Realforce

Topre Realforce
Manufacturer	Topre
Layouts	US 104 ANSI...
Keyswitches	Topre
Price	$200–300

Realforce (typeset REALFORCE) is a brand of keyboard produced by Topre since 2001. Topre have been making capacitive switch keyboards since 1983 for various companies in fields such as banking, broadcasting and data entry. Realforce is their first keyboard targeted at general consumers.

History

Topre introduced their Realforce line of keyboards in Japan with the Realforce 106 (Model LA0100), released in June, 2001 for a price of 16,800 yen. At the time, they were producing 500 of these keyboards per month. The first tenkeyless board introduced was the Realforce 89 (Model ND0100). These early keyboards both had PS/2 connectors and were in Japanese JIS layout.

Other noteworthy milestones include their first US ANSI layout keyboard, the Realforce 101 (Model ML0100) released in April, 2003 and their first USB keyboard, the Realforce 89U (Model NF0100) released in December, 2003. Korean Realforce keyboards in ANSI layout with Hangul printed characters were likely introduced around 2007, although there are some Hangul keyboards without confirmed release dates. The first ISO layout keyboard was probably the Realforce 105UFW (Model WE1100), a Finnish layout keyboard released in December, 2009. The standalone Realforce 23U and 23UB numpads were released in August, 2009. The 23UB has since been discontinued and Topre have no current plans to make them again.

In September, 2011, Topre celebrated their 10th Anniversary by releasing a line of 87U keyboards in Korea.

In August, 2012, Topre announced that they would be ceasing production and sale of a number of full size keyboards, including the Realforce 106, 101, 103U and 103UB as they have been largely superseded by the 104U, 104UB and 108U keyboards.

In April, 2013, Topre released their first ‘Hi-Pro’ Realforce keyboards. Previously only available on OEM keyboards made for the data input industry, Topre’s high profile (Hi-Pro) spherical keycaps are noted for their reduced hand travel away from the home row and their cupped keycaps reduce the chance of finger slips .

First logo

Second logo

Third (current) logo

Logo

Topre have used three different logos on their Realforce keyboards. The first one was a very simple blue italicised logo in title case, possibly in Bookmania Black font. The second logo was all grey and upper case with a strike-through effect and the words separated, in a font that is similar to Miedinger Medium or Bold. The second logo also introduced the Latin capital letter turned ‘V’ (Ʌ) in place of the ‘A’. Their third and current logo is white, upper case, and has the turned ‘V’ in red protruding slightly above the rest of the word. This logo appears to be Cincinnatus font.

Design Details

General Construction

The Realforce keyboard design has remained largely unchanged since it was first introduced, and in fact some elements of the Realforce keyboard remain almost the same as Topre keyboards made as far back as 1987. The case is made of ABS plastic and, in the tenkeyless and full size models, is held shut without the assistance of screws. The Realforce numpads do have screws along the top edge holding the enclosure shut.

There are two height-adjustable feet on top edge of the keyboard, and rubber feet on the front edge. On some models, there are four rubber feet arranged in such a way so that if the height-adjustable feet are deployed, two feet will still be in contact with the desk surface. The main internal components consist of the PCB, metal mounting plate (sometimes painted), Topre switches, and connector cable (with ferrite bead inside the case). The cable is fixed internally via a removal 4-pin connector, generally in the top-right corner with the ground wire attached to the mounting plate.

Internal routing channels run the cable to the centre of the keyboard where it can then be routed externally to the left or right of the keyboard as desired. On some models (mostly tenkeyless variants) there are DIP switches for controlling various functions which can include switching the left Ctrl and Caps Lock keys, enabling/disabling an embedded numeric keypad, enabling/disabling the Windows key and enabling/disabling the Firmware update mode. Some full sized models also have DIP switches which can only be accessed by opening the case. LED indicators for Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock are present in the top-right corner of full sized keyboards, and on the keycaps themselves on many of the tenkeyless models.

