XR6

Welcome to the M122 club!

Here's a review of my IBM Model M 122, part number 1390888.
It was made on 10th March 1987 by IBM UK in Greenock, Scotland.
It's your usual Model M; it has membrane buckling springs, two-part dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, etc. As far as I'm aware, it was supposed to be used with the IBM 3270 terminal.
 

 
 
Buckling springs
You may have noticed I said membrane buckling springs. Yes, you read correctly. This is, in fact, a membrane keyboard.
When you press a key, a spring buckles. When the spring buckles, it pushes a little hammer onto contacts on a plastic membrane assembly, which completes a circuit, actuating the key.
 
Before I say anything about key feel, let me make it clear that key feel is a matter of personal taste. A switch I like could be a switch you dislike and vice versa.
 
This keyboard is like nothing else I've typed on.
The tactility is sharp and crisp. There's not loads of tactility, but since it's quite sharp, you can really feel it.
When you push the spring, the spring pushes your finger back. It feels like you're typing with the keyboard, not on it.
I can't detect any scratchiness, it's just nice and smooth.
 
This thing is ridiculously loud. Every keystroke creates a distinctive high-pitched ping, which I love. 
Even with my headphones on, it's really loud. It makes my previous keyboard (Dell AT102 w/ SKCM Black) sound silent in comparison.
If you don't like loud or pingy, avoid buckling springs.
 
This keyboard doesn't have n-key rollover. Might be a dealbreaker for some, but it hasn't been a problem for me.
Model Ms have 2 key rollover, however this M122 usually allows me to press up to 4 keys at a time.
 

(this is the seller's photo, I've taken only one good photo of this keyboard and I've already used it)
 
The build quality
The build quality is excellent.
 
There's very little case flex when twisted. If I put pressure on the case, it creaks a bit. During normal use, there's no creaking.
Model Ms usually have PVC cases, but for some reason, my keyboard's case is made of ABS. I've been told the Greenock factory would occasionally make cases out of ABS.
 
The keycaps are very nice, they're two-part dye-sublimated PBT.
They feel great, the legends are sharp as a whistle and the two-part design makes swapping the caps extremely easy.
Of course, with this keyboard being nearly 34 years old, a lot of the keycaps' texture has worn off — particularly on the numpad, enter and Daten Freigabe keys.
 
The stabilisers are great. In the 2 weeks I've been using this keyboard, I haven't noticed any wobbling or rattling.
If I try to move them, the spacebar rattles a bit but the backspace and right shift stay put.
 
On the inside, it's got a thick steel backplate with a rainbow-ish effect, which looks great.
It's got the usual plastic rivets, which is the main weak point of this keyboard. My board could do with a bolt mod, which I'll be doing soon.
 
It has a thick, grey coiled cable with a 240 degree 5-pin DIN connector on the end.
 

(again, the seller's photo)
 
Final thoughts
If you want a well-built keyboard with a crisp, tactile key feel then look no further.
Just try not to overpay for one of these. It's good, but not worth what some people ask for these on eBay. Especially when you have to convert it and you risk needing to do a bolt mod.
I'm talking about Model Ms in general here - not just the 122.
 
I paid £100 for this keyboard (that's $138.18). I'm happy with that and I feel like it was worth the money. But I don't think it's worth what a lot of eBay sellers ask for these.
If you can't find one at a reasonable price, just keep looking. You'll find one eventually.
 
There are a few little things that I'm not a fan of. They're not dealbreakers, but I feel like I should mention them anyway.
First thing is the tilde key and left function keys don't work with a Soarer's converter unless you map them. It's possible to map them, just works a bit differently than mapping other keys since they don't seem to send scan codes.
Second thing is that this doesn't have a print screen key. Again, it's a converter thing. Just have to map it, which I haven't got around to.
Third thing is how expensive these are. It was worth what I paid but damn that was a lot of money 😆

TL;DR - built like a tank, switches feel great, worth every penny.

Here's a review of my IBM Model M 122, part number 1390888.
It was made on 10th March 1987 by IBM UK in Greenock, Scotland.
It's your usual Model M; it has membrane buckling springs, two-part dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, etc. As far as I'm aware, it was supposed to be used with the IBM 3270 terminal.
 

