One of Jack Kester/Pikatea's Many Boards That He Brought To The 2024 Iowa Meetup
The mechanical keyboard hobby is fantastic. Whether you’re someone that originally wanted to upgrade your desk setup with a cool-looking board, or someone that found the hobby because of ergonomic reasons, there are many ways that we found the hobby - and many more reasons why we’ve stayed in the hobby.
However, you can definitely get overwhelmed by the vast amount of information. OR, you may burn out and realize the time you’re spending negatively impacts your life. I’m hoping that by sharing my own experiences and tips, I can help newcomers and enthusiasts avoid those situations. Everyone enjoys the hobby in their own way, and that’s fine - as long as it doesn't negatively impact your life.
Let’s take a look at these 5 tips, and remember, these are just my personal opinions!
Tip 1: Don’t Bankrupt Yourself
I think this is important during the whole year, but especially because we’re slowly getting into the time of year where we’re going to see A LOT of sales.
A Few Discord Announcements Regarding Sales (Nothing Against These Vendors Of Course)
If there’s one thing that the majority of people in this hobby - and life in general - can agree on, it’s making smart financial decisions. There are lots of hobbies where you can get addicted to continuously buying things.
I want to make it very clear that I’m not talking about treating yourself with a gift every now and then, or buying something that you’ve planned for and have saved up for a long time for. What I’m talking about here is excessively overspending, going over your budget, or using the majority of your income to buy keyboard-related items when you know you shouldn’t be doing it.
It’s especially dangerous in collection-type hobbies like the keyboard hobby. Watches, car or motorcycle mods, instruments, clothes, purses, shoes, the list goes on. Things that you can use but that also have a collecting aspect to them.
Candybar Keyboards
Maybe you’re rich or have so much disposable income that you can buy anything and everything without impacting your finances negatively. Maybe you’ve worked all your life and are currently retired, left to just enjoy life by buying keebs!
If so, then this tip may not be as helpful for you.
But maybe you’re someone that’s bought things, but have done so at the expense of almost maxing out your credit cards, pulling out money from savings unnecessarily or even worse - your 401k - and you keep digging yourself into a deeper and deeper hole. Or maybe you’re not spending in such an extreme way, but you find yourself realizing that you’ve developed some unhealthy spending habits. In that case, this tip may be more helpful.
Take a deep breath, pause, and know that there will ALWAYS be something to buy. The latest and greatest iteration of a board will come out, and then a few months later, the next variant will come out and you FOMO yourself into thinking your previous purchase is no good and you have to buy that newer version.
There’s always going to be another “budget king” or “endgame board”, and it’s never worth it to spend beyond your means for that dopamine rush of getting something new.
There's Always Going To Be A New "Budget King" Or "Endgame Keyboard"
At the end of the day, the only person that can hold yourself responsible or make a decision to spend in a healthier way is YOU. Others may speak up if they see bad habits forming, but unless YOU make a decision to change, you can fall back into the same bad spending habits.
It may be fun to buy more switches, keycaps, artisans, or keyboards, but when you eventually have a situation where you need that money that you’ve spent because of an unexpected expense, and you can’t sell things off in time, you may regret your purchasing decisions.
Even if you’re someone who currently doesn’t have to worry about living expenses or have any responsibilities, there will probably come a day where you will have to deal with those things, and it’s always worthwhile to have money when you need it. It’s very easy to not plan ahead, or to be somewhat carefree with spending when you’ve got few responsibilities and have your needs taken care of, which is why it’s important to spend wisely during that time in your life.
Just because you have the option to spend money doesn’t mean that you have to - even if all your expenses are already taken care of.
Don’t let FOMO (fear of missing out) or chasing a dopamine rush prevent you from being healthy financially. There’s more to the keyboard hobby - and life in general - than just buying things and putting yourself in a bad financial situation. You’re always going to miss something, and that’s not a bad thing. So don’t feel like just because something is on sale, you HAVE to buy it.
Next time you’re faced with a possible purchasing decision, slow down. Ask yourself if you really need it, and consider the alternative of NOT purchasing that item and just being happy with what you may already have.