Keycaps

Realforce keycaps are made of PBT plastic; however, the longer spacebar which is present on ANSI keyboards is made of ABS plastic which has drawn some criticism from the community. According to Topre, ABS plastic was used for the spacebar because of difficulty in estimating shrink rates on PBT plastic resulting in warped spacebars. PBT plastic is generally more resistant to visible wear and retains its finish longer than ABS plastic. This is a problem for the spacebar on ANSI keyboards, which can develop a shiny patch where the finger or thumb hits the key. The use of ABS for the spacebar was especially noticeable on coloured keycap sets released by Topre in 2011 because of the difficulty in closely matching the colour of ABS and PBT plastic which, in general, is difficult to notice on a black or white set of keycaps.

Topre use two printing methods for the legends on their Realforce keycaps. The first, and more popular method, is dye-sublimation and the second is laser engraving. They have also released some models with blank or otaku style keycaps. Dye-sublimation is used on both their black and white keycaps. Topre’s black keycaps are not completely black which means that the black ink from the dye-sublimation process can still be seen, although it can be difficult to see in low-light conditions and people who have trouble touch typing should be aware of this. Laser engraving is only used on their black keyboards. The gold colour is achieved as a direct result of the laser engraving process, and no colour or coating is applied afterwards. Topre’s laser engraving is not as durable as their dye-sublimation and perhaps for that reason, it is not as popular; even on their black keyboards. One of Topre’s OEM keyboards was even released with replacement laser engraving keycaps for high-frequency used keys.

Although subtle, Topre use two font sizes for their printed legends. The smaller size was used on some of their older keyboards and keyboards that have two language character sets (e.g. English + Hiragana or English + Hangul). The easiest way to tell is to observe the distance between the top of the keycap and the top of the printed legend. The larger font will be much closer to the top edge of the keycap than the small font.

Keycaps can be removed easily with most standard keycap pullers with perhaps the only exception being some plastic ring-pull varieties which can be difficult to attach to the keycap. Some Realforce keyboards come with a Topre keycap puller which is not particularly ideal for larger cap removal and should be used with caution as it has been known to slip off and scratch the keycap during removal attempts. Home row indicators on the ‘F’ and ‘J’ keys are the homing bar design.

Key Weight

Key weight refers to the amount of force required to actuate a key and register a key press on the keyboard. The Realforce keyboard was the first Topre-made keyboard to feature “variable weight” switches. What this means is that keys that are supposed to be pressed with the pinkie/ring fingers, such as ‘1’, ‘Q’, ‘A’ and ‘Z’ on the left and ‘9’, ‘O’, ‘L’, ‘.’ on the right, require less force to actuate than the keys in-between. This is advertised as being a more ergonomic design intended to allow longer typing sessions without fatigue.

There is some debate about whether or not Topre’s diagram representing the variable force weight distribution is correct. Community measurements have indicated that modern variable force Realforce keyboards actually have three distinct weight levels of 45 grams, 40 grams and 35 grams (excluding the ‘Esc’ key, which is sometimes weighted as 55 grams). It has been noted that earlier Realforce keyboards such as the 86U have only two distinct force levels and that the lightest weight on the 86U is actually 30 grams, not 35 grams. The original Realforce 106 also had 45 grams and 30 grams weighting as mentioned in Hyakkei PC (パソコン百景) monthly Vol.27, dated February, 2003. It’s possible that Topre’s suggested weight distribution diagram was simply not updated when they updated the Realforce keyboards to have three weight levels. Realforce keyboards with uniformly weighted keys are also made in 30 grams, 45 grams and 55 grams configurations. Uniformly weighted configurations are perhaps more popular with gamers because the popular ‘WASD’ cluster is not made up of differently weighted keys like it is on a variable keyboard.

