Great intro. One thing I don't understand about the mechanical keyboard community is how the vast majority (like well over 95%) are not split keyboards. You'd think keyboard enthusiasts that sweat the details would also be obsessed with ergonomics. But no, I suspect that they are more concerned with aesthetics, which are arguably worse with a split keyboard.
I'm mostly-maintaining a mechanical split keyboard gallery [1] to help with this. There are a lot of options, from keyboards you can buy from a major retailer (or easily get your IT department to buy), to hand-soldered kits where you need to 3D print the case.-
I've always been interested in buying one, but since I'm curre tly budgeting for other major investments I'm not willing to spend like 350€+ for an ergodox. Are there decent sub 100€ non diy (i have never soldered anything in my life) split keyboards around afayk?
If your main concern about DIY keyboards is experience, most DIY split keyboards only require through-hole soldering, which is easily doable even with a cheap soldering iron.
Microsoft Sculpt is quite good. It is not mechanical, not truly split. But one that my hand can agree with. It is also the one I travel with because the mechanical split I have is too heavy.
I don't think you'll find anything non-DIY for under €350. The cheapest options are probably the Chinese/AliExpress ortholinear ones[1], but even those still cost more.
I recommend getting into keyboard groups on discord and facebook. In Australia I've seen people selling second hand assembled split boards for less than cost of the parts.
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! It's going to save me hours of research.
I have a Das Keyboard that I am very fond of, but over the years have definitely started to wonder why a) the rows are staggered, and b) it isn't split. There's just so little reason to stick to this form-factor.
Oh wow - this is a much more extensive collection than the one I used to buy my last split mechanical (a perfectly functional but unimpressive Kinesis Freestyle2 Blue). Thank you!
> I suspect that they are more concerned with aesthetics, which are arguably worse with a split keyboard.
Undoubtedly many must be - although I personally really like the ability to take my keyboard easily with me in a bag, like working on a smaller keyboard to reduce finger travel, like how my mouse can be close to my keyboard and I can work in a small space, and I'm lucky enough to not really experience strain, so a 60% keyboard is perfect for me.
Also, although this is aesthetic related, I don't really want to be the person with a keyboard that looks too crazy in the office. I don't need it to look awesome, but I also don't want it to look outwardly-weird (this also means no crazy flashing RGB!).
Took a bit of time to get used to a 60%, but now I have finished the learning curve it would be really difficult to go back (muscle memory is both a blessing and a curse!).
I bought a split keyboard last year and I honestly don’t think I could go back. My shoulder/chest pain went away. The layers let me almost never leave the home row and I miss it every time I use my laptop keyboard.
> I suspect that they are more concerned with aesthetics, which are arguably worse with a split keyboard.
Yeah, mine has lots of wires and I miss the minimalistic aesthetic of wireless mini keyboards.
If one isn’t afraid to tinker a little more while building keyboards one could work in a nice!nano or similar replacement for pro micros/elite-Cs, I had a fine time building a kyria (a 40% split) with it too:
Can you replace any existing usb c ports with this? I have a planck that I would really like to make wireless but a quick search around google doesn't show anyone building one with it.
Does it feel intuitive? I'm worried about learning a typing paradigm that isn't accessible everywhere (for eg can't hit both G and H with index if they're in diff sides)
I’m guessing you mean that you tend to hit g and h with hands (eg hit g with right hand and hit h with left hand) and you can’t do that with split keyboard. It doesn’t take that long to get used to it. I still can type pretty well with my laptop keyboard so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
just got a moonlander and I too could never go back. worth the hype and the price..the learning curve was steep but after a month and several iterations of customization I cant believe that customizable split layout is not the norm.
When I started being into mechanical keyboards (19 years old, late 2000s), I learned about the "classics" first -- IBM Model M, Cherry G80 3000 -- and "hacker" successors later ("Das Keyboard" is a good example, although I never owned it). I was also quite into Vim, terminal and proper typing back then.
It took me several more years to learn about ergonomic mechanical keyboards, and I ended up sticking with Ergodox both at work and at my gaming PC for 7-ish years now.
The point of my anecdote is that I would just expect that most of the "visible" people in the mechanical keyboard community are younger, and might grow into the ergonomic keyboards later, just like me.
