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Fraaaaan t1_jdwiac4 wrote

Reply to comment by cruzkinegaming in Keyboard manufacturers outside of China by cruzkinegaming

> Every now and then I come across boards like Keycult and even the Frogs in which you can tell the level of quality is different.

The thing you're noticing is probably the quality and attention to detail in the design process of the keyboard, not the manufacturing part.

A mill in China and a mill in the USA will do the job equally well. Any CNC machine that is capable of milling a keyboard will do the job pretty much exactly as good as the next one. The finishing process (mediablast, anodization, coating etc.) is what you'll notice most across different keyboard manufacturers.

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cruzkinegaming OP t1_jdwjj6i wrote

That is true, the level of quality is definitely different. Maybe it’s just the tiers I am looking at and not necessarily where they are manufactured from I should be concentrating on. Budget vs mid vs high end tiers and the boards they are custom built from ground up.

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Fraaaaan t1_jdwl81w wrote

Definitely. When you're buying a custom keyboard you have to keep in mind that it's not all black and white. Expensive doesn't mean better, more complex doesn't mean better and manufactured outside of China doesn't mean better.

Take your time picking out a keyboard and make sure it's coming from a reputable makers that has made good keyboards in the past. Some great examples are Geonworks, westfoxtrot, ai03, TGR, Vertex and SingaKBD. The board you're buying doesn't necessarily have to come from a well known maker, but it really helps if you're new and can't recognize good projects yourself quite yet. Even if you find something from a less known/new maker, you can always ask around and see what other hobbyists here on Reddit or Discord think of it. Getting a few opinions before you dive into something is always a good idea, especially since keyboards are a big investment in terms of time (if you're joining a GB) and money.

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cruzkinegaming OP t1_jdwqb9b wrote

Awesome thank you so much. I have over 12 boards and it seems like I am losing the itch. Started off with budget boards, tried a Frog TKL and recently got a Therav2 and am like meh. Was going to see what the Mode hype was but now not sure if I should jump in.

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