Tenkeyless Variants

Realforce ANSI – 86U and 87U

Features of the Realforce 87U keyboard

The Realforce 86U was first introduced in August, 2008 as the 86U (Model SE0500). The 86U line of keyboard had DIP switches, but did not have LED indicators on the Caps Lock or Scroll Lock keys. It also does not have an embedded numpad like the 87U. Perhaps the most popular Realforce keyboard in the western world is the 87U line. They are similar to the 86U, but with some extra features such as an embedded numpad which is activated with the Num Lock key (shared with Scroll Lock), an extra Windows key on the right, between the Alt and Menu keys, and different variable force weighting. Both the 86U and 87U keyboards have been sold with replacement keycaps for Ctrl and Caps Lock, with the 87U having LED windowed versions for both keycaps. Some 87U keyboards also come with lavender keycap replacements for the WASD cluster.

Realforce ISO – 88U

Functionally similar to the Realforce 86U. The 88U does not have an embedded numpad or LED indicators, but it does have the 35 gram and 45 gram weighting of modern 87U keyboards, unlike the 86U. The 88U is unique in that it is probably the Realforce that has been localised for more countries than any other Realforce keyboard. Versions exist in UK, German, French and Swedish/Finnish layout. The popular 87U by comparison only exists in US or Korean languages.

Realforce JIS – 89, 89U, 91, 91U

The 89, 89U, 91 and 91U are the Japanese versions of the Realforce tenkeyless keyboard. The 89 is unique among the tenkeyless Realforce models in that it is the only keyboard that comes in uniform 30 grams weighting. The 89 and 89U are also the only tenkeyless models that don’t have any Windows keys. The 89 and 91 are the only variants that have models with PS/2 connectors. The 91U also has the distinction of being the only tenkeyless Realforce variant with a blank (otaku-style) model. A limited edition 89 (Model ND31BS) was used for the 10th anniversary of Realforce in Japan, although it was actually released in 2012, about 6 months after the 87U 10th anniversary keyboards.

Full Size Variants

Realforce ANSI – 101, 103U, 104U and 106U

A Realforce 101 with old style Blue 'Realforce' logo

The 101, 103U, 104U and 106U make up Topre’s line of ANSI layout Realforce keyboards. The 101 is basically a copy of the IBM Enhanced Keyboard layout. It probably has the same 30 grams / 45 grams weighting as the 86U. The 103U adds a single Windows key between Ctrl and Alt on the left, and a Menu key on the right between Alt and Ctrl. The 103U is also the only known Realforce model that has Chinese Zhuyin characters. The 104U is perhaps the most popular full sized Realforce keyboard in the west. Unlike the 101 and 103U, it exists in popular uniform 45 grams weighting. The 104U, along with the 106U, are the only full size ANSI Realforce variants with models that have DIP switches. The 104U is also the only Realforce variant that has models with high profile spherical keycaps. The 106U, not to be confused with the JIS layout 106, is an ANSI keyboard produced for the Korean market. The addition of the left 한자 (Chinese character) and right한/영 (Korean-English) keys is the only layout difference between the 106U and 104U keyboard. The 106U is the only known full size ANSI keyboard with a red mounting plate.

Realforce ISO – 105U

The Realforce 105U, like the 88U, is the Realforce intended for the European market. It comes in the same localised versions as the 88U, with the exception being that there are separate keyboards for Swedish and Finnish layouts.

Realforce JIS – 106, 106U and 108U

The 106, 106U and 108U are the Japanese full size Realforce variants. The 108U adds a Windows key and a Menu key. Modern 108U keyboards (as well as the modern 89/91U tenkeyless boards) replace the 無変換 (Muhenkan), 変換 (Henkan) and カタカナ/ひらがな (Katakana/Hiragana) with much simpler circular legends for the Muhenkan and Henkan keys and a ‘KANA’ key for Hiragana/Katakana. A simple ‘E / J’ key takes the place of 半角/全角 (Zenkaku/Hankaku) on these keyboards, too. Interestingly, there are quite a few Japanese full size keyboards that employ uniform 30 grams switches. There are currently seven known uniform 30 grams full size JIS Realforce models, compared to only one available in ANSI layout, and no option for ISO users. The only known 45 grams silenced Realforce keyboard is also a full size JIS model.

