DROP + MiTo GMK Laser Custom Mechanical Keyboard Novelty Keycap Set - 44-Keys, Doubleshot ABS, Cherry Profile (Novelties)

Product Information

The concept of stamping is to use as little material as possible to 'form' a sturdy keycap: laser cut the 'foldable-shape' and character/typeface, then stamp/bend into keycap shape, finally brazing or welding in a cast/MIM/extruded 'stem'. Still, I'm hoping to find someone making 'stamped' metal keycaps to keep costs (any keycap mass) down. metalkeyboards.no's milled keycaps remind me of the custom metal keycaps LTT had made. The GMK Bento R2 is one of those keycap sets that you need to see to really understand its appeal. Aptly named after the cutesy Japanese meal boxes, the GMK Bento R2 has a subtle muted look, with colours that are almost pastel but not quite. This works in the Bento R2’s favour though, as it’s one of the most popular GMK keycap sets out there. The reason why GMK keycaps have garnered millions of loyal fans around the world is because of multiple reasons. They are known for their bright and distinct colourways that can be found on all their keycap sets. Unlike a lot of keycap sets, GMK keycaps use ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastics rather than PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) plastics.

But no matter how expensive they get, ABS keycaps are well, ABS. this means that shine is unavoidable. Even the most well-crafted GMK keycap sets will start to see shine after around six months of regular use. That’s the ultimate price you need to pay for the bright colours and flexibility of customization. GMK’s manufacturing process prioritises excellent colour reproduction on all their sets, which means that you’ll be hard-pressed to find any of their keycaps with subpar colouring. It only takes a simple glance at any of the GMK sets to see the care and craftsmanship that goes into each keycap. Their handcrafted quality as well as their attention to detail (especially in the designer sets) are the reason why keyboard fans hold them at such a high standard.

Customer reviews

If you participate in any of the GMK group buys, you’ll be familiar with how long it takes for them to arrive at your doorstep. There are two reasons for this. I'd also have thought more people would 'take issue' with spending premium-pricing on what are otherwise: keycaps made from sewer pipe ( ABS)) There have been groupbuys for cheaper aluminum sets too. If you're waiting for something like this to be advertised to you, you'll never see it.I'd expected such a concept would be more desirable/popular.

When comparing the GMK clone to the GMK set, there's obvious differences in both quality and material (or how its applied). I know that GMK is getting a lot of hate on this subreddit, but the quality of GMK is better. The clone set can't replace that, if money isn't a factor. GMK electronic design GmBH was founded in 1992 in Germany by Manfred Güntner, Jürgen Meinhardt, and Wolfgang Kredler—whose surnames make up the titular acronym. Keycap manufacturing is only a tiny slice of what GMK does. In fact, they only began selling their iconic keycaps in 2011! GMK also makes PCBs (printed circuit boards), keyboards, HMI control panels, IoT devices and many other types of electronic equipment. What’s so good about GMK keycaps? The way in which PBT keycaps are made causes its legends to be generally much darker than ABS keycaps. In a nutshell, ABS keycaps offer much higher customization options as they offer a larger variety of colours. Aug 4th 2023 Corsair Gaming Reports Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results, Revenue up 14.6% YoY (0)The main advantage that ABS plastics have over PBT is that they’re much softer. This allows manufacturers to easily include a large variety of colours than what is possible on PBT. Since they are able to use double or triple shot processes to integrate colours, ABS keycaps tend to be much brighter and vibrant than PBT keycaps. If I were to give a more concrete answer on what the best GMK keycaps are, I can only list out my personal favourites. Some of my favourite GMK sets are the ones that go against the mould, with bright, flashy colours that really make your entire setup pop. I think that the GMK clone set is good enough to be used as a budget keycap set. Whatever reason you want budget keycaps for, I think these are a viable set to buy. Even price wise, they're pretty cheap comparatively. The prices for each set that I paid for each were: