[GB] Tai-Hao White on Black and Vintage Alps

Versa

13 Apr 2022, 19:31

Hello keyboard people,

I wanted an alps keyset for my custom so I have been in communication with taihao to expand their kitting to fit both modern and older vintage boards. They have agreed to do a GB run for 2 colourways: Vintage and WOB. I initially just wanted to do a small run for the sgmk community but I noticed a lot of interest from international buyers so I have gotten the help of Hex keyboards to be a vendor for this groupbuy. Without further ado, here is the kitting:
Image

Image


Here are the details:
Group Buy Dates: Apr 15, 2022 - May 6, 2022

Pricing - $71 SGD (roughly 52 USD) (Shipped from Singapore)

LINK : https://hexkeyboards.com/products/taiha ... ot-keycaps


Things to note:

1) These are taihao alps keycaps so they are thin doubleshot ABS keycaps as shown below:
Image

2) Stabs: All the stabilized keys are going to be alps mount EXCEPT the spacebars and the BAE (The iso and ansi enters will be alps).
The 6.25u Spacebar is only going to support mx mount stabilizers while the 7u Alps will support both alps and costar (as shown in the above picture). The BAE is as shown below
Image

3) The control alt and shift will be coloured red, blue and green respectively in the vintage set as a homage to vintage alps boards that had this.


4) These are cubic profile and not cherry so please note the difference.

5) The lead time from taihao is expected to be 6 weeks after the groupbuy ends (so you'll have to add a couple of weeks more after to ship to singapore and the your location).

6) This is expected to be in-stock on taihao's website at a later date (price unconfirmed) so there will be other chances to buy it as well.

7) There are no renders since these are basic colours and I do not have the time or money to get someone to make custom models for cubic profile.





I hope that keycaps arent a limiting factor to people who want to try alps and alps style switches on customs.

Please do feel free to contact me at Versa#3099 for questions (I usually hang around on simoncord)
Last edited by Versa on 15 Apr 2022, 13:55, edited 4 times in total.

User avatar
mcmaxmcmc

13 Apr 2022, 19:42

Cubic profile?

ntv242ver2

13 Apr 2022, 19:43

Cool, any estimation for shipping? To common location such as the us of uk, eu etc

Jacobalbertus1

13 Apr 2022, 19:45

i got an email from tai hao about them launching these sets

headphone_jack

13 Apr 2022, 19:54

FINALLY, A PROPERLY KITTED TAI HAO SET. I have been waiting for literal years for someone to be able to convince Tai Hao to break out their old compatibility molds. Congrats dude, I am going to buy as many of these as I reasonably can.

inozenz

13 Apr 2022, 20:01

Where is international kit? I'm from Germany don't make me invade another country. Give me my German kit!!!

Jacobalbertus1

13 Apr 2022, 20:03

finally alps keycaps that are actually good and don't cost 200 or more

User avatar
Muirium
µ

13 Apr 2022, 20:20

The white on black is very appealing. But look at those mod legends on the other set. WoB looks nicer with coloured mods, too…

NeXT.jpg
NeXT.jpg (423.88 KiB) Viewed 72801 times

ntv242ver2

13 Apr 2022, 20:22

Muirium wrote:
13 Apr 2022, 20:20
The white on black is very appealing. But look at those mod legends on the other set. WoB looks nicer with coloured mods, too…


NeXT.jpg
this is more charcoal than black, but i get your point.

User avatar
Muirium
µ

13 Apr 2022, 20:25

Charcoal?

But…but… SANTA! Why must you keep doing this to meeee!

pankapusta3

13 Apr 2022, 20:28

mmMMMMM hot, sign me up

User avatar
doomsday_device

13 Apr 2022, 20:33

Muirium wrote:
13 Apr 2022, 20:20
The white on black is very appealing. But look at those mod legends on the other set. WoB looks nicer with coloured mods, too…
why is every post from you off topic?


really glad about this, finally can deck out dell(s) :cry:

User avatar
Muirium
µ

13 Apr 2022, 20:39

Off topic? You ain’t seen Offtopic!

I honestly think these black caps would be much better with coloured legends. I’d be more likely to buy. Straight monotone across a keyboard doesn’t do it for me. Unimaginative. Especially when it’s a group buy by nerds like us. We can do better than bland!

User avatar
CoolPenguin1

13 Apr 2022, 20:41

I've been keeping up with this on discord so it's nice to see it finally get to GB. I'll definitely be picking up a vintage set at some point.
Last edited by CoolPenguin1 on 22 Aug 2023, 18:59, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
VR20X6

13 Apr 2022, 20:45

OP should clarify what profile this GB is for. They repeatedly say it's cubic, and that's a different profile than TI series, yet there are pictures of TI series being shown and they say "the BAE is the same as the one currently being sold on the website", but the one currently listed is TI series and the attached photo is of TI series. Is this TI series or is it cubic?

For the uninitiated, this is what cubic really looks like:
Image

Yeah. It's pretty bad.

User avatar
TheInverseKey

13 Apr 2022, 21:50

Too square and flat. Why Tai-Hao couldn't have gone with the original Alps profile like the did with other sets in the past is beyond me.

The amount of money that they have been pushing for their cubic profile makes no logical sense. People already loved their original profile so why not just expand the molds rather than making a whole other set?

If they wanted to make another profile just bring back the FAME/Cherry profile and then you really would have spent your money well.

As much as I like Alps, this is a no from me and I still use my AE sets over this any time of the week.