Or maybe, have a plan to not buy any keycaps, switches, or accessories throughout the year (besides a few exceptions) and only do so during end-of-year sales to get the most out of your purchases! At least with that option, you’ll save for most of the year and if you DO decide to spend, it would be far less than what you would originally spend.
That’s actually what my strategy has been the past two years. Save up the majority of my “keeb budget” for the majority of the year since I know that there will be a bunch of sales at the end of the year. And oftentimes, I end up spending less than I would’ve had I splurged through the year or even end up using that money that I would’ve hastily spent on things that were more important than keebs, or unexpected expenses that popped up.
That doesn't mean that I don't buy keyboards, keycaps or switches before the fourth quarter of the year - it just means that I've been able to cut down my impulse buying significantly and sometimes end up realizing I didn't need that item in the first place.
It’s always nice to pass on something because there will always be something else to buy, keeb-related or non. And the feeling of not having to scrounge up money to afford that purchase because you already had planned ahead and saved beforehand is great.
Tip 2: Figure Out Your Preferences
The great (and sometimes stressful) thing about our hobby is that there are SO MANY ways to enjoy the hobby! There are keyboards, obviously, but then there are different layouts, and within those layouts, there’s mounting type, design language, plate material, and so on. Then, you have keycaps of various different manufacturers, colorways, different profiles, different materials, and then you have switches with god knows how many different combinations of materials, switch characteristics, and enough options for decision paralysis to kick in.
Keyboard University Page Listing A Few Keyboard Layouts
Then you’ve got artisans, or maybe desk mats, or maybe you love the community the most, or maybe meetups, the list goes on!
There are so many reasons why the hobby is interesting and why people enjoy the hobby. Maybe you’ll want to try everything and anything in order to figure out what you truly enjoy - and that’s fine! If you’re someone who enjoys everything, keep it up! Keep that enthusiasm as you experience what the hobby has to offer, and share your experiences with others!
In my opinion, the community is the best part of this hobby, because the social aspect of it can carry your interest past times where you may feel burnt out or when you realize that you have an unhealthy purchasing habit and can still enjoy the hobby by socializing with others.
BUT, because the keyboard community is actually something that I talk about in an entirely different tip, I won’t necessarily focus on it too much for this tip.
If you're someone that’s feeling overwhelmed or legitimately burnt out, this tip could be helpful for you, because maybe what you might want to try is honing in on what you really enjoy about the hobby.
Let me introduce you to something that’s not a new concept by any means, but something that’s really helped me - the keyboard triangle.
This isn’t necessarily specific to keyboards only, as you can apply the triangle to keycaps and switches too, but let’s start with keyboards.
Imagine an equilateral triangle. All sides are equal, all angles are equal. At one point, you have sound. At another point, you have feel. And at the third point, you have looks or aesthetics. Some people care about how a keyboard sounds more than how it feels when you’re typing, or how it looks. Others care purely about aesthetics and don’t really care about how the board sounds or feels like during typing. And others really enjoy how a keyboard feels like when you type on it and don’t really care about sound or aesthetics.
Whether you care about all three equally, or care about one or two more than the others, figuring out where you fall on the keyboard triangle CAN be helpful when it comes to feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.
Let me share my own story. From 2021 to 2022, I loved every aspect of the hobby for the most part. I didn’t KNOW about every single part, but as someone that was experiencing a lot of things for the first time, everything felt novel and fun! However… I could tell that at the end of 2022, I was starting to feel a little… overwhelmed at the amount of options and aspects of the hobby.
That’s when I sat down and thought about what I really enjoyed - especially when it came to the keyboard triangle. Now, this obviously won’t be accurate in every situation, but think of it in a general sense. When it comes to keyboards, you can tune the sound of a keyboard for the most part. You can also tune the typing feel of a keyboard. It may not be as easy or you may not have as many options as tuning sound, especially if a keyboard only supports a specific mounting style, but generally, typing feel can be adjusted slightly.