Number Pads

The Realforce 23UB numpad (discontinued)

Realforce 23U

The Realforce 23U is a standalone USB numpad introduced in August, 2009 with two models. Both models have the same features and design, the only difference being the colour. They have functions that would make them suitable in an accounting/banking environment and also include DIP switches. DIP switch 1 alters the Tab, BS, Shift and = keys to the function printed on the front of the keycap. DIP switch 2 changes the 00 key to 000, DIP switch 3 links/unlinks the Num Lock key to an already connected numpad. DIP switch 4 controls the Normal operation and Setting prohibited modes. The black 23UB model is no longer available and Topre have no plans to start making them again.

Realpoint

Realpoint refers to a series of Topre made keyboards that have integrated pointing sticks and mouse buttons. They appear in a PDF document dated December 2000 showcasing three models. Two models are compact, short throw style keyboards and the third appears to be a modified Realforce 106 or FD0100. No real life images of a Realpoint board are known to exist and no further information is known about these boards other than that which appears in the PDF; for this reason they can be considered extremely rare.

Realforce Model Reference

Full size

Topre Model Number	Model Name	Connector	Number of Keys	Layout	Windows Keys	Key Weight	Key Labelling	Alt. Labelling	Label Size	Enclosure Colour	LED Colour	DIP Switches	Release Date	Availability
ML0100	101	PS/2	101	ANSI	No	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	White	Yellow green	No	2003/04	Available Japan
ML01K0	101W	PS/2	101	ANSI	No	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	White	Yellow green	No	2007/01	Not Readily Available
ML11K0	101B	PS/2	101	ANSI	No	Variable Force	Laser	Hangul	Small	Black	Yellow green	No	2007/01	Not Readily Available
SE0200	103U	USB	103	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	White	Blue	No	2009/06	Available Japan
SE02B0	103UB	USB	103	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2009/06	Available Japan
SE02C0	103UB	USB	103	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 55g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	?	Not Readily Available
SE1200	103U-UW	USB	103	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	White	Blue	No	2008/05	Not Readily Available
SE12B0	103U-UB	USB	103	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2008/05	Not Readily Available
SE3200	103UKW	USB	103	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	White	Blue	No	2008/07	Not Readily Available
SE32B0	103UKB	USB	103	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Black	Blue	No	2008/07	Not Readily Available
SE4200	103U	USB	103	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Zhuyin	Small	White	Blue	No	?	Available China
SE42B0	103UB	USB	103	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Zhuyin	Small	Black	Blue	No	?	Not Readily Available
?	?	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Black	Blue?	No	?	Available Korea
XF0100	104UW	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	White	?	Yes	2010/08	Available Japan
XF01B0	104UB	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	?	Yes	2010/08	Available Japan
XF01K0	104UKW	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	White	Blue	No	?	Available Korea
XF01T0	104U	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	White	Blue	No	?	Available US Europe Japan
XF11K0	104UKB	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 55g	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Black	Blue	No	2012/?	Available Korea
XF11T0	104UB	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Blue	No	?	Available US Europe Japan
XF14K0	104U-KB45	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Black	Blue	?	?	Not Readily Available
YG1100	104 Pro	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Red	No	2011/12	Available China
YG1200	104 Pro	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Red	No	2011/12	Available China
