Hello guys, I'm planning to purchase my first set of TKL primarily for office use. Any strong recommendations for a budget of say 500? I would prefer something with a backlight, not necessarily RGB, and a detachable USB cord.

In terms of switch selection, I'm interested in trying those MX Clear switches. FYI, I have a board with Kailh blue at home and those may be too clicky for the office environment.

For the time being, I've came up with a shortlist as follows:

- GMMK TKL (unable to get a quote for shipping on their website for some reason)
- Cherry Ducky One 2 with white backlights (doesn't seem to be on the market yet?)
- Varmilo VA87M (EDIT: 25USD for shipping, will have to opt for brown switches in this case)
- iKBC F87 (recommended by some, but not by others. Not sure what's the issue.)
- KPRepublic Durgod K320 (Black sheep of the bunch, but seemed to be gaining quite the traction on Massdrop)

Or any other strong contenders you guys might be able to suggest? Would definitely prefer something with a better build quality for long term use.

Cheers!

This post has been edited by takuyaSH: Aug 21 2018, 11:02 AM

Yeah, I meant Ducky. Thanks for the correction.

From your words, the Durgod sounds quite favorable. Not to mention the free shipping from Aliexpress.
Dropping out the iKBC due to the non removable cable, and perhaps the Ducky One 2, the strong contenders in my mind would be these:

- GMMK TKL (comes with 20% off and Gateron Clear @ USD 88 - still waiting for shipping estimate)
- Varmilo VA87M (USD 125.70 - Cherry MX Browns or USD 169.20 - Cherry MX Clears + USD 25 for shipping)
- Durgod Aurora K320 (USD 99 + 0 via China Post)

I'm leaning more towards the GMMK TKL due to the hot-swappable switches, and at that price point, it's difficult to ignore it. Unless there are other compromises that I am aware of. Otherwise, the Durgod would make more financial sense as getting a Varmilo would mean stretching my budget. Of course, I would definitely allow it if it were to really give me a piece of mind afterwards.

I would really like to try the keyboards IRL, but I don't think these boards are easily found in our Malaysian market.

Cheers!

I assumed that the Gateron Clear would be the Cherry MX Clear equivalent, but maybe I'm wrong? 35g may be too light for me, coming from the Kailh Blues. May have to re-look into this as I'm looking to get slightly quieter but still, tactile switches. The Zilent switches sounds really interesting, but that's something for the future.

I certainly noticed that you guys had a meet up last week after I joined the group on Facebook just yesterday

Here's the option available on GMMK:

Thanks for the feedback guys!
Yeah, the Gateron brown will be the most logical choice at this point. Unless I'm ready to annoy my co-workers with the blues.
I was a bit skeptical about the Kailh box switches; as you said, I read that it could potentially crack the key caps.

Well, that's a good starting point for now, just gotta wait for them to revert with the shipping quote. I might top up another USD 10 to sample of those switches above too.

Whaaaaat!! Just got this from the GMMK support team!

This post has been edited by takuyaSH: Aug 21 2018, 04:53 PM

Not sure why they can't allow us to pick better courier. The same thing is 15 USD more expensive on Amazon.

The good news is, its now on Massdrop!
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/glorious-modul...d-gateron-brown

Looks like a copy of an already cheap board. 100% cancellations by seller, 10 negative reviews, 0% positive ratings... Not sure if they are there to do business.




On another note, I'm so tempted by DIY keyboards now

Yeah, the most prominent issue is the rattly stabs. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I may have grown out of the GMMK-TKL. I discovered KBDfans and found out that I could assemble a 60% board at almost the same cost at the GMMK-TKL. One of the largest benefit I felt is the QMK firmware, brings a lot of customization. Because of that, it really made the 60% layout very functional, ridding the need of a larger, more space-consuming. Of course there's the joy of assembling everything yourself; which I still hold my reservations about as the last time I soldered something was a really long time ago. Even that was a short experience. I am also not sure a cheap iron kit with adjustable temps off AliExpress/Lazada will be able to make the cut. There's always the option of getting KBDfans to solder everything prior to shipping the parts over.

And then there was the Massdrop Keyboard Re-Store. The K-Type looked really gorgeous! But I'm not sure whether it's really worth getting over a custom keyboard with my preferred switches. Not to mention the fiasco between Input Club and Massdrop over their contract last year. Still need some time to think things through and make a decision.

Hey Horns,

I managed to find the DuPont Silicone Lubricant with Teflon in ACE IPC. I believe it's the new version of the lube brought up in Ripsters' Lube Guide. I've mixed it with the Super Lube grease with no issues so far. Just a question of how long it'll last