However, when it comes to aesthetics or how a keyboard looks… It’s not as easy to tune compared to sound or feel. For me, I realized that the most important thing about keyboards for me was the aesthetics. If a board looks cool, I can make sacrifices in the sound or feel department. Realizing that and making a choice to not have to be up-to-date on every single switch that comes out and not having to get a bunch of keycap colorways or materials made my decision-making process a lot simpler when it came to the keyboard hobby.
Less things to worry about, basically. To this day, I’ve narrowed down my switch choices to Cherry MX reds or blacks, Cherry MX browns, and KTT roses for every single board I have and future boards I will have. Do I know that not every board will sound as good if I only have those three choices? Absolutely. And I’m fine with that! Cherry MX linears for aluminum or metal plates, Cherry MX browns for plateless builds and sometimes plastic plates, and KTT roses for plastic plates is my usual strategy.
Stock Photos From Cherry's Website And Dangkeebs' KTT Roses Listing
And when it comes to keycaps, beige, white-on-black, black-on-white are my go-tos. I narrowed down my interests and figured out what I enjoyed about the hobby when it comes to things outside of the community!
Instead of drinking through a fire hose, I started drinking through a straw. I no longer felt overwhelmed about having so many options, I didn’t feel burnt out about having to stay on top of the latest and greatest releases, all I needed to care about was if a board came out that looked cool or not and if I wanted to support that designer or vendor!
Does that mean that I hate new switches coming out or don’t like any other aspect of the hobby? Absolutely not. I appreciate those things for what they are. But because I was content and finally understood what I enjoyed about the hobby, I could focus on those things that brought me joy (keyboards, specifically keyboard aesthetics) and not sweat the other stuff.
Now, does that mean you can’t like anything and everything? Does that mean you shouldn’t enjoy buying and trying new switches that come out? Of course not. Again, this tip is only for those that may be feeling overwhelmed or are burnt out. If your enjoyment levels are holding, and you’re not being negatively impacted by how you enjoy the hobby (or negatively impacting others), you do you!
2023 and onwards, for me, have been equally as enjoyable after I didn’t feel overwhelmed and after I realized what I enjoyed. I don’t have to worry about what switch I’ll use since I only have three choices, I don’t have to worry about what keycaps to use since I only have a few choices, I can focus purely on keyboards. And - within keyboards - aesthetics being most important over sound and feel.
I shrunk the hobby down to a manageable level to the point where I no longer felt overwhelmed. Instead of focusing on anything and everything, my field of vision narrowed and I don’t really worry about what’s in my peripherals.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, or burnt out, try and figure out what you truly enjoy about the hobby and focus your time and effort into those areas!
Tip 3: Educate Yourself
If you’re someone that just wants a quick recommendation or doesn’t really want to get into the hobby, I can see why someone may not want to really do research or learn more about the hobby in general.
However, like with many things, even a little bit of education and learning about aspects of the hobby can be beneficial, even for those that don’t really want to be “in” the hobby.
For everyone else… learning more about what goes into pricing for keyboards, keycaps or switches, materials, vendors, designers, the list goes on, can help you make sure that you first of all don’t get ripped off or spend more money than you have to, but secondly, it can help you determine what you really enjoy about the hobby.
You don’t have to learn about everything immediately either, but that willingness to seek out information and to be open to admitting that you don’t know everything can actually help you grow as a person.
For example, you may not be interested in anything but a keyboard when you first start, but then you find out about a brand, then you see if another brand sells something similar, then you dive deeper into why an item costs what it costs, whether it’s a good value proposition or if the price is justified, and so on. It can only benefit you in the long run.
As a beginner, you may not have a reference point. You may not know if a board that costs $100 is a good deal or not, and especially coming in brand new and having been using membrane keyboards or gaming keyboards, the pricing of many things may be astronomical. $500 for a keyboard!? I could buy a PS5 with that money!
But - say you take the time to understand why a $500 board is $500. Well, maybe it’s made of many different parts with many different materials like brass or copper. Maybe the design is intricate, so it costs more to CNC. Perhaps the board weighs a lot or very few units are made, resulting in a higher per unit cost versus a design that’s resulted in a thousand units being made.