User avatar
Lalaland124

13 Apr 2022, 22:01

inozenz wrote:
13 Apr 2022, 20:01
Where is international kit? I'm from Germany don't make me invade another country. Give me my German kit!!!
Yess!! Come on, make us German alps enthusiasts happy.

(Other than that awesome GB :D)

Versa

14 Apr 2022, 06:08

VR20X6 wrote:
13 Apr 2022, 20:45
OP should clarify what profile this GB is for. They repeatedly say it's cubic, and that's a different profile than TI series, yet there are pictures of TI series being shown and they say "the BAE is the same as the one currently being sold on the website", but the one currently listed is TI series and the attached photo is of TI series. Is this TI series or is it cubic?

For the uninitiated, this is what cubic really looks like:
Image

Yeah. It's pretty bad.
Yes this is cubic. The BAE picture was a placeholder to show how the BAE stabs will be like. I have updated it

User avatar
zrrion

14 Apr 2022, 07:07

Cubic doesn't really seem all that bad looking to me. I don't have anything to use it with though but more alps mount caps is always good IMO

ntv242ver2

14 Apr 2022, 08:29

Versa wrote:
14 Apr 2022, 06:08


Yes this is cubic. The BAE picture was a placeholder to show how the BAE stabs will be like. I have updated it
Ha ha now i am even more confused with the bae, that seems to me is a cap that uses alps stab and costar. Aint no way those square hole are for mx stab

User avatar
Muirium
µ

14 Apr 2022, 11:39

TheInverseKey wrote:
13 Apr 2022, 21:50
If they wanted to make another profile just bring back the FAME/Cherry profile and then you really would have spent your money well.
Cherry profile Alps!? YES please!

User avatar
TheInverseKey

16 Apr 2022, 02:10

Muirium wrote:
14 Apr 2022, 11:39
TheInverseKey wrote:
13 Apr 2022, 21:50
If they wanted to make another profile just bring back the FAME/Cherry profile and then you really would have spent your money well.
Cherry profile Alps!? YES please!
I wish that they would have reached out to the community and asked people for some good condition FAME caps but Tai-Hao is stuck in their ways.

SK-8K

16 Apr 2022, 06:27

Heck yeah! Will have to purchase several sets. These will look sick on my NTC keyboard. Will be a massive help for those repairing or refurbishing old Alps keyboards that people swiped their keycaps off.

I wonder if the thicker walls of the Cubic profile will interfere with the wider Alps switches. I've had interference issues with Cherry profile keycaps and I-Rocks switches.

SK-8K

17 Apr 2022, 00:33

Minor nitpick: Wish it had the old Windows flag logo instead of "Win"

John Doe

17 Apr 2022, 06:27

My question may be stupid but still want a confirmation: in today's world is there any company in anywhere still making skcc caps?

User avatar
Muirium
µ

17 Apr 2022, 12:23

A wishful request indeed! Perhaps start a thread about it specifically, for more visibility?
TheInverseKey wrote:
16 Apr 2022, 02:10
I wish that they would have reached out to the community and asked people for some good condition FAME caps but Tai-Hao is stuck in their ways.
Aye. Who asked for “cubic” profile keys anyway? Presumably one of their customers (an OEM). What the community wants is Alps for Alps, and a Cherry on top. :lol:

SK-8K

17 Apr 2022, 19:17

Muirium wrote:
17 Apr 2022, 12:23
A wishful request indeed! Perhaps start a thread about it specifically, for more visibility?
TheInverseKey wrote:
16 Apr 2022, 02:10
I wish that they would have reached out to the community and asked people for some good condition FAME caps but Tai-Hao is stuck in their ways.
Aye. Who asked for “cubic” profile keys anyway? Presumably one of their customers (an OEM). What the community wants is Alps for Alps, and a Cherry on top. :lol:
I recall someone asked Tai-Hao this a few years back, and they lost or sold the tooling for this profile.

ntv242ver2

20 Apr 2022, 21:45

John Doe wrote:
17 Apr 2022, 06:27
My question may be stupid but still want a confirmation: in today's world is there any company in anywhere still making skcc caps?
the real dream!

User avatar
Menuhin

21 Apr 2022, 14:13

TheInverseKey wrote:
13 Apr 2022, 21:50
Too square and flat. Why Tai-Hao couldn't have gone with the original Alps profile like the did with other sets in the past is beyond me.

The amount of money that they have been pushing for their cubic profile makes no logical sense. People already loved their original profile so why not just expand the molds rather than making a whole other set?

If they wanted to make another profile just bring back the FAME/Cherry profile and then you really would have spent your money well.

As much as I like Alps, this is a no from me and I still use my AE sets over this any time of the week.
I have Tai Hao mx set iirc...
How does their cubic profile compares to SP DCS profile? I also prefer the FAME profile - I think the Chinese (who created so many different new profiles for the mx market) can help but the market can be too small to make it profitable

SK-8K

22 Apr 2022, 01:37

Menuhin wrote:
21 Apr 2022, 14:13
I have Tai Hao mx set iirc...
How does their cubic profile compares to SP DCS profile? I also prefer the FAME profile - I think the Chinese (who created so many different new profiles for the mx market) can help but the market can be too small to make it profitable

This article I found compares Cubics to Cherry and OEM.

TLDR: OEM profile with Cherry-like sculpting, with larger font on the alphas.

DCS are somewhere between OEM and Cherry profile.

https://www.keychatter.com/2017/06/29/f ... c-profile/

The majority of old non-Apple Alps SKCM keyboards boards used OEM profile.

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