 
 
Buckling springs
You may have noticed I said membrane buckling springs. Yes, you read correctly. This is, in fact, a membrane keyboard.
When you press a key, a spring buckles. When the spring buckles, it pushes a little hammer onto contacts on a plastic membrane assembly, which completes a circuit, actuating the key.
 
Before I say anything about key feel, let me make it clear that key feel is a matter of personal taste. A switch I like could be a switch you dislike and vice versa.
 
This keyboard is like nothing else I've typed on.
The tactility is sharp and crisp. There's not loads of tactility, but since it's quite sharp, you can really feel it.
When you push the spring, the spring pushes your finger back. It feels like you're typing with the keyboard, not on it.
I can't detect any scratchiness, it's just nice and smooth.
 
This thing is ridiculously loud. Every keystroke creates a distinctive high-pitched ping, which I love. 
Even with my headphones on, it's really loud. It makes my previous keyboard (Dell AT102 w/ SKCM Black) sound silent in comparison.
If you don't like loud or pingy, avoid buckling springs.
 
This keyboard doesn't have n-key rollover. Might be a dealbreaker for some, but it hasn't been a problem for me.
Model Ms have 2 key rollover, however this M122 usually allows me to press up to 4 keys at a time.
 

(this is the seller's photo, I've taken only one good photo of this keyboard and I've already used it)
 
The build quality
The build quality is excellent.
 
There's very little case flex when twisted. If I put pressure on the case, it creaks a bit. During normal use, there's no creaking.
Model Ms usually have PVC cases, but for some reason, my keyboard's case is made of ABS. I've been told the Greenock factory would occasionally make cases out of ABS.
 
The keycaps are very nice, they're two-part dye-sublimated PBT.
They feel great, the legends are sharp as a whistle and the two-part design makes swapping the caps extremely easy.
Of course, with this keyboard being nearly 34 years old, a lot of the keycaps' texture has worn off — particularly on the numpad, enter and Daten Freigabe keys.
 
The stabilisers are great. In the 2 weeks I've been using this keyboard, I haven't noticed any wobbling or rattling.
If I try to move them, the spacebar rattles a bit but the backspace and right shift stay put.
 
On the inside, it's got a thick steel backplate with a rainbow-ish effect, which looks great.
It's got the usual plastic rivets, which is the main weak point of this keyboard. My board could do with a bolt mod, which I'll be doing soon.
 
It has a thick, grey coiled cable with a 240 degree 5-pin DIN connector on the end.
 

(again, the seller's photo)
 
Final thoughts
If you want a well-built keyboard with a crisp, tactile key feel then look no further.
Just try not to overpay for one of these. It's good, but not worth what some people ask for these on eBay. Especially when you have to convert it and you risk needing to do a bolt mod.
I'm talking about Model Ms in general here - not just the 122.
 
I paid £100 for this keyboard (that's $138.18). I'm happy with that and I feel like it was worth the money. But I don't think it's worth what a lot of eBay sellers ask for these.
If you can't find one at a reasonable price, just keep looking. You'll find one eventually.
 
There are a few little things that I'm not a fan of. They're not dealbreakers, but I feel like I should mention them anyway.
First thing is the tilde key and left function keys don't work with a Soarer's converter unless you map them. It's possible to map them, just works a bit differently than mapping other keys since they don't seem to send scan codes.
Second thing is that this doesn't have a print screen key. Again, it's a converter thing. Just have to map it, which I haven't got around to.
Third thing is how expensive these are. It was worth what I paid but damn that was a lot of money 😆

TL;DR - built like a tank, switches feel great, worth every penny.

Here's a review of my IBM Model M 122, part number 1390888.
It was made on 10th March 1987 by IBM UK in Greenock, Scotland.
It's your usual Model M; it has membrane buckling springs, two-part dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, etc. As far as I'm aware, it was supposed to be used with the IBM 3270 terminal.
 

 
 
Buckling springs
You may have noticed I said membrane buckling springs. Yes, you read correctly. This is, in fact, a membrane keyboard.
When you press a key, a spring buckles. When the spring buckles, it pushes a little hammer onto contacts on a plastic membrane assembly, which completes a circuit, actuating the key.
 
