Impressive Steampunk Keyboard

This amazing steam punk keyboard was sent in to the tip line, and while it’s not necessarily a ‘hack’ in the purest sense, the level of quality in the build is incredible.

Each key was crafted from brass tubing that was later filled with a wooden dowel and covered with the key cap label. While there’s no mention of how the key caps were made, we do especially like the abstract Windows Key label. After the PCB for the keyboard matrix was enclosed in a bit of plywood, the hand tooled leather was applied to the front. The name plaque that was hand engraved with a modified screwdriver is especially nice.

The build is based around the amazing Das Keyboard with Cherry Blue switches, one of the only keyboards currently being manufactured that comes close to the feel of the One True Keyboard. While it’s not a keyboard built from scratch, it’s still one of the best steampunk builds we’ve seen, most likely because not a single gear was glued to the project.

20 thoughts on “Impressive Steampunk Keyboard

  1. “not a single gear was glued to the project.”

    Nice! Now, if one was added for a volume control or something, that would be fine, but useless gears are useless.

  2. The “One True Keyboard” is still manufactured by Unicomp, they bought the IP and the tooling… And you can order custom keycaps from them… (red Escape key, yummy)

    Still, impressive work. Must be heavy.

  3. While I consider steam punk a fashion trend, one that doesn’t appeal to me in the least. Having said that I can appreciate a quality build, and this is a quality build from what I can see.

    “while it’s not necessarily a ‘hack’ in the purest sense”, so sad when the zealot comments lead the HAD staff preempting them, thing is it’s not likely to ever pacify the zealots. Perhaps the bulling should change to hack a day, now incorporating build a day. would that make HAD BAD A**? IMO it would, not that means that HAD isn’t currently bad a**. ;)

  4. If you want an actual Model-M, they still make them. Unicomp has the rights to them now, and I can attest that they are identical in every respect to the Model-M, save for lacking removable caps. They even have the drain holes :)

  5. Love well done keyboard mods, always wish i could have a workshop to do projects like this, he did a top notch job on this, elegant and understated.

    I have a black Unicomp Customizer 105 in UK spec sounds and feels like a Model M to type on, though isn’t as heavy which i prefer anyway, and you can get it in USB.

    I will offer caution as i live in the UK and obviously had it shipped from the US and got seriously screwed with import taxes and the keyboard ended up costing me about £115 in the end, a note for people buying overseas.

  6. beautiful build! really nice details.

    now, shame on you for not using a Unicomp. they’re cheaper and arguably better, and are one of the last American-made computer peripherals. hey, your money…

  7. Is it just me but for f sake, to do all that work and to keep the plastic end of the original keys should be a crime.
    Deck makes some nice keyboards. If the keys had been illuminated then it would be awesome but I can’t imagine myself actually using it.

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