre is a small slice of the massive mechanical keyboard market. Unlike standard MX-style mechanical keyboards – where the keyboard, switch and keys are available in the 1000’s – there are only a few Topre plates available and only a few ways to customize them.
In addition to the HHKB, Topre switches may also be present in Realforce keyboards and several other Leopold boards, like my beloved FC660C. With a few exceptions, they don’t work with regular MX-style keys, and the choice is slim.
There are standard keycaps which can be superb PBT dye, but they only are available in a few color options. There are some extremely expensive, noisy keycaps from discontinued keyboards and a few shoddy aftermarket sets. Most individuals who want to alter the keycaps on their Topre boards find yourself installing MX-compatible faders.
(If you are wondering why people would spend a whole bunch of dollars on a keyboard that is perfect out of the box after which spend so way more money changing every part about it, all of us have brainworms.)
So let’s get back to Ursa. The Ursa profile was developed by designer Andreas Chlupka and manufactured by FKCaps. I actually have been following its development for several years now, because I’m a one who likes nice keyboard covers. And these are nice, with nicely carved spherical tops and centered legends. These are the primary double PBT keycaps that I do know of which can be available for Topre boards.
Ursa keycaps can be found in classic gray and off-white, black with white lettering (with optional red or blue modifier keys), and retro Minitel 1-inspired brown, green and cream colours. For $80, you will get a kit that can accommodate an HHKB or FC660C; a full-size Realforce cover will cost $120. If you do not need the legends (the part that tells you what key it is), a full set of blanks in black or classic will cost $60.
It is estimated that the shipment will happen in the primary quarter of 2025, which seems a distant prospect, but is relatively short in the case of the acquisition of land by the capital group.
These Ursa prototypes are 3D printed. Production versions could have the identical shape, but only English legends to begin with. Photo Andreas Chlupka
Many things can go mistaken! The FKCaps team seems pretty clear-headed in the case of challenges. The most immediate is that in the event that they don’t receive enough orders for the double shot tooling, they may not have the ability to provide the keycaps and the group purchase will probably be canceled. Personally, I do not prefer this final result.
Then there is the group purchasing model itself, which is common in enthusiast communities, but requires you to pay for the product long before it is actually produced and trust the vendor to pay the manufacturer, the manufacturer to provide the thing and deliver it to the vendor, and the vendor to send it to you . Many group purchases fail at considered one of these stages!
Simon Tarchichi, co-founder of FKCaps, told me via email: “We understand that conditions are not good for group purchases and we would certainly do it differently if we could. That being said, we have experience producing new keycap profiles, this is our 5th venture (after MBK, HEX, MNT Pocket and SLK) and even though it is more complicated because they are double, we wouldn’t be collecting the client’s money if we didn’t they were 100% confident in the outcome.”
The next challenge, after all, is making the keys. At the moment, other than 3D printed prototypes, FKCaps only has single keycap samples from the manufacturer, and a few of the shafts are crooked. This is a common problem with aftermarket Topre hats just like the KBDfans set I’m currently using. PBT is a difficult material to work with and has high shrinkage, so it might take several tries to straighten the shafts and label them accurately, so FKCaps built and perfected the tooling over a five-month period. Tarchichi told me that this is the identical manufacturer that makes other keycaps and that they’ve experience producing double PBT keycaps, which is reassuring.
I’m not going to let you know to purchase these keycaps. Group buys are dangerous and production is difficult – FKCaps only decided to do a group buy once they couldn’t find an investor to donate money for what would ultimately be a particularly area of interest product. And nobody must spend that sort of money on keys for an already expensive keyboard.
Credit : www.theverge.com
