Thank you Nastrovje for selling it to me and for shipping with care! You've got my vote as a 5 star seller.
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Review & Typing Tests
Sorry for the delay folks, I just wanted to get some time in with the keyboard and also decided that I would put a little more time into recording videos to get some practice and try a few things. They're still recorded from my potato, but it's a decent Samsung potato as far as potatoes go. And yes, in the future, I will put reviews in the proper 'review' section of the forums, but this wasn't initially going to be a detailed review as much as it was supposed to be a collection of a few photos and a typing test video. I got carried away. On to the review!
Once upon a time, there was a befuddled Canadian who sought to try a revered mechanical keyboard switch, renowned for its supreme key feel, buttery smooth actuation, crisp click and most of all - it's divine sound. He tried for months to get his hands on a keyboard with these famed switches to no avail. He even - rather foolishly - overspent on a rather new NTC board without querying the seller beforehand and ended up with yet another keyboard with excellent, but undesired White Alps. Until one day recently, a fellow posted a board for sale that none had heard of in decades until a gentleman from the forum they call 'Geekhack' inquired about an intriguing keyboard he had found. He cleaned it up, then proceeded to write the tallest of tales in varying sizes of font on an Ebay listing, proclaiming this as quite possibly the RAREST BOARD OF THEM ALL! Well, whether his inspiring words were the reason or not, the board was promptly snatched up and sent on its way across the Atlantic to Austria, where it was destined to make another short stop in the hands of our fine DT community member with the moniker Nastrovje. Rightfully so, he could not bring himself to part this rare board of its switches and, after having found another set of blue Alps but a few weeks later, the decision was made - the K2AX would be saved from the soldering iron! The Canadian now had his chance, he would stop at nothing - not even poor credit - to have this board and finally count blue Alps among his collection. And so the K2AX made its way back across the Atlantic to its new home in Toronto, in the kingdom of Ontario, Canada. The board had travelled thousands of miles and arrived unscathed.
Well then, now that you've indulged me for a bit and know the exciting tale of how this board made it to my mundane suburban residence in Canada, let me get into my thoughts on the board, broken down into Build Quality, Aesthetics & Ergonomics, Switches and finally, Typing Feel & Sound. I will also post a video towards the end that shows a brief comparison of these switches to my aforementioned 'expensive' NTC board with NOS pine white Alps.
Build Quality
This is a board that was build in the era of AT boards and so it is almost expected that it should have mostly metal construction, or at least a metal back plate. The board does not disappoint in that regard - The top half of the case is a typical beige plastic and is reasonably sturdy, while the bottom of the case is a steel panel with a water droplet paint effect done in black. The key caps are thin, double-shot ABS and appear similar to Tai-hao key caps, which were very common in this style. They certainly aren't Alps double-shots as they don't have their trademark circular nubs underneath. This is quite a common design choice and I wouldn't be surprised if all of these AT Alps switch boards were all built by the same OEM in Taiwan in the 80's, as they all look very similar (The Focus FK-5XX and 7XX series, Datacomp DFK-7XX series for example). While it is a fairly standard layout as far as AT boards go - basically a copy of the trend-setting IBM Model F AT - I find it is still a well-built board with extra touches, such as reinforced metal screw mounts built into the case, a soft, black coiled cable and strong spring-loaded feet. The knobs for extending and retracting these feet, however, are a known weak point in these boards as they are prone to cracking off or getting caught on things if one isn't careful when moving the board. It is definitely not as solid as the Model F AT and feels about half its weight, it is no slouch either.
- Sturdy base, sturdy case.
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- The beating heart of the K2AX...well, more like its pulsing heart.
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- Intel chip with a mix of numbers and letters - but what do they MEAN?
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Aesthetics & Ergonomics
As I've mentioned previously - I quite like the look of AT layout keyboards such as this or the Model F AT. They just strike a very nice, horizontal sort of balance that isn't found in most other keyboards in my opinion. That, coupled with the almost symmetrical layout of the keys themselves, makes this into an aesthetically pleased and balanced keyboard. Not too much, not too little. And it's certainly not 'busy' like more modern keyboards with angles, crevices and varying textures everywhere. This one is a simple and sturdy beast which immediately strikes me as charming and functional.
- If the pen is mightier than the sword, is the keyboard then mightier than the pen? Perhaps if I had a nicer pen...
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- Key cap profile is apparent from the side view.