Before I say anything about key feel, let me make it clear that key feel is a matter of personal taste. A switch I like could be a switch you dislike and vice versa.
 
This keyboard is like nothing else I've typed on.
The tactility is sharp and crisp. There's not loads of tactility, but since it's quite sharp, you can really feel it.
When you push the spring, the spring pushes your finger back. It feels like you're typing with the keyboard, not on it.
I can't detect any scratchiness, it's just nice and smooth.
 
This thing is ridiculously loud. Every keystroke creates a distinctive high-pitched ping, which I love. 
Even with my headphones on, it's really loud. It makes my previous keyboard (Dell AT102 w/ SKCM Black) sound silent in comparison.
If you don't like loud or pingy, avoid buckling springs.
 
This keyboard doesn't have n-key rollover. Might be a dealbreaker for some, but it hasn't been a problem for me.
Model Ms have 2 key rollover, however this M122 usually allows me to press up to 4 keys at a time.
 

(this is the seller's photo, I've taken only one good photo of this keyboard and I've already used it)
 
The build quality
The build quality is excellent.
 
There's very little case flex when twisted. If I put pressure on the case, it creaks a bit. During normal use, there's no creaking.
Model Ms usually have PVC cases, but for some reason, my keyboard's case is made of ABS. I've been told the Greenock factory would occasionally make cases out of ABS.
 
The keycaps are very nice, they're two-part dye-sublimated PBT.
They feel great, the legends are sharp as a whistle and the two-part design makes swapping the caps extremely easy.
Of course, with this keyboard being nearly 34 years old, a lot of the keycaps' texture has worn off — particularly on the numpad, enter and Daten Freigabe keys.
 
The stabilisers are great. In the 2 weeks I've been using this keyboard, I haven't noticed any wobbling or rattling.
If I try to move them, the spacebar rattles a bit but the backspace and right shift stay put.
 
On the inside, it's got a thick steel backplate with a rainbow-ish effect, which looks great.
It's got the usual plastic rivets, which is the main weak point of this keyboard. My board could do with a bolt mod, which I'll be doing soon.
 
It has a thick, grey coiled cable with a 240 degree 5-pin DIN connector on the end.
 

(again, the seller's photo)
 
Final thoughts
If you want a well-built keyboard with a crisp, tactile key feel then look no further.
Just try not to overpay for one of these. It's good, but not worth what some people ask for these on eBay. Especially when you have to convert it and you risk needing to do a bolt mod.
I'm talking about Model Ms in general here - not just the 122.
 
I paid £100 for this keyboard (that's $138.18). I'm happy with that and I feel like it was worth the money. But I don't think it's worth what a lot of eBay sellers ask for these.
If you can't find one at a reasonable price, just keep looking. You'll find one eventually.
 
There are a few little things that I'm not a fan of. They're not dealbreakers, but I feel like I should mention them anyway.
First thing is the tilde key and left function keys don't work with a Soarer's converter unless you map them. It's possible to map them, just works a bit differently than mapping other keys since they don't seem to send scan codes.
Second thing is that this doesn't have a print screen key. Again, it's a converter thing. Just have to map it, which I haven't got around to.
Third thing is how expensive these are. It was worth what I paid but damn that was a lot of money 😆

TL;DR - built like a tank, switches feel great, worth every penny.

Here's a review of my IBM Model M 122, part number 1390888.
It was made on 10th March 1987 by IBM UK in Greenock, Scotland.
It's your usual Model M; it has membrane buckling springs, two-part dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, etc. As far as I'm aware, it was supposed to be used with the IBM 3270 terminal.
 

 
 
Buckling springs
You may have noticed I said membrane buckling springs. Yes, you read correctly. This is, in fact, a membrane keyboard.
When you press a key, a spring buckles. When the spring buckles, it pushes a little hammer onto contacts on a plastic membrane assembly, which completes a circuit, actuating the key.
 
Before I say anything about key feel, let me make it clear that key feel is a matter of personal taste. A switch I like could be a switch you dislike and vice versa.
 