YG1300	104 Pro	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 30g	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Red	No	2011/12	Not Readily Available
YK11K0	104UK Hi-Pro	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	White	Blue	No	2013/04	Available Korea
YK2100	104UG Hi-Pro	USB	104	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2013/04	Available US Korea
WE1100	105UFW	USB	105	ISO	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	White	Blue	No	2009/12	Available N. Europe
WE11B0	105UFB	USB	105	ISO	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2009/12	Available N. Europe
WE21B0	105UB	USB	105	ISO	Yes	Variable Force	Laser	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2010/11	Available Europe
WE31B0	105UB	USB	105	ISO	Yes	Variable Force	Laser	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2010/11	Available Europe
WE41B0	105UB	USB	105	ISO	Yes	Variable Force	Laser	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2010/11	Available Europe
WE51B0	105UB	USB	105	ISO	Yes	Variable Force	Laser	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2010/11	Available Europe
LA0100	106	PS/2	106	JIS	No	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hiragana	Small	White	Yellow-green	No	2001/07	Not Readily Available
LA0200	106S	PS/2	106	JIS	No	Uniform 30g	Sublimation	Hiragana	Small	White	Yellow-green	No	2003/01	Not Readily Available
PJ0800	106UB	USB	106	JIS	No	Variable Force	Laser	Hiragana	Small	Black	Blue	No	2004/12	Not Readily Available
XD01KS	106U-KW	USB	106	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force (Silenced)	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	White	Red	Yes	?	Available Korea
XD11KS	106U-KB	USB	106	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force (Silenced)	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Black	Red	Yes	?	Available Korea
XD14K0	106U-KB45	USB	106	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Black	Red	?	?	Not Readily Available
SA0100	108UH	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	Hiragana	Small	White	Blue	No	2007/04	Available Japan
SA010S	108UH-S	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 45g (Silenced)	Sublimation	Hiragana	Small	White	Blue	No	2011/04	Available Japan
SJ08B0	108UBK	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Variable Force	Laser	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2008/01	Available Japan
SJ08N0	108UBK	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Variable Force	Blank	N/A	N/A	Black	?	No	2009/11	Not Readily Available
SJ38B0	108UBK	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 30g	Laser	No	Small	Black	?	No	2009/11	Not Readily Available
SJ38C0	108UDK	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 30g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2010/04	Available Japan
SJ38D0	108US	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 30g	Sublimation	Hiragana	Small	White	Blue	No	2010/08	Available Japan
SJ58B0	108UBK	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 55g	Laser	No	Small	Black	?	No	2009/11	Not Readily Available
XE0100	108U-A	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	White	?	Yes	2010/08	Available Japan
XE01B0	108UD-A	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	?	Yes	2010/08	Available Japan
XE01L0	108UB-A	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Variable Force	Laser	No	Small	Black	?	Yes	2010/08	Available Japan
XE3100	108U-A	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 30g	Sublimation	No	Small	White	?	Yes	2010/08	Available Japan
XE31B0	108UD-A	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 30g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	Blue	Yes	2010/08	Available Japan
XE31L0	108UB-A	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 30g	Laser	No	Small	Black	?	Yes	2010/08	Available Japan
YK0100	108UG-HiPro	USB	108	JIS	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	Blue	No	2012/09	Available Japan

