Planning on buying a KBP V60

[Umut]

Hello, after many back and forths within myself I think I've decided to go for buying a KBP V60 with Matias Click switches. I usually prefer 80% keyboards than 60%'s, but the customizability of 60%'s amaze me. There are tons of different aluminum cases on AliExpress and I would love to customize my keyboard with those colourful cases.
I heard that there was a DIP switch or something at the back, will that be blocking anything if I were to get a chinese aluminum case?
Also, should I really go for a 60%? I'm still considering the 80% version...

[Myoth]

most 60% cases have a hole for the dip switch

IMO, the hhkb is the only good 60% so I'd rather get a V80 and an alu case for it (if I ever had to use those shitty Matias switches)

[Laser]

A keyboard without arrows is a bit crippling IMHO; even if you normally avoid arrows, there's always a situation coming up when you need to press some key combo that needs arrows, and having them as FN+somekey makes that combo hard (imagine having to press ctrl+shift+arrows in some program, when arrows are fn+... themselves). Unless you want something portable, go for anything programmable, higher than the 60%, i.e. with arrows.

[Muirium]

I love 60% but it’s definitely a taste thing. How comfortable are you with chording? You’ll be doing more of that! I regularly press 4 keys simultaneously on my HHKB: Shift + Option + Fn + Left / Right for selecting words. It’s a two handed task, which I usually do with two hands on larger keyboards too, as left hand modifiers go better with right handed arrows anyway.

You can trial run 60% on larger sizes, of course, with a little programming. I learned the HHKB navigation layer on my XT first with Soarer’s converter. Helped me dive straight in.

But Matias switches? Are you sure about that? I’d be very wary of those nowadays. They used to simply be a compromise in feel, but lately poor reliability has shot up past it.

[Hypersphere]

Note that the KBP V60 with Matias switches can be put into standard 60% aluminum cases, but you can only use 3 screws rather than all 6. However, I have put two of mine into TEX aluminum cases with no particular issue.

In addition, be aware that Matias switches are simplified white Alps clones, and so if you want to swap keycaps, you'll need to get keycaps that fit Alps or Alps clone switches. Fortunately, the V60 has a standard layout, so you can use new Alps sets made by Tai-Hao, but these are doubleshot ABS only. You can also source keycaps from vintage Alps-switch keyboards, and some of these have dye-sublimated PBT keycaps. Be prepared to exert a great deal of pressure to remove Matias keycaps -- the fit is extraordinarily tight. Likewise, Tai-Hao keycaps fit very tight and they do not necessarily snap neatly into place. Once the Matias caps are removed, most vintage keycaps fit easily and snap smartly into place.

My KBP V60 boards with Matias Click switches work just fine, but as others have reported, there have been some reliability issues of late.

Be prepared for a very noisy keyboard. Matias Click switches clatter and have a loud click. Matias Quiet switches have much less clatter and are rather quiet, but not as quiet as Zilent or silenced Topre.

If you want a completely programmable keyboard, some of the KBP V60 models are "Type R", which are completely programmable. There are also Type R Polestar models that have RGB underglow effects.

A wide variety of switches are available in the KBP V60 line, including most Cherry mx varieties, some mx clones, Matias varieties, and some other Alps clones, such as Fukka (Fuhua).

[Umut]

Thank you all for the replies. Are Matias switches that bad? Yes, I've watched a couple videos which said that they were crappy, but I didn't know it was this crappy.
Would you guys prefer the white Fukka (Fuhua) switches over the Matias click switches?
Also yeah, I think I will go for an 80%, too much hassle overall.

[squizzler]

I got a V80 like one for which a video was just posted in the reviews section of this forum. The number keys do get used.

The Matias Quiet Click switches are indeed temperamental. There are ways to manage the problem including a wheeze that involves kneading them about in the closed position. Others have claimed online to have enjoyed more long term success by opening up the mechanism and degreasing the contacts (the problem is blamed by many on grease getting where it shouldn't due to slipshod final assembly). I need to get hold of a key puller to do this and will report on any success when I do.

[swampangel]

I would expect the Fukka switches to be a little more reliable than the Matias switches.

I have 2 boards with Matias switches and I have always had success fixing chattering keys by opening/cleaning/reassembling. But it's a pain in the ass; it's much nicer to have a keyboard you can trust.

[Hypersphere]

I've tried a KBP V60 with Fukka switches. Seemed reliable with no missed keypresses or chattering. However, you would need to like really loud switches. The Fukka switches seemed even louder than Matias Click switches. I'm also not sure about availability. I think that KBP has been testing the market by introducing keyboards with quite a few different switch types. They will probably stop producing the ones that do not sell very well as well as ones that have a high rate of problems.