There's a popular image circulating online, titled "Things Young People Can Never Touch," which includes items like mechanical keyboards and keycaps. When I first saw this, I couldn't imagine that a keyboard could cost hundreds of dollars. But now, with many high-quality mechanical keyboards available for around the same price, I think they offer great value for money. At the start of my journey into mechanical keyboards, someone mentioned a 400-yuan sublimation keycap and a 200-yuan custom one. My initial reaction was: "This is more expensive than the keyboard itself—how can I afford to buy it?" Over time, I learned about premium brands like GMK, SA, and JT, which are only available through subscriptions or have unique, one-of-a-kind designs. Before long, I found myself buying something I once thought I'd never touch, even though I wasn't sure if I'd ever use it.
My first non-original keycap was a holo violet set. I bought it on a secondhand keyboard that had backlighting, and since the violet color was opaque, I randomly picked up a set of 30 white PBT keycaps. Later, I discovered that these were actually high-end two-color ABS keycaps, and I've been using them ever since.
I later replaced them with a teal-colored set from another fan, which is a classic choice.
Currently, I'm using a set of red police keycaps I received as a free gift from a friend.
Many keycaps on mechanical keyboards today are laser-engraved ABS. From a tactile perspective, ABS keycaps at the same price point are usually more comfortable than PBT. However, they have a drawback: their resistance to oiling is weaker. Some users who type heavily might find their keycaps oily within just a few days. On the domestic market, PBT keycaps have become a selling point due to their durability. Their lifespan is unmatched by ABS. This has led to a joke in the peripheral community: "PBT keycaps are the favorite of the poor silk." Of course, the choice of keycap ultimately depends on personal preference and usage habits.
Reasons to Purchase
I still trust the quality of Tokio’s keycaps. Although they take time to break in, there's a slight oiling effect, but the two-color ABS process doesn’t look as greasy as coated caps. This time, I bought two sets mainly because of a big discount—the price was almost half of the regular rate, even cheaper than what I used to pay for secondhand ones. I immediately grabbed a set of PBT two-color hornet and a set of ABS two-color retro DOLCH. For the PBT, I hesitated between Miami and Bumblebee, but finally chose Hornet because it looked better. For the ABS, I initially wanted raindrops, but after seeing some terrible combinations (like Red Alert, One of the raindrops, cheese green), I settled on the retro DOLCH. I’m not entirely sure why, but maybe it's the legendary “eye margin.â€
Two-color molding uses molds to combine two different colors of plastic, creating a font with bright colors and high durability. The advantage is that the font won’t fade easily, and if the manufacturing is good, the tactile feel is excellent. However, it’s hard to create complex text, the color options are limited, and the production cost is higher.
PBT Bumblebee Color Key Cap
It was surprising to find that Phoor’s PBT keycaps came in a cardboard box, along with a complimentary 3800 keyboard.
There were 105 keycaps, divided into two layers.
This is the one that comes out. It's a silicone number 7.
The key puller comes with two versions: a metal copper plastic puller and a wire puller. In general, the plastic puller is easier to use, but it may damage the sides of the keycap and struggle to reach tight areas like ESC. The wire puller is better, and for high-quality keycaps, steel pullers are recommended.
The complimentary 3800 keyboard enhancements are all less commonly used specs.
The graininess of PBT keycaps is quite obvious. A while back, many people judged whether a keycap was PBT based on its surface texture. However, some well-made PBT keycaps have a smooth finish, resembling ABS. Nowadays, some ABS keycaps also add a scrubbed texture to increase wear resistance.
The back of the keycap shows a clear two-color injection molding process. The material used is PBT, making it harder and stiffer. Removing the keycap feels a bit tight. Some manufacturers have improved their processes, using materials like PC or ABS, resulting in smoother installation. Also, the large return key support is unusually long. I haven’t figured out why, but I guess it’s for user customization. I hope someone can explain it someday.
There is an injection port on the side wall of the keycap, and the finish is okay, not very noticeable.
The appearance of the keyboard, the color I value the most is more bearable. And this is the keycap that Tai Hao produced a few years ago. At that time, the character was completely closed, and it was still quite a powerful technology. We can look for the keyboards of some domestic brands. The keycaps they carry are basically non-closed characters. This is because the technical requirements are lower, the cost is lower, and the production speed is faster.
ABS two-color retro DOLCH color key cap
ABS two-color packaging is simpler, directly in a hard plastic box, and I always thought that Haohao packaging was better. However, no matter what kind of packaging, it clearly states "MADE IN TAIWAN." In the peripheral zone, it has always been believed that Taiwan's quality control is better than mainland China. I won't judge this point. At least, Taiwanese production will increase transportation costs and tariffs.
ABS two-color also has capital letters, I used to be used before, this is the first time to see the new packaging too Hao ABS two-color keycap attachment.
Tai Hao's ABS two-color keycap surface is sanded, but the graininess is not as strong as PBT, and the handfeel is more delicate.
Looking at the injection port on the back of the keycap and the side wall, I guess the mold should be the same, just using a different material. However, when this ABS two-color keycap is installed, it is much smoother than PBT.
The appearance of the keyboard, in fact, this retro keycap is also more suitable for dark shell keyboards, such as black or dark blue. The most important thing is that it looks good and is not easy to cause aesthetic fatigue.
My Tai Hao four ABS two-color keycap collection, from left to right: retro DOLCH, red police, violet, and cheese green.
Silicone key cap
I bought these few silicone keycaps purely for fun. They’re affordable, and occasionally playing CS:GO, the WASD feedback is clearer.
The height is half-height, different from the common peace keycaps. Fortunately, the feel is still good.
The level of recognition is still relatively high. It feels more like e-sports, ha ha. But I think this kind of keycap is purely a toy, not too serious.
In summary,
Simply put, as the most common two-color keycap in the country, the price is reasonable, and catching this special offer is pretty good. However, some distribution colors have already sold out. In addition, the appearance of closed characters is still relatively high. ABS and PBT need to be chosen according to personal preferences. The disadvantages for perfectionists might be that the injection molding mouth isn’t very beautiful, and the PBT material column is a bit tight, making installation a little difficult. High-end ABS keycaps are unaffordable, and you can't help but be drawn to the good price of keycaps. Feverish purchases still need to be done based on economic conditions.
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