Tenkeyless

Topre Model Number	Model Name	Connector	Number of Keys	Layout	Windows Keys	Key Weight	Key Labelling	Alt. Labelling	Label Size	Enclosure Colour	LED Colour	DIP Switches	Release Date	Availability
SE0500	86U	USB	86	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	White	None	Yes	2008/08	Available Japan
SE05C0	86UB	USB	86	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	None	Yes	?	Available Japan
SE05D0	86UB-45	USB	86	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	None	Yes	?	Available China
SE05K0	86UKB	USB	86	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Black	None	Yes	2008/04	Not Readily Available
SE05T0	86UTW	USB	86	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	?	?	White	None	Yes	2009/03 ?	Not Readily Available
SE15K0	86UKW	USB	86	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	White	None	Yes	2008/04	Not Readily Available
SE0700	87UW	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	White	Blue	Yes	2009/03	Available US
SE070S	87UW Low Noise	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force (Silenced)	Sublimation	No	Large	White	Blue	Yes	2010/03	Available US Japan
SE07EWS	87UWS-EK? Low Noise	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force (Silenced)	Sublimation	No	Large	White	Blue	Yes	?	Available US
SE07EWV	87UWV-EK	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	White	Blue	Yes	?	Available US
SE07K0	87UKW	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	White	Blue	Yes	2009/03	Limited Availability
SE07T0	87UW	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	White	?	Yes	?	Available Europe
SE0800	87UW	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 55g	Sublimation	No	Large	White	Blue	Yes	2011/07	Available US
SE08K0	87UKW55	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 55g	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	White	Blue	Yes	2009/03	Available Korea
SE0900	87UW	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Large	White	Blue	Yes	2011/07	Available US
SE1700	87UB	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Blue	Yes	2009/03	Available US Japan
SE170S	87UB Low Noise	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force (Silenced)	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Blue	Yes	2010/03	Available US Japan
SE17K0	87UKB	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Black	Blue	Yes	2009/03	Limited Availability
SE17T0	87UB	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Blue	Yes	?	Available Europe
SE1800	87UB	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 55g	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Blue	Yes	2009/03	Not Readily Available
SE18K0	87UKB55	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 55g	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Black	Blue	Yes	2009/03	Available Korea
SE1900	87UB	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Blue	Yes	2011/07	Available US
SE19E0	87UB-EK45	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Large	Black	Red	Yes	2012/05	Available US
YF1100	87UD-10th	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Large	Dark Grey	Red	Yes	?	Available Korea
YF110S	87USD-10th Low Noise	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force (Silenced)	Sublimation	No	Large	Dark Grey	Red	Yes	?	Available Korea
YF11K0	?	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Dark Grey	Red	Yes	?	Available Korea
YF11KS	? Low Noise	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Variable Force (Silenced)	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Dark Grey	Red	Yes	?	Available Korea
YF1200	87UD55-10th	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 55g	Sublimation	No	Large	Dark Grey	Red	Yes	?	Available Korea
YF12K0	87UKD55-10th	USB	87	ANSI	Yes	Uniform 55g	Sublimation	Hangul	Small	Dark Grey	Red	Yes	?	Available Korea
YA11B0	88UB	USB	88	ISO	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	Blue	?	2011/01	Available N. Europe
YA21B0	88UB	USB	88	ISO	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	None	No	2011/07	Available Europe
YA31B0	88UB	USB	88	ISO	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	None	No	2011/07	Available Europe
YA41B0	88UB	USB	88	ISO	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	None	No	2011/07	Available Europe
YA51B0	88UB	USB	88	ISO	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	None	No	2011/07	Available Europe
ND0100	89	PS/2	89	JIS	No	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hiragana	Small	White	None	No	2003/10	Not Readily Available
ND31BS	89S-10th Low Noise	PS/2	89	JIS	No	Uniform 30g (Silenced)	Sublimation	No	Small	Dark Grey	None	No	2012/03	Available Japan
ND31BS-DB	89S-10th ダークブラッド (Dark Blood)	PS/2	89	JIS	No	Uniform 30g (Silenced)	Sublimation	No	Small	Dark Grey	None	No	2013/03	Available Japan
ND31BS-FW	89S-10th フォーセイクンワールド (Forsaken World)	PS/2	89	JIS	No	Uniform 30g (Silenced)	Sublimation	No	Small	Dark Grey	None	No	2013/03	Available Japan
ND31BS-PW	89S-10th パーフェクトワールド-完美世界- (Perfect World)	PS/2	89	JIS	No	Uniform 30g (Silenced)	Sublimation	No	Small	Dark Grey	None	No	2013/03	Available Japan
NF0100	89U	USB	89	JIS	No	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hiragana	Small	White	None	Yes	2003/12	Not Readily Available
NF01B0	89UB	USB	89	JIS	No	Variable Force	Laser	Hiragana	Small	Black	None	Yes	2007/02	Not Readily Available
NE0100	91	PS/2	91	JIS	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hiragana	Small	White	None	No	2004/08	Not Readily Available
NG0100	91U	USB	91	JIS	Yes	Variable Force	Sublimation	Hiragana	Small	White	None	No	2004/08	Available Japan
NG01B0	91UBK	USB	91	JIS	Yes	Variable Force	Laser	No	Small	Black	None	No	2005/12	Available Japan
NG01BS	91UBK-S Low Noise	USB	91	JIS	Yes	Variable Force (Silenced)	Laser	No	Small	Black	None	?	2010/08	Available Japan
NG01N0	91UBK	USB	91	JIS	Yes	Variable Force (Silenced)	Blank	N/A	N/A	Black	None	?	2009/11	Not Readily Available
NG02B0	91UDK-G	USB	91	JIS	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	None	Yes	2008/11	Available Japan
NG02Y0	91UBY	USB	91	JIS	Yes	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	No	Small	Black	None	Yes	2009/10	Not Readily Available
NG51B0	91UBK	USB	91	JIS	Yes	Uniform 55g	Laser	No	Small	Black	None	Yes	2009/11	Available Japan