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Switches
Perhaps the main reason why this keyboard draws attention to itself, even more than the fact that it is thus far the only model of its kind that's been documented, is the particular switch found within it. Mounted in its inner metal plate are 84 'Complicated' SKCM Blue Alps switches. These are said to be a slightly rarer variety as they contain tall white switch plates instead of the more common gray ones. The hues of blue sliders in this particular board are also quite consistent compared to others I've seen, that can vary from almost gray/white to deep blue switch sliders. Though I got lucky with this board, I do need to point out that Alps switches are not the most robust or resilient when it comes to operating in extreme conditions or climates, such as industrial environments and as such need to be kept free of dust and debris, lest the feel of the switches be affected. By the same token, the ease of opening this switch from the top to access its parts for replacement or cleaning earns it points. The original US owner from the land of the geekhack apparently used pliers to get into the switches to clean them, which is unfortunate, as particularly evidenced by the switch top that would be found under the letter 'O' proves, but this is a minor gripe and certainly not a mark against the board's quality.
- Roses are red, my Alps are blue. The end.
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Typing Feel & Sound
This is the famous question that anyone that hasn't tried blue alps asks - what do they feel like? What is the nearest switch in terms of feel and sound? How can I mod MY switches to sound and feel like these?? The answer to the first question is difficult to put into words. Sure, many simply say they feel amazing and they blow any other switch clear out of the water, but I disagree. There are many switches that have their merits and all have different pros and cons. The real magic behind this switch is how it carries it's weight. It is such a smooth switch that is actually feels almost as light as a Cherry MX blue and as smooth as it's linear brethren - the SKCL Green and Brown. I can actually type at the same speed with this switch as I can with vintage Cherry MX blues, which were previously - along with Topre - my most rapid switches for typing speed. So, they feel similar in tactility to white Alps, but with the click coming towards the mid-point instead of at the top. They also feel slightly lighter than white Alps and glide quite a bit more effortlessly. These switches are known to be lubed by the factory, which surely contributes to their feel, but I believe it's just one factor in the sum of it's parts, which are all of higher quality than Alps' later switches.
- Tall white switch plates
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Is that going to convince those who haven't tried blue Alps to give up their search and be happy with what they have? Hell no. Based on my experience alone, anyone who loves clicky switches and wants to try them as much as I did won't stop until they've tried the real thing. Do it - I encourage you to. You will never know if the hype is real or not until you try the real thing. It's natural human curiosity. In order to give you a better sense of the sound of these switches and this keyboard, I've recorded a video for you here:
Conclusions
I've already rambled on for quite some time with this review and if you've read this far - congratulations, might as well reward yourself with more reading! It's no secret that this board was extremely expensive, but it's hard to put prices on vintage keyboards, especially ones as rare as this and with sought after switches in their prime condition. If you were to ask me whether or not it was worth it, I would answer with an enthusiastic yes. This board is all I expected and more. It is solid, beautiful and is in one of my favorite layouts - AT. Its switches are sublime and though I hesitate to shout from the rooftops about the wonder that is blue Alps, there is absolutely no denying that this is a fucking fantastic switch. I will be honest - I had a slight pang of regret and disappointment the first night I used this keyboard, but most of that stemmed from being used to my office and previous daily keyboards. After using it for nearly a week, those doubts were washed away thoroughly.
Build Quality: 9
Great build quality, but the case materials could stand to be thicker, as they lend a slightly hollow sound to typing.
Aesthetics/Ergonomics: 9.5
Excellent layout, classic legends and features such as pencil tray. Thin keycaps, though normally a detrimental factor, accentuate clicky Alps switches quite well. Amputated keyboard feet could stand to be more useful - ie: taller.
Switches: 9.5
The choice of Blue Alps was an excellent one. Though it is a sensitive switch, it makes up for it in ease of maintenance and modding options.
Typing Feel/Sound: 10
This is the sound I would dub to absolutely every keyboard in every film, video game or other production, regardless of what model it is. It's that good. Quite literally an 'eargasm'
Reliability: 10
It still works perfectly after roughly 30 years and having crossed the ocean at least twice. I'd call that a 10.
Total Score: 9.5
'But, but Harshmallow' - you say - 'Aren't you forgetting to bow down in praise and admiration for the one switch to rule them all??'
Nah. This one is still the king in my books:
Spoiler:
Moar Photos & White Alps Comparison Video
Spoiler:
Congrats on your nice Monterey. 