People don't like change and not everyone has noticeable issues typing on standard keyboards. Once you do make the switch though the benefits become obvious.
Many definitely are obsessed only with aesthetics, and it's especially sickening when you look at the subgroup of rare-overpriced keyboards.
But split is not the single most important ergonomics aspect IMO. A planck-like ortholinear keeb is more ergonomic than those "alice" splits that have staggered-row-layout, for me at least.
Sickening is an odd word to choose. People have aesthetic preferences about all sorts of things, and they're often prepared to pay more to satisfy their tastes. What's bad about that?
>But split is not the single most important ergonomics aspect IMO. A planck-like ortholinear keeb is more ergonomic than those "alice" splits that have staggered-row-layout, for me at least.
It think it all depends on your typing style and body.
The issue with standard boards and the planck is people typically type with their hands parallel or near parallel and their wrist are bent. This can cause wrist pain over time.
On "alice" type boards the wrists are straight so typing is quite comfortable.
I used to use a split keyboard, but now use a tenkeyless Vermillo[0]. Best keyboard I’ve ever used. I find that form factor, paired with VIM gives my wrists less pain than any larger keyboard I’ve used. The distance I have to travel to use a mouse is also reduced, which I find helpful.
I don’t begrudge anyone their preferred ergonomics, but I’m glad that I can find non-split mechanical keyboards as I prefer their ergonomics. But I agree, it’s surprising there aren’t many more split offerings available.
As far as aesthetics, as the mechanical keyboard market has become almost totally focused on gaming, I find it difficult to find any which aren’t gaudy. I’m just glad my current one allows turning off the blinding backlight.
I am a big fan of the Kinesis Advantage 2's dished layout. I think that's a bigger deal for me than being split. The 2 unfortunately is not split, while the 360 is both split and dished.
The thumb keys are also extremely important, but they're more common among ergo keyboards. I don't think I'd ever buy a keyboard without thumb keys.
Thumb keys go great with emac's standard keybindings.
I've spent too much money on keyboards already, but will very likely buy the 360.
There are some DIY keyboards like the dactyl-manuform that also look great. Could be a fun project, but I'm not really looking for more side projects at the moment.
Having access to multiple keys per thumb really is a huge improvement over standard keyboards.
They are pretty expensive, but you can get a custom Dactyl Manuform made for about $400-500. I think there are some cheaper ways to get one. I made my own and its the best keyboard I've ever used. Before that I was using a different split keyboard (the ergodox-ex) and it was pretty good but the Dactyl is near perfect. I just wish they were popular enough for a large manufacturer to start making some non-3d printed cases for them.
I'm also curious why there arne't more expiramental key layouts, for example having programming related keys like "()~!" on the number keys is kind of annoying, would love a redesign where they are on the left instead of say caps lock or a longer shift key.
Using the open source firmware (QMK) that comes with most custom keyboard PCBs you can set keys to act as modifier keys when held or tapped. I set my capslock up like this so that when I hold it down h,j,k,l become my arrow keys and y and o become my home and end keys respectively.
Some PCBs support a split space bar too so if you tend to hit space with one hand the other can be used for a modifier and the home row can house all your commonly typed symbols which are normally out of reach.
There are tons of people who tweak their layouts a bunch -- but because it's free to switch that up and do your own experimentation, writing about your layout isn't as useful to other people as reviewing things they are considering paying for.
Mechanical keyboard communities are 110% all about aesthetics. For most it is far more important how the keyboard looks than anything else, the comes how it feels and sounds and somewhere very far comes actual functionality and even further ergonomics.
Obviously there is nothing wrong with this, but it makes sourcing split mechanical keyboards hard and expensive.
Here's my objection to putting it this way, especially the hyperbolic 110% thing.
With one exception, every split key you can buy or make right now is a product of the mechanical keyboard community's enthusiasm. I'm referring to the Kinesis Advantage of course, which is a wonderful device but not my choice.
So yeah, there's a whole subsection in the hobby which makes like 30 key hello-kitty-themed clickbait (look maybe someone actually uses the really minimalist layouts but I roll to doubt), and I don't begrudge them at all, because it's the same hobby that develops things like the Dactyl Manuform, which is going to be my next keyboard some time after I get my filament printer set up in my new home.
