Realforce 91UBK worth it?

[LambdaCore]

I saw an extremely cheap realforce board and I'm curious if it's worth picking up? I've been meaning to try Topre for awhile but was discouraged by the high price, but for the substantially cheaper price I saw an offer for I'm considering it? I'm aware they're just souped up rubber dome boards, at the same time I've heard a lot of praise so I wonder if they're worth trying. For the record I'm both a heavy typist and play a lot of video games, though I've made do with 2KRO for the vast majority of my life, in fact I still mainly use my focus and laser boards for gaming so that is not an issue!

[JCMax]

I recently just bought an HHKB after asking the same question (about Topre Silent).

And I have to say it was definitely worth it! I don't regret it. I think I might prefer it to my New Model M. They are rubber domes, but they feel unlike any rubber dome I've tried. They are one of the ONLY rubber domes that give buckling springs a run for their money (IMHO of course).

If you can get it cheap, give Topre a chance. Hell, I like this thing so much I think it earned the higher price point.

[LambdaCore]

I recently just bought an HHKB after asking the same question (about Topre Silent).

And I have to say it was definitely worth it! I don't regret it. I think I might prefer it to my New Model M. They are rubber domes, but they feel unlike any rubber dome I've tried. They are one of the ONLY rubber domes that give buckling springs a run for their money (IMHO of course).

If you can get it cheap, give Topre a chance. Hell, I like this thing so much I think it earned the higher price point.

I hope it lives up! The one I'm looking at is a variable weight, which I don't personally like the sound of but I've heard it's possible to cut the rubber domes out of the sheet and customize the weighting yourself, I'll probably try and unify all the alphabetic keys and anything I use for gaming, and use the lighter weights on things like the nav cluster and things outta the way, while putting heavy weights on things I absolutely do not want to accidentally actuate like windows keys and certain f keys

[Muirium]

I'm aware they're just souped up rubber dome boards

In the sense that we humans are just souped up squirrels, yes.

Spoiler:

The problem you're going to have with this Realforce is in the "91" part of its name. You seriously think JIS isn't going to trip you up?

[ironicmoustache]

I'm not sure I'd recommend a JIS board for any sort of heavy typing/writing, mainly because Shift+7 for the apostrophe is awkward as fuck. Sure I just about learned to get used to it with my PC98 board, but it felt like such a waste of energy. I gladly paid the $40 or so for one of Hasu's converters once I realised that he had them.

But hey, if it's cheap and you don't mind the risk of it turning into some sort of gateway drug into Topre obsession...

[Muirium]

I'd kinda like a 30g JIS Realforce, actually. Mainly for the weighting, but I could live with JIS. I've got Karabiner to mod the living shit out of it!

But yeah, if you're the kind of person who likes to trust the legends on your keyboard, and you don't type in Japanese, JIS is going to be an uphill climb that lasts as long as you can take it.

[ironicmoustache]

Funnily enough, I have a 30g LA0200 on the way from Japan. Figured I might as well add a 30g to the collection now that I'm once again vaguely Topre-obsessed.

[Muirium]

How much was it?

I've no excuse really. But, you know… <looks around, sees knowing nods>

[ironicmoustache]

$60ish not including shipping. Probably $80 overall? I'm shipping a few other boards back and intentionally not doing a per-board breakdown for perhaps obvious reasons...

It's stupid, I probably won't use it, and I would much rather have an ML0100, but hey.

[Muirium]

Not bad. Not great reasoning either, but you are among friends here.

[ironicmoustache]

Haha "not great reasoning" is pretty much this entire box of stuff from Japan!

For real though, I'm genuinely quite curious about 30g Topre. I've rediscovered the joys of 45g Topre and can't help but wonder how 30g feels. Will find out soon!

[LambdaCore]

The problem you're going to have with this Realforce is in the "91" part of its name. You seriously think JIS isn't going to trip you up?

I've actually used a JIS keyboard in the past and it didn't mess with me as much as I thought initially, since the tiny space is right where I'd normally hit it anyways. Besides from the looks of things I'm gonna be paying about 20 bucks, and for Topre? I could resell it easily if I don't like it lol

[Muirium]

Twenty bucks? Snatch it already! Especially as JIS doesn’t break your brain, you have no excuse. DT commands you get this thing!

For real though, I'm genuinely quite curious about 30g Topre. I've rediscovered the joys of 45g Topre and can't help but wonder how 30g feels. Will find out soon!

Rediscovery is the thing. Technically, 30g was the first Topre I ever tried, thanks to 002’s touring (ergo weighted) Realforce. But the 55g Escape key wowed me! So the only Realforce in my possession is a uniform 55g 87u.

But since then, I’ve really come to like lighter keys. I think could I get pretty smoochy with a 30g now. That or romantically gut it for a dome swap with my HHKB!

[ironicmoustache]

Besides from the looks of things I'm gonna be paying about 20 bucks, and for Topre? I could resell it easily if I don't like it lol

No-brainer, seriously.

Rediscovery is the thing. Technically, 30g was the first Topre I ever tried, thanks to 002’s touring (ergo weighted) Realforce. But the 55g Escape key wowed me! So the only Realforce in my possession is a uniform 55g 87u.