Jack Explaining The Board Board
I can tell you that something is expensive or cheap, but without truly understanding the why, it’s just some arbitrary number.
That’s not to say that EVERYTHING has to be about value. If you see a board that costs $50 versus a similar board costing $200, the $50 board isn’t automatically “better”. This is where educating yourself to figure out what you enjoy comes into play.
If all you care about is bang-for-your-buck, that’s perfectly fine. Nowadays, boards that are sub $100 or even less are insane compared to just two years ago. You might be lucky to find a few boards that were passable back then, but nowadays, there are so many boards in that price range that offer a lot of customization, features that usually are found on more expensive boards, and so on. It may not sound as good as a more expensive board or be as intricate looking, but as long as you’re happy with your board, that’s all that matters.
And from the opposite view, just because you have a board that costs $200 versus the $50 board, that does not mean that you got scammed or that your purchase wasn’t worth it. It just depends on what you enjoy.
For me, I started off in the budget range of sub $100 boards, because I could not fathom spending more. Plastic Keychron K series, Tester68s, Akko boards, to me, they all sounded good, and I enjoyed them!
A Few Embarrassing Sound Test Videos From 2022
But as I learned more and more about the hobby, made friends with designers, figured out my preferences, I realized that I really love boards that may cost more, but have a great story behind them, or they cost more because I wanted a huge brass or copper weight which costs more than a plastic keyboard.
DCD Hundred Acres On Taiwanese James/Masjewerke's Prototype Muramasa And UK James/AKB's is0GR
There’s nothing wrong with continuing to enjoy cheaper boards if it makes you happy. I’m just explaining my own story and how I figured out what I enjoy! If a board is exactly what I want, and it costs less, of course I’d snap it up! But what I’m saying is that the characteristics that I’ve found that are most important for ME are not normally found in cheaper boards and are found in pricier boards, so I gravitate towards those boards currently. That does not mean that I dislike cheap boards. Heck, the BakenekoGO that I had the privilege of building with my friend is still currently my go-to recommendation if someone wants a cheap PC Bakeneko-esque 60% board!
You don’t HAVE to start with cheaper boards, but at least for me, it was a valuable experience. Plus, I didn’t go to the "latest and greatest" and most expensive boards right away. If I had done that without knowing anything about what went into the price of those boards, I probably wouldn't have learned as much about keebs and modding since at that time, a lot of cheaper boards required some love and tinkering to make them sound good (I wasn't as into aesthetics as I am now).
Also, educating yourself when it comes to vendors and designers can help you avoid situations where you’re joining a group buy or purchase an item only to realize that you got scammed. This happens rarely, but it has happened and will continue to happen. People that don’t know better get sucked in and without being educated enough, purchase things or join group buys that are nothing but cash grabs.
In the end, educating yourself can help you figure out what you enjoy, and also help you avoid bankrupting yourself. What’s the best way to learn about things? Well, that’s where the next tip comes in hand - the community!
Tip 4: Be Active In The Community
Ah, the community. In my opinion, the greatest way to enjoy the hobby. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, not by a longshot, but if there’s anything that will extend the longevity of a hobby for me, it’s being invested and enjoying being in a community. What if you’re an introvert or someone that is happy to just lurk or read things or watch things yet not comment or talk?
No problem! The feeling of being connected to someone or a group of people is what’s important. For example, when I finally decided that I wanted to really get into the hobby, I browsed r/mechanicalkeyboards, found a few content creators on YouTube and Twitch, and basically consumed keyboard content.
From doing that, I was able to decide where I enjoyed spending my time learning about keyboards the most, and from there, lurked in that place’s social hub. Whether it be a subreddit or a discord channel, forums like Geekhack, or any other place where that group congregated, I naturally gravitated towards those places that shared my same beliefs, humor, and interests.
