YOUR OWN
HOW TO BUILD
he mechanical keyboard market
is brimming with models from
the usual PC component vendors
as well as a vast network of lesser-known
companies. They usually follow a well-worn
formula of RGB lights, Cherry MX mechanical
switches, and that typical black tactical chassis
design that usually marks out a product as
being aimed at gamers.
There’s nothing wrong with mechanical
keyboards like that, so why go to the effort of
building your own? The key reasons are the
endless amount of choice and customisation
available and the ability to build a device with a
truly premium typing experience.
I’m writing this feature on a board that no
vendor of pre-built boards can come close to
replicating in terms of feel, sound and generaltyping experience, and of course the overall
design is unique, which is a key hook for
many people.
I’m a writer at heart, so my boards are
usually optimised for long sessions in
my favourite text editor. But I could just as
easily have put together a board that was
optimised for gaming, data entry or even tried
a completely non-standard layout and key
mapping, with the aim of increasing typing rate
or helping to avoid repetitive strain injury.
Having built almost two dozen custom
boards over the year, it’s fair to say I’m hooked.
It’s a deep rabbit hole of a hobby, there’s no
doubt about it, but having the ability to put
together something that’s unique and that
you’ve designed and tuned, is a big draw. Just
beware that you’ll never only build one.YOU CAN MAKE A UNIQUE
KEYBOARD TAILORED TO YOUR
EXACT SPECIFICATION, AND
IT’S NOT EVEN THAT DIFFICULT.
RYS SOM M EFELDT GUIDES
YOU THROUGH THE WHY,
WHAT AND HOW OF BUILDING
YOUR OWN KEYBOARD
FEATURE / CUSTOMISATION