Numpads

Topre Model Number	Model Name	Connector	Number of Keys	Key Weight	Key Labelling	Enclosure Colour	LED Colour	DIP Switches	Release Date	Availability
WC0100	23U	USB	23	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	White	Blue	Yes	2009/08	Available US Japan
WC01B0	23UB	USB	23	Uniform 45g	Sublimation	Black	Blue	Yes	2009/08	Not Readily Available

Topre Keycap Set Reference

Full Sets

Topre Model Number	Key Labelling	Colour	Compatibility	Contents	Availability
PD-KB400KTB	Sublimation	Black	All ANSI HHKB Pro	60 Keys [ANSI], Keypuller	Available Japan US
PD-KB400KTBN	Blank	Black	All ANSI HHKB Pro	60 Keys [ANSI], Keypuller	Available Japan US
PD-KB400KTW	Sublimation	White	All ANSI HHKB Pro	60 Keys [ANSI], Keypuller	Available Japan US
PD-KB400KTWN	Blank	White	All ANSI HHKB Pro	60 Keys [ANSI], Keypuller	Available Japan US
PD-KB420KTB	Sublimation	Black	All JIS HHKB Pro	69 Keys [ANSI], Keypuller	Available Japan
PD-KB420KTW	Sublimation	White	All JIS HHKB Pro	69 Keys [ANSI], Keypuller	Available Japan
SA0100KT1	Sublimation	White	Realforce 89/91/106/108	108 Keys [JIS]	Available Japan
SA0100KT2	Sublimation	Blue	Realforce 89/91/106/108	108 Keys [JIS]	Available Japan
SA0100KT3	Sublimation	Red	Realforce 89/91/106/108	108 Keys [JIS]	Available Japan
SA0100KT4	Sublimation	Yellow	Realforce 89/91/106/108	108 Keys [JIS]	Available Japan
SA0100KT5	Sublimation	Orange	Realforce 89/91/106/108	108 Keys [JIS]	Available Japan
SE09E0-KTF1	Sublimation	Pink (Cherry Blossom)	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US Korea
SE09E0-KTF1N	Blank	Pink (Cherry Blossom)	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US
XF0100KT1	Sublimation	White	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available Korea
XF0100KT11	Sublimation	Lime	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available Korea
XF0100KT11N	Blank	Lime	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Not Readily Available
XF0100KT1N	Blank	White	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US
XF0100KT2	Sublimation	Blue	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US Korea
XF0100KT2N	Blank	Blue	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US
XF0100KT3	Sublimation	Red	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available Korea
XF0100KT3N	Blank	Red	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US
XF0100KT4	Sublimation	Yellow	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US Korea
XF0100KT4N	Blank	Yellow	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US
XF0100KT5	Sublimation	Orange	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US Korea
XF0100KT5N	Blank	Orange	Realforce 87/104	107 Keys [ANSI]	Available US