In other words, if you think sourcing split mechanical keyboards is hard now, you should have tried to do it before the mechanical keyboard hobby invented them.
>With one exception, every split key you can buy or make right now is a product of the mechanical keyboard community's enthusiasm.
Are you high? There are plenty of split keyboards that have nothing to do with mechanical keyboard community unless your think mechanical keyboard community has been active since the 1920s
In some ways it does but my fellow keyboard hobbyists seem to have an infinite appetite for artificial scarcity. 99% of aluminum keyboard cases are barely distinguishable from one another but some of them cost a few thousand dollars while others cost $80. There are some with a better fit and finish but the higher in price you go the more rapidly the diminishing returns set in.
Occasionally there's some innovation and slowly we're seeing some of these innovations from individual designers get copied by companies more capable (and more importantly, willing) to mass produce things.
The traditional remapping for esc is pressing alt, because the alt key sends the escape key in terminals.
Being able to fiddle with your keyboard layout is part of the fun of mechanicals, I happen to have this remapped at the OS level, because even on a laptop keyboard (yes I have a physical escape key) it's more convenient 90% of the time to press left Alt than the reach my pinky all the way up into Esc land.
Why not map escape to caps lock with QMK or VIA? If you cannot miss your caps lock, place that behind a layer. There are quite some options to tackle this as long as you can flash a custom keymap.
While I'm not exactly sure what a 120% is (macro keys?) I've been looking for something like a gaming model with macro buttons on the left and / or on top, but otherwise 75%. Ideally split but single piece. Think MS Sculpt with extra buttons on the left. Haven't found one.
So I was contemplating building one, but I'd have no idea where to start. I've quickly browsed the reddit page, but in those parts they seem much more interested in very compact models.
I would start with http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/ to generate a layout that you want. Then there are a few tools [0] to take that layout and generate a plate based off that layout. You can then either 3d print, or laser cut it yourself, or send it off a shop to do it for you.
I don't know PCB design, so I think handwiring is the best bet for a first build. QMK has a handwire [1] guide, and I also use them for the microcontroller software.
Though for the build I'm working on now, I wanted a few extra features that would be hard to do purely handwiring (per-key RGB LED and hotswap), so I use a PCB designed to hold a single key [2]. It allows me to do custom layouts without learning PCB design, but it is a lot more work than handwiring. You would still have to build the matrix yourself like a handwire.
If you want to get into PCB design, https://github.com/ergogen/ergogen is a fantastic tool to get you started. I designed my first custom keyboard with it, going in with no knowledge of PCB design.
Yep, I do all my own designs. When I got into the hobby in 2014, there weren't nearly as many ergo designs floating around (at least that I was aware of!), so I learned OpenSCAD to design a keyplate and 3d printed it, with a big awkward block of foam for support. I used that janky keyboard as my daily driver at work for at least 4 years. If your keyboard is perfect for you, it doesn't have to look perfect!
I mostly built the 120% because it was quite a challenge to play Final Fantasy XIV on a compact split ergo. (And because my girlfriend gifted me a set of Evangelion keycaps and it felt like a huge shame not to use all 127 of them.) It was pretty much an excuse to fit all of the keycaps that I had into a mostly normal keyboard layout. The extra keys are things like F13-F24 (poor OS support on those but I remap them to useful shortcuts for FFXIV with AutoHotkey), media controls, a language switcher, stuff like that.
If you want to try your hand at creating your own designs, it's actually not that hard to get started in my opinion, at least from a hardware perspective. I went from never having soldered or 3d printed before to typing on a working keyboard in the space of a weekend hackathon. All you need is the electronics hardware (microcontroller, keyswitches, keycaps, diodes, wire) and some form of keyplate and support. I would recommend lasercut acrylic since it's not very hard to get started with the 2d design with a variety of software options. If you have 3D printing experience and access to a printer then that might be quicker and more convenient.
I have a few designs on GitHub if you want to take a look:
The Sandiego [1] was my first design and so the firmware is pretty simple, so it might be an okay starting point there. I used OpenSCAD for the keyplate design and didn't make a case ever. There were wires hanging everywhere and it was a guaranteed conversation starter at work. Entirely handwired, so no PCB design either.
