Your happy hacking keyboard can finally get fresh caps.
While regular keyboards have an embarrassment of keycap options, top-of-the-line boards like the HHKB or RealForce R3 don’t. They’ve been added to OEM-profile PBT KEYCAPS with undisclosed die-cut legends, in more or less light gray, charcoal, white, or (more recently) some other color options. Nothing as basic as black cap caps with white legends existed for unmodified topiary boards. Until now
I’ve been typing away on a near-final set of white-on-black Ursa hats for a few weeks now, and they’re as much a must-have for Toppri users as a completely optional purchase. Scoped spherical caps are comfortable to type on, and the edges are well defined without being too sharp. There is only a little texture to the typing level. The centered legends are crisp and well-aligned, and are reminiscent of classic SA and DSA caps without being alike. The stems on my sample set don’t bend as well as other aftermarket caps I’ve tried. The bottom row is completely convex, like the space bar. It’s exceptionally comfortable and, as far as I can tell, unique among keyboard profiles in this regard. It’s all very well executed.
I’m using them on my Leopold FC660C because that’s what I have. You can see them on the more common happy hacking keyboards on electric keyboards. According to Simon Torchicci of FKCAPS, the white-on-black caps in the legends will be a little brighter in my samples, but they match the final version, which I get when my pre-order arrives.
Ursa caps are available in cream and gray, with white legends (with optional red or blue modifier keys), and a limited edition retro-inspired brown, green and cream. There are also blank versions in classic and black colors.
Pricing for extras is the same as when buying a group. Covering the HHKB will cost $80 for a tankless or full-size board, or $120 for a tankless or full-size board. (If you don’t need the legends, you can get a full size of blanks for $60.) There’s also a new $8 accent kit, in red or blue, with just the escape and enter keys. The Minicom color is a limited edition, and Trichichi tells me it won’t be discontinued again, but the company plans to keep other colors available, and will release new looks in the future, so don’t worry if you missed out on the extras.
I’m a big fan of Topre boards, and it’s great to have an affordable, high-quality cap option that doesn’t involve taking your keyboard apart to make it MX-compatible. (Although this is also getting better and less expensive in the near future). Like I said when the group did the shopping, I’m not going to tell you to buy these keycaps. But I did.