I rarely commented or talked to anyone, but I still felt like I was part of that community. Slowly, I gathered up the courage to ask my newbie questions, found other newbies like me or kind enthusiasts that didn’t mind interacting with me, and soon enough, I was experiencing and learning about the hobby alongside like-minded individuals.
Eventually, I found the places where I felt like I fit in the most, where I enjoyed interacting with people, and even made friends! Do YOU have to go through the same cycle? Absolutely not! Again, you are content with asking a question here or there, or simply watching, that’s great! If you enjoy being part of a community, regardless of whether you comment or talk to people, then that’s the goal.
I learned (and continue to learn) so many things from super friendly people, which are the majority of people you meet in the hobby. Unless you’re arrogant, disrespectful, or asking about things the wrong way, the majority of people you meet are really nice and helpful.
2024 NYC Meetup
On top of that, I learned that there were real-life meetups where people gathered and brought their keebs or keyboard-related items to chat and interact with each other! There’s just something about being with other like-minded individuals and expressing your love of the hobby and hearing the same level of excitement from them. People and the community are truly what makes this hobby great.
2024 Iowa Meetup
2024 NYC Mini Meetup
One unintended consequence of befriending people in our hobby is that sometimes, those same people may end up designing a keyboard or keycap set that you could support! I was fortunate enough to have met James, aka Masjewerke, last year during Thocctober. Little did I know, I was about to start a friendship with someone who, turns out, started designing keebs and keycap sets! On top of all that, he’s an absolute gem, and one of the nicest and most generous people that I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting and calling a friend.
James/Masjewerke
Not only did our interests align in terms of design language for keyboards, but keycap sets and other aspects of the hobby, but now I had the chance to do anything and everything I could to support him and help him achieve his dreams through his designs. From an acquaintance who was partially responsible for me getting the greatest keyboard gift ever in the Muramasa, to a friend, and then to a friend that was also designing cool things that I enjoyed? I never would’ve thought that would happen.
Not everyone you meet is going to be genuine and a good person, but there are so many in our hobby that it just makes you happy that you’re in a hobby where there are so many generous individuals. For the most part, we’re all keyboard nerds that love the hobby, love talking about the hobby with each other, and love that we’re all on this keyboard journey together. The keyboard hobby is a great way to meet friends.
You can find fantastic people in any hobby, anywhere in life, but the fact that there is a disproportionate amount of good lads and ladettes in the keyboard hobby brings a smile to my face. Especially WHEN those unfortunate situations occur with vendors or designers, we see truly generous individuals step in to help and make a bad situation into one that’s somewhat salvageable.
You get people like Geon, who does everything he can to do things the right way and does all he can to fight against scalpers by simply making more boards. You get people like Hoff and Drop helping out Beesley and Cthalupa with Hundred Acres, Jae from Prototypist, NovelKeys Mike, Jerrold and Deskhero, the lads from CannonKeys, Omnitype, the list goes on regarding people and business that have stepped in and helped when vendors or designers have hurt the hobby.
There is so much good, so many friendly and helpful people, and so many instances where people sacrifice their own time or money to help make this hobby truly great.
2024 NYC Meetup
And the meetups, oh man. You know, sometimes, I forget that it really doesn’t matter why someone likes something as long as they like it. You see the happiness on someone’s face when they explain to you this insane split ergo DIY kit that they made or someone with a board that might not be considered as “good sounding” nowadays, and it really goes to show you that it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. If you enjoy something, that’s all that matters.
At the end of the day, everyone wants to feel like they belong somewhere. Life is already hard enough as it is, especially if you’ve been doing it solo for a while. You feel good about being a part of something. Everyone also wants to feel like they’re helpful. Maybe it’s helping newcomers the way that you were helped when you first entered the hobby, or doing your part to answer questions in help channels in discord or on various subreddit help posts. Maybe it’s helping the community you’re in to grow, or simply, just being in the background and happy that you’ve found a great community.
It truly is a blessing to have found such a fantastic hobby with such a fantastic community, and it makes the entire journey from learning about keyboards to calling yourself an enthusiast feel like it’s been worth it.