The Sigmar [2] has a keyplate and case designed in SolveSpace, which worked ok but it was a bit tedious. For this sort of 2D design, I think it was overkill. I used QMK for the firmware, which was kind of a pain in the ass to be honest. I probably wouldn't use it again. You get a lot of features built in for free though, which is definitely a selling point. I did a PCB design in KiCAD and I would absolutely recommend doing the same for your second keyboard. (Wire one by hand first!)
The Type K [3] is the 120%. Did the keyplate and case design in straight Python, generating DXF files for lasercutting. (I made a few mistakes in the design which I had to bodge with a bit of drilling...) The firmware is a beast because it has no dependencies on any USB libraries or anything. Wouldn't recommend that route unless you were seriously interested in USB, but it was definitely educational. PCB design again in KiCAD.
I assembled many model kits and it never occurred to call myself a builder. Model kit builder concieve the kits and or create parts out of raw material, epoxy putty and/or 3d printing.
Similarly a bicycle builder will solder/bond individual tubes to build custom frame and fork, possibly custom stem and/or racks. A brand that source frame builts in Asia will but mount the ready made part will say "assembled in <insert the country>.
Maybe I am picky with semantics but it strikes me as arrangant to call ourself builders when we just pick up and assemble parts.
But they selecting the individual components, buying them from different vendors, then assembling them to the final thing.
You can "build" a PC or a bicycle without creating any custom part, but the end result will be unique. A keyboard has less parts(board, switches, keycaps and maybe a controller) but I think it still count as built.
If you order everything as part of one kit, like the furniture from Ikea, then yes, you just assembling it together.
For what it's worth, I feel the same way you do and very carefully chose the word "assembling" instead of "building" when I blogged about putting my keyboard together.
You can "Build" a car from a kit, and nobody would take issue. I do plenty of soldering, I've cut case plates by hand, and spent far too many hours on this. Building anything is merely assembling it, the only difference is component count. I guess nobody "builds" PCs, either.
A lot of the time, the "build" involves soldering. I don't talk about having "built" my keyboards because I got boards with pre-soldered hotswap sockets -- but even in defense of that, "building a PC" is just assembling 99% of the time, too.
Two notes from someone who has been using many keyboards for many years now:
* ABS vs PBT keycaps: I disagree with the author. PBT is not obviously better. I prefer ABS keycaps, because most PBT keycaps have an aggressive texture, which is unpleasant to my fingers. Mind you, it's something I notice after days/weeks of constant use, not after a minute or two.
* Switches: as I discovered, even the "same" type of switch might have a different feel to it. As an example, Kailh brown switches come in opaque and clear varieties and have a different feel. I really prefer the opaque ones.
why are you guys still use this flawed formfactor? This formfactor is made NOT to be ergonomic
but made to fit old computers a la apple 2, commodorre 64 etc. Lowest effort formfactor, lowest common denominator product.
Why not make split keyboard with "angled" keys for best posture / hand comfort ?
and also mounting it on your chairs hand rest
instead of putting it on your desk ?
Yes there are silent tactile switches. They have dampeners on the stem that cushion the upstroke and the downstroke of the switch. An example of such a switch is the Gazzew Boba U4s.
The dampeners also cushion the bottom out of the keypress so they are a bit easier on the fingers if you are a heavy typist.
In order to deaden the sound further there are various foam products (poron, PE foam, silicon, polyphill) that can be used in the build. There are also mods that can be done like putting painters tape on the back of the PCB or straightening the stabiliser wires and lubing the stabilisers.
It also helps to select a case that doesn't suffer from acoustic resonance.
If you like tactility and silence it might be worth checking out keyboards with silent Topre switches like the HHKB. Although they are not considered a mechanical keyboard some people actually prefer them.
Electrocapacitive switches are what I prefer. They are rubber domes and springs. Even more quiet but somewhat less "tactile" are the boba gum linear switches. They are the quietest mechanical keyswitch I've ever heard and aren't very expensive either.
There are dampener in the shape of O-rings or square pads to make the keyboard more silent. Also, some newer keyboards have a padding in the bottom part to make the sound quieter and more dry.
I've been skirting this rabbit hole for a good while now, since even though I do electronics building my own keyboard seems excessive and I do like (and prefer) laptop keyboards.
