Mini Review: Razer Balckwidow Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard

[Gman]

I said in another mechanical keyboard thread around the time I posted this one, that in a 4 or 5 years there would be as many if not more mechanical keyboard options than "non" mechanical ones.  Pretty much has worked out that way, hundreds of different mechanical options out there now, every company + their dog are making some version of a mech keyboard.

Nobody has yet surpassed the original IBM "M" keyboard with the buckling spring key type.  Unicomp bought the rights, but theirs still don't feel "quite" the same as the originals.  I have a few of the original "M"s, in fact the "F" models are probably the best ever made IMO, yet are really lacking in keys and the numpad.  I have 3 IBM "M", one "F", and one Unicomp in black.

I still like to game on a more modern one, and save the IBMs for when I'm writing or typing long letters and such only.  The Razer was really the first commercial "gaming" mech keyboard which is why I got it back in 2011, but since then many, many others have been competing.  Various Cherry and other proprietary key types out there.

I think I found the best of the best finally, after much searching and testing.  Ducky from Taiwan IMO makes hands down the best new "gaming" mechanical, I picked up a Cherry Brown and a Cherry Blue version of their latest "Ducky Shine 5" boards.  Incredible, I recommend them to anyone - the caps feel like porcelain, so smooth and solid, they are double shot injected, and the best key caps I've felt.  The LEDs are the highest quality, each individual key has a very solid LED light, with a very good internal design which makes them the brightest I've seen.  Very basic looks and simple, and around 160$ are among the higher priced boards, but you get what you pay for IMO.

Lots of reviews on YT, if you're looking for a new or better keyboard, if you can't find a sub 200 to 300$ IBM "M", and want a newer gamer style board, Ducky Shine 5 is the one for you.

[Chalenge]

I still have three IBM type "M" keyboards in good repair. No Windows key. Love it.

[zack1234]

I'm just considering about getting myself a christmas present from ebay...

What can I have?

[Gman]

Bit of a necro bump, but I've picked up a lot more mechanical keyboards in the last few years, and as predicted in the OP, every company + their dog's company is making them now.  Making them in every varying type too, it's great.  Logitech and Razer have invented their own switches, and there are several besides Cherry out there with varying costs and performance now too.

I know HT (others too as per the thread) are big users of the original IBM M, and the several I have are still my favorite, incredible how the "they don't make em like they used to" phrase still holds true many times, especially in the case of keyboards.  Keyboards took a while to get the "sexyness" of other peripherals like gaming mice, LCDs, graphics cards, HOTAS, and everything else, but they did catch up.  Considering we use the KB more than anything else, it should.

Ducky Shine 6 - I picked up a Ducky 5 in Brown and Blue last year, and grabbed a 6 in Cherry MX Brown this time around. I've gotten sick of Blues lately, and Brown is my new preferred type.  Great KB for the money.

DasKeyboard - not a gaming keyboard, but a great desktop/typist KB, very happy with this one and I'll be keeping it.

Cooler Master Masterkey Pro Tenkeyless RGB - great home theater keyboard, it's small, and has great keycaps, nearly as good as the Ducky double shot injected keycaps.

Last one, I've been picking off mech KB I like when I see them on sale, and my first Gskill has been great, the 780 RGB in Cherry Brown for $100 USD.  It has a metal top plate, decent, yet slowish software, a great wrist rest if you use them, and a metal rolling volume switch.  Use it a a HTPC keyboard too, the side metal bars/handles make it easy to pick up and move around, and the USB passthrough works OK if I'm not using a wireless mouse in the HTPC room I have it in.

Lastly, the Unicomp IBM buckling spring clones are excellent, and have gone down in price, for $85 you can get a black IBM M "clone" with USB from these guys who bought the rights to the IBM buckling spring design.  SO close to the originals, just not quite as perfect, but very close, and for the $, if you don't want RGB or gaming doodads, IMO the best keyboard available for the PC, period.

http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/UB40P4A



Some cool options for keycaps out there, many vintage and steam punk type caps out there compatible with Cherry switches, I'm going to build a KB with these this fall some time.

https://www.amazon.com/Velocifire-Mechanical-Typewriter-Illuminated-Anti-ghosting/dp/B073GXFS7Q/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1505695635&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=typewriter+keycaps&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Backlight-Steampunk-Typewriter-Qisan/dp/B0719KZTF3/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1505695635&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=typewriter+keycaps&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/E-Element-Injection-Typewriter-Mechanical-Keyboards/dp/B06Y2B926N/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1505695635&sr=8-5&keywords=typewriter+keycaps

[Snork]

I bought a Razer Ultimate Blackwidow some time ago and like it just fine other than the fact the secondary characters (!@#$, etc,) are just painted on, not cut through so the back lighting would work. It is a bit frustrating when wanting a symbol or parenthesis and have to turn on a light to see the keys for them.

[Skuzzy]

Been using a daskeyboard, at home, for a few years now.

I have two changes I would like to see.

1)  The key side to side play is more than I like.  Large keys rock a little because of it.

2)  The key lettering is painted on and is wearing thin on some of the keys.  Would like to see the letters molded in.

Other than that, great feel, good tactile response.  A really good touch typist keyboard.

[Gman]

My Cherry Blue Das has a bit of wobble in the keys too, this is a really common complaint.  I'm going to try some custom key caps on it, there are a bunch out there which fit Cherry MX switches, and see of that does anything as they may have tighter internal measurements where they attach to the switch I'm hoping.  I ordered these rounded old school typewriter style keys that are double injected and highly rated.  We'll see. 

Picked up another IBM M (Lexmark model) that is 99% for 65$ on Ebay this week.  For me they're still the best instrument for a lot of typing ever made.

I'm going to try one of the new analogue keyboards that have come out, one of the "Wooting One" models.  They only make them in Tenkeyless  form, something I'm not a huge fan of as I habitually use the keypad, plus gaming of course, it can really screw with you in some types of games not having it.  I'm interested in seeing how the Flaretech switches work, and the Wooting comes with 2 full sets of Red and Blue keys.

Skuzzy - does HTC have any interest in the capability of these new analogue keyboards?  Wooting is probably the first decent one I've seen, and they are keen to send out kits to developers from the info exchanges I've had and read, nobody better than HTC to create stuff with the analogue capabilities.  Just throttle even would be interesting, increasing as you push a key further down, and that's just the first thing I could think of, and new ideas aren't my forte.  After what you guys did with the Rift, Vive too, Wooting I'm certain would want your help.  I do hope their 2.0 goes to a full size keyboard, and rumor has it they are offering that option next model.

[zack1234]

Corsiar mechanical keyboard is ok