Tip 5: Have Balance
The last tip that I have for today is to have balance in anything that you do. This applies to every tip I’ve brought up in this article as well as life in general.
Feeling like you’re starting to have an issue with buying a lot of things or impulse buying? Take a step back and pause your spending.
Feel like you’re been spreading yourself a bit too thin and getting burnt out? Try and narrow your focus on a few things that you really enjoy and spend some time outside of the hobby.
Overwhelmed or have information overload? Take a break, focus on building on things you already know or solidify your understanding on topics before moving on to others.
Spending too much time on discord or a subreddit community? Set yourself a time limit every day to spend online until you feel like you’ve regained balance.
We Can Forget To Take Breaks
When you learn about a new hobby, you sometimes feel like you have to just submerge yourself in that hobby and you put other things aside in your life, for better or worse. If you’re someone that just wants to get in and out or wants to find an endgame and be done with the hobby, that’s your decision, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t do that.
For others, they want the keyboard hobby to be a part of their lives for a long time! Even if they do achieve an “endgame” board that they can enjoy and not necessarily purchase anything else, they stay connected to the community or hang out with friends, and they still enjoy the hobby even if they’re not necessarily buying as much as they used to.
If you’re in it for the long haul, balance is crucial, because unless you’re built differently, there will be times where you do have to step back a bit and take breaks every now and then to focus on other aspects of life. Maybe work picks up and you won’t be online as much in your communities. Perhaps you’re in grad school and you have to finish your thesis. Maybe you've become a parent!
You can still enjoy the hobby, albeit at a slower pace. You’re balancing being part of the hobby with the rest of your life - as you should!
There’s nothing wrong with being invested and spending more time keyboarding at various times of the year or your life as long as the other parts of your life aren’t negatively impacted, because chances are, you’ll balance that out by not being as active when you get busy in other parts of your life.
During this time of year, I’m usually spending more of my time focusing on my job or work and my family with hobbies kind of taking the back seat. I still enjoy keyboarding and lurking in different communities, but it’s a different level of engagement than, say, the spring or when work isn’t as hectic and the kids are at school.
Don't Forget To Smile And Enjoy The Other Aspects Of Your Life!
For most of us, the keyboard hobby is not a necessity, and spending time outside of the hobby is absolutely fine and sometimes required! Don’t feel like you have to live keyboards 24/7 and lose balance with the rest of the parts of your life.
Finally...
Unless you’re being disrespectful or negatively impacting your life or other people’s lives, there’s no “wrong” way to enjoy the hobby. There are so many reasons why someone gets introduced to the hobby, many reasons why people stay in the hobby, and why it’s currently a great time to be in the hobby.
Maybe it’s not as crazy with ICs, group buys, or new things coming out every other week like during 2020 and 2021, but the amount of options and the prices for so many things really make it a great time for keyboarding.
Communities are in full swing, the holidays are coming up so you may be able to introduce your friends and family to the hobby, and it’s just a great time in general. I don’t know about you, but the end of the year tends to make me more introspective and look back on what happened during the year. I remember the good times (and maybe subconsciously forget about the bad), being hopeful for the future and for good things to come.
Especially when it comes to the keyboard hobby. I hope this article has been somewhat helpful for you, and I truly do mean it when I say I’m appreciative of each and every one of you. It doesn’t matter if we’ve communicated before, if you’ve never watched any of my videos on YouTube, read any of my reviews, or even know who I am, or if you just skipped to the end. Thank you for being awesome, choosing to spend your precious time to look through this article, and here’s to an awesome end of the year and an even better 2025!
Jack's Board Board Brought To The 2024 Iowa Meetup
Tip 2: Figure Out Your Preferences The great (and sometimes stressful) thing about our hobby is that there are SO MANY ways to enjoy the hobby! There are keyboards, obviously, but then there are different layouts, and within those layouts, there’s mounting type, design language, plate material, and so on. Then, you have keycaps of various different manufacturers, colorways, different profiles, different materials, and then you have switches with god knows how many different combinations of materials, switch characteristics, and enough options for decision paralysis to kick in.