It's a shame there aren't many stock choices with solid build out there with 65% keyboards. My first 65% is a low profile Keychron K3 (not really recommended because of QC issues + completely trash customer service, but it's light and impressive for people who haven't used a mechanical keyboard before). Second one, I couldn't find a wired keyboard without backlight and 65%, so I opted for a TKL Filco keyboard - highly recommended even they only have Cherry switches, which is not perfect, but good enough for getting addicted to the typing experience :)
One rabbit-hole within the mechanical keyboard hobby is more niche layouts. e.g. you can get keyboards where the keys have a symmetrical layout, rather than the standard row stagger. And layouts which allow the thumb to press more keys than just the spacebar.
For developers, or vim/emacs users especially, I think a good keyboard is in the same direction as a power tool: it may take a bit more effort to use a non-standard layout, but it allows for more powerful use of the keyboard.
I like the way it's done on HHKB layout keyboards: the \ and backspace key switch places and what's normally backspace is split in two so that the top-right key can be used for ~ without requiring any function layer [1].
I dont have that kb, you could keep that top left key mapped to tilde and move escape somewhere else. I put escape on the caps lock as its used a lot for vim/emacsevil.
Caps lock is used a lot less so could be candidate for adding in to a layer.
Alas my day to day frequently involves referring to paths relative to my Unix home directory, and creating markdown documents (code review, project documentation, bug reports) that use backtick to indicate code fragments and blocks.
I use it all the time but maybe I should become a writer instead? I am feeling the burnout of being a programmer pretty hard.
this is a great post on putting together a mechanical keyboard. to note, to get involved in mechanical keyboards there are many ways to approach it:
1 - Buy a mechanical keyboard that's already put together - Razer, Logitech and Corsair and even makers such as Novelkeys have models that are ready out of the box!!
2 - Buy a kit - basically via group buy in most cases but you end up putting most or a few of the parts together yourself. Often these kits come with everything but sometimes you end up having to get the keycaps and/or switches yourself.
3 - Buy all the separate parts and choose your own adventure - this is another way!! Pick everything you want - case, pcb, switches, stabilizers, plates(or no plate if you want), switches and keycaps!
4 - Mod an existing keyboard - take a keyboard that you bought off the shelf and solder on your own switches or just change the keycaps. I have a great Cooler Master board that I moved the pcb into a custom housing. This option is not as common i feel but its out there!
While this can be a lucrative hobby do not feel like you cannot choose option 1 to get yourself involved. Its ok if you are not building everything from scratch or printing the the PCB yourself. Enjoy it, you are all allowed to be here!
I keep going from mechanical keyboards to low-profile ones (K380, Mx Keys) and not sure which one I like better. For sure the low-profile ones are less painful to type.
(And to be honest my usage is not for typing all the time - its also mousing and pressing a few shortcuts for an hour, and then an hour of mostly typing, etc)
You can try the mix: A low profile mechanical keyboard - e.g. with the Kailh Choc switches. They in all sorts of pricepoints - from expensive Logitech G815/G915 to cheaper ones like the Havit HV-KB390L or in europe the Sharkoon Purewriter. I have the latter, and prefer to all regular mechanical keyboards I bought (a Logitech G Pro and a Corsair one with Cherry switches). The low profile one feels far more ergonomic and I make less typos with it - I wouldn't buy a full height keyboard anymore.
I did try the G915 and the Havit at some point, but they didn't work for me. I think the short key travel doesn't give me that mechanical satisfaction, then I might as well use the membrane ones..
I would highly recommend anyone interested in assembling their own invest in a soldering iron. You can find a kit on Amazon for $20 and watch 30 minutes of YouTube videos and know enough to be able to solder your own switches on any board you want.
Some cheap(-ish), but good soldering iron suggestions: The TS-100 and its successor the TS-80 are stand alone soldering irons that only need DC power to function (the TS-80 is powered through USB-C and supports PD meaning you can power it when not at home with a power bank).
If portability isn't that important to you the (Ksger, althouh that's just one brand) T12 is a great desktop soldering station.
Anything smaller than 80% (TKL) feels cramped to me. I wonder if there is an 80% keyboard with qmk and bluetooth support which I don't have to assemble myself, or at least not solder it all. Any recommendations?