But since then, I’ve really come to like lighter keys. I think could I get pretty smoochy with a 30g now. That or romantically gut it for a dome swap with my HHKB!

I still really love my 55g RF (especially now that I slapped some Deskeys silencing rings on it), but there's something special about the snappiness of the HHKB that makes me think I might find something to like/love about 30g too. Possibly problematic reasoning, admittedly, but I had to find out.

I also have a variable weight RF in this package, so I guess I'll have all the main flavours covered. Maybe I can stop habitually checking Topre and Realforce listings on Yahoo Auctions now.

(Famous last words!)

[Go-Kart]

I love how often these type of threads pop up. Should rename this place, 'Definitely Topre'.

[Bjerrk]

I love how often these type of threads pop up. Should rename this place, 'Definitely Topre'.

The frequency seems to have increased, perhaps the new moderators aim to replace the spam threads with topre (A definite improvement!)

[kbdfr]

[…] perhaps the new moderators aim to replace the spam threads with topre […]

Now replacing the spam threads with Tipro would indeed be a good idea

[Muirium]

The Modfather.



Spammers sleep with the fishes.

[JCMax]

I hope it lives up! The one I'm looking at is a variable weight, which I don't personally like the sound of but I've heard it's possible to cut the rubber domes out of the sheet and customize the weighting yourself, I'll probably try and unify all the alphabetic keys and anything I use for gaming, and use the lighter weights on things like the nav cluster and things outta the way, while putting heavy weights on things I absolutely do not want to accidentally actuate like windows keys and certain f keys

But hey, if it's cheap and you don't mind the risk of it turning into some sort of gateway drug into Topre obsession...

That's what I'm saying. If you can get a first Topre experience cheap, I'd say do it. Then decide if you want to level up. I admit I took bit of a risk going full blown for my first board, it worked out.

[…] perhaps the new moderators aim to replace the spam threads with topre […]

No doubt.

[davkol]

I'm not sure I'd recommend a JIS board for any sort of heavy typing/writing, mainly because Shift+7 for the apostrophe is awkward as fuck. Sure I just about learned to get used to it with my PC98 board, but it felt like such a waste of energy. I gladly paid the $40 or so for one of Hasu's converters once I realised that he had them.

Maybe I'm naïve but I still assume that posters @ Deskthority can type.

JIS is great.

I've actually ended up using it with Maltron layout on the go.

[ironicmoustache]

Maybe I'm naïve but I still assume that posters @ Deskthority can type.

Haha fair enough, I just find that the split second I need to remember that it's Shift+7 and not a quick pinky jab makes it tedious when I'm just spamming out the braindead stuff I write for work. But I've both only ever used non-USB JIS boards and never explored any OS settings so, eh, maybe it's my fault.

Thing is, I have no issues with the actual key layout itself.

[HowardH]

I actually have a related question but I'm not sure it's worth creating its own topic for. I recently got a Niz 108x RGB 30g which I actually really love, it's an electrocapacitive switch similar to topre but less expensive. The sound is quiet and thocky and the feel is so light and cloudy. It helps a lot with extended typing sessions, I have also been using a logitech g915 white tkl with tactile Kailh low profile switches which I do enjoy, but the Niz keyboard is just the least tiring keyboard I've ever used and reduces my fatigue. I had already switched to the low profile g915 in order to reduce forearm fatigue compared to my full size gateron brown coolermaster 550v2 keyboard, and it helped but not as much as the Niz. I have not tried genuine topre.

Locally I saw someone selling a dead realforce RGB for 60NZD (about 40USD) and I am wondering whether there is any use for a dead realforce RGB and if it's worth picking up at that price. I hear the rgb realforce is not really like the non rgb ones so I'm not sure the domes would be worth harvesting, plus the board is dead so I wouldn't be able to type on it (most likely PCB is dead and I'm guessing that's a pretty much unfixable problem). The owner used the keyboard for 6 years, but from the pics the keycaps seem in nice condition. If one day I get a genuine topre perhaps having some spare keycaps could prove handy?

[Muirium]

Realforce RGB caps are just lousy backlit MX mount with the usual awkward legend placement in the middle.

https://www.realforce.co.jp/en/products/realforce_rgb/

The domes and coil springs should be good to harvest, though. And someone might quite like those sliders to MX up a Topre of their own. I assume they work just like Novatouch sliders do.

[Riverman]

The sliders are pretty valuable, even if you don't use them yourself. I parted out a Realforce RGB on eBay a while back and got over $100 just for the sliders. I sold a ton of the springs, too, along with the USB cable and the PCB. I parted it out because I wanted the domes for a 30g factory silenced Topre I had that I thought was too light. It's great with the RGB's 45g domes now. The keycaps definitely aren't anything special. They're ABS, and they'll shine up just like any cheap set. Despite all the hate for the RGB, if you grease the stabilizers and install silencing rings, it's a great keyboard, and ends up sounding quite a bit like any other silenced Topre, if not quieter. Stock, though, it doesn't sound good at all.