Partial Sets

Topre Model Number	Key Labelling	Colour	Compatibility	Contents	Availability
HH-REDARROW	Sublimation	Red	All Realforce	Arrow Keys - 1xUp, 1xDown, 1xLeft, 1xRight	Available US Korea
HH-REDWASD	Sublimation	Red	All Realforce, All HHKB Pro	1xW, 1xA, 1xS, 1xD [Arrows on Front]	Available US Korea
HH-WASD	Sublimation	Lavender	All Realforce, All HHKB Pro	1xW, 1xA, 1xS, 1xD [Arrows on Front]	Available US Korea
HH-WASDN	Sublimation	Lavender	All Realforce, All HHKB Pro	Arrow Keys - 1xUp, 1xDown, 1xLeft, 1xRight [Arrows on Front]	Available US Korea
TMOD-GRN	Sublimation	Green	Realforce 86/87/103/104	2xAlt, 2xCtrl, 2xShift	Available US Korea
TMOD-LAV	Sublimation	Lavender	Realforce 86/87/103/104	2xAlt, 2xCtrl, 2xShift	Available US Korea
TMOD-ORG	Sublimation	Orange	Realforce 86/87/103/104	2xAlt, 2xCtrl, 2xShift	Available US Korea
TMOD-YEL	Sublimation	Yellow	Realforce 86/87/103/104	2xAlt, 2xCtrl, 2xShift	Available US Korea
TWASD-GRN	Sublimation	Green	All Realforce, All HHKB Pro	1xW, 1xA, 1xS, 1xD	Available US Korea
TWASD-LAV?	Sublimation	Lavender	All Realforce, All HHKB Pro	1xW, 1xA, 1xS, 1xD	Available Korea
TWASD-ORG	Sublimation	Orange	All Realforce, All HHKB Pro	1xW, 1xA, 1xS, 1xD	Available US Korea
TWASD-YEL	Sublimation	Yellow	All Realforce, All HHKB Pro	1xW, 1xA, 1xS, 1xD	Available US Korea
?	Sublimation Hangul	Black	Realforce 86/87/103/104	A-Z, 1xRight Ctrl, 1xRight Alt, 1xPipe/Backslash	Available Korea
?	Sublimation Hangul	White	Realforce 86/87/103/104	A-Z, 1xRight Ctrl, 1xRight Alt, 1xPipe/Backslash	Available Korea

Single Keys

Topre Model Number	Key Labelling	Colour	Compatibility	Contents	Availability
HH-REDESC	Sublimation	Red	All Realforce, All HHKB Pro	1xEsc	Available US Korea
HH-REDESCN	Blank	Red	All Realforce, All HHKB Pro	1xEsc	Available US
TENTER-GRN	Sublimation	Green	All ANSI Realforce, All ANSI HHKB Pro	1xEnter	Available US
TENTER-LAV	Sublimation	Lavender	All ANSI Realforce, All ANSI HHKB Pro	1xEnter	Available US
TENTER-ORG	Sublimation	Orange	All ANSI Realforce, All ANSI HHKB Pro	1xEnter	Available US
TENTER-YEL	Sublimation	Yellow	All ANSI Realforce, All ANSI HHKB Pro	1xEnter	Available US

Topre OEM Keyboards

Topre also make keyboards that are not marketed under the 'Realforce' brand.

List of Topre OEM Keyboards

Manufacturing Dates

Unfortunately, Topre do not seem to provide a date of assembly anywhere on their keyboards. What they do provide though are manufacturing dates on the PCB and switch mounting plate. These date stickers are located on the back of the PCB and on the front of the mounting plate. This means that it's easy to pop the case off and have a look without having to undo any screws, with the exception of some Topre OEM keyboards and the Realforce numpads which have a few screws holding the enclosure shut.

The red highlighted areas on the images below indicate the date section. The format is Y MM DD #### (Year, Month, Day, 4 Digit Number). The fourth number most likely indicates the order that the PCB/Mounting plate came off the assembly line. The example images below were both taken from the EDIUS III Keyboard and have the same '0060' number, but in many cases, the PCB and Mounting plate numbers will differ even on the same board.

It's unfortunate that Topre only use a single digit for the year as it makes it a nuisance to identify, but in most cases it's pretty obvious, especially with Realforce branded keyboards as they were only manufactured after 2000. Recently released Realforce keyboards generally have well documented release dates anyway so it shouldn't be too difficult to identify the year.

• 

  PCB Sticker. 23rd of November, 2010

• 

  Mounting Plate Sticker. 29th of November, 2010