ErgoMechKeyboards

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Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards

Rules

Keep it ergo

Posts must be of/about keyboards that have a clear delineation between the left and right halves of the keyboard, column stagger, or both. This includes one-handed (one half doesn't exist, what clearer delineation is that!?)

i.e. no regular non-split¹ row-stagger and no non-split¹ ortholinear²

¹ split meaning a separation of the halves, whether fixed in place or entirely separate, both are fine.
² ortholinear meaning keys layed out in a grid

No Spam

No excessive posting/"shilling" for commercial purposes. Vendors are permitted to promote their products/services but keep it to a minimum and use the [vendor] flair. Posts that appear to be marketing without being transparent about it will be removed.

No Buy/Sell/Trade

This subreddit is not a marketplace, please post on r/mechmarket or other relevant marketplace.

Some useful links

EMK wiki
Split keyboard compare tool
Compare keycap profiles Looking for another set of keycaps - check this site to compare the different keycap profiles https://www.keycaps.info/
Keymap database A database with all kinds of keymap layouts - some of them fits ergo keyboards - get inspired https://keymapdb.com/

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

Where should I start? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/ergomechkeyboards

21 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Hey! I saw posts from here on my feed, and have been sucked in. Beautiful keyboards!

But, I'm a bit overwhelmed with options. If I want to get started with an EMK, what would you suggest?

I am comfortable with general soldering (though haven't done surface-mount), so putting a kit together should be doable. I use a Dvorak keyboard layout, so would prefer a way to customize keycaps. But ... I would prefer a kit that comes with everything (or at least a checklist), and doesn't require me to figure out what components to order, to help ensure I have compatible parts.

Thanks for your suggestions!

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[–] Kimcha87 3 points 1 year ago

I recommend you watch this stream of nicel (nice nano creator) assembling a keyboard:

https://youtu.be/kRrzfWv39G4

He also has a keyboard store that sells keyboards that are optimized for wireless and have many components pre-soldered.

https://typeractive.xyz

You will need to make a lot of decisions:

Do you want a number row or do you want to use layers for numbers so that you don’t have to stretch?
Do you want a second pinky column (esc, shift, …) or use homerow mods or thumb keys for those.
How many thumb keys do you want? (Only three are realistically usable unless you have huge hands)
Do you want regular MX switches or low profile Choc switches?
How much row stagger do you want?

It can be overwhelming and unfortunately the Reddit community is blacked out. That’s where all the answers lie until we can get a searchable archive.

Some keyboard designs you would want to look into are:

corne
lily58
Sofle
Chocofi

And of course, if you get stuck, make sure to ask here. Other people will have the same questions and we need to build up the knowledge base on this platform.