This keyboard is like nothing else I've typed on.
The tactility is sharp and crisp. There's not loads of tactility, but since it's quite sharp, you can really feel it.
When you push the spring, the spring pushes your finger back. It feels like you're typing with the keyboard, not on it.
I can't detect any scratchiness, it's just nice and smooth.
 
This thing is ridiculously loud. Every keystroke creates a distinctive high-pitched ping, which I love. 
Even with my headphones on, it's really loud. It makes my previous keyboard (Dell AT102 w/ SKCM Black) sound silent in comparison.
If you don't like loud or pingy, avoid buckling springs.
 
This keyboard doesn't have n-key rollover. Might be a dealbreaker for some, but it hasn't been a problem for me.
Model Ms have 2 key rollover, however this M122 usually allows me to press up to 4 keys at a time.
 

(this is the seller's photo, I've taken only one good photo of this keyboard and I've already used it)
 
The build quality
The build quality is excellent.
 
There's very little case flex when twisted. If I put pressure on the case, it creaks a bit. During normal use, there's no creaking.
Model Ms usually have PVC cases, but for some reason, my keyboard's case is made of ABS. I've been told the Greenock factory would occasionally make cases out of ABS.
 
The keycaps are very nice, they're two-part dye-sublimated PBT.
They feel great, the legends are sharp as a whistle and the two-part design makes swapping the caps extremely easy.
Of course, with this keyboard being nearly 34 years old, a lot of the keycaps' texture has worn off — particularly on the numpad, enter and Daten Freigabe keys.
 
The stabilisers are great. In the 2 weeks I've been using this keyboard, I haven't noticed any wobbling or rattling.
If I try to move them, the spacebar rattles a bit but the backspace and right shift stay put.
 
On the inside, it's got a thick steel backplate with a rainbow-ish effect, which looks great.
It's got the usual plastic rivets, which is the main weak point of this keyboard. My board could do with a bolt mod, which I'll be doing soon.
 
It has a thick, grey coiled cable with a 240 degree 5-pin DIN connector on the end.
 

(again, the seller's photo)
 
Final thoughts
If you want a well-built keyboard with a crisp, tactile key feel then look no further.
Just try not to overpay for one of these. It's good, but not worth what some people ask for these on eBay. Especially when you have to convert it and you risk needing to do a bolt mod.
I'm talking about Model Ms in general here - not just the 122.
 
I paid £100 for this keyboard (that's $138.18). I'm happy with that and I feel like it was worth the money. But I don't think it's worth what a lot of eBay sellers ask for these.
If you can't find one at a reasonable price, just keep looking. You'll find one eventually.
 
There are a few little things that I'm not a fan of. They're not dealbreakers, but I feel like I should mention them anyway.
First thing is the tilde key and left function keys don't work with a Soarer's converter unless you map them. It's possible to map them, just works a bit differently than mapping other keys since they don't seem to send scan codes.
Second thing is that this doesn't have a print screen key. Again, it's a converter thing. Just have to map it, which I haven't got around to.
Third thing is how expensive these are. It was worth what I paid but damn that was a lot of money 😆

TL;DR - built like a tank, switches feel great, worth every penny.

Here's a review of my IBM Model M 122, part number 1390888.
It was made on 10th March 1987 by IBM UK in Greenock, Scotland.
It's your usual Model M; it has membrane buckling springs, two-part dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, etc. As far as I'm aware, it was supposed to be used with the IBM 3270 terminal.
 

 
 
Buckling springs
You may have noticed I said membrane buckling springs. Yes, you read correctly. This is, in fact, a membrane keyboard.
When you press a key, a spring buckles. When the spring buckles, it pushes a little hammer onto contacts on a plastic membrane assembly, which completes a circuit, actuating the key.
 
Before I say anything about key feel, let me make it clear that key feel is a matter of personal taste. A switch I like could be a switch you dislike and vice versa.
 
This keyboard is like nothing else I've typed on.
The tactility is sharp and crisp. There's not loads of tactility, but since it's quite sharp, you can really feel it.
When you push the spring, the spring pushes your finger back. It feels like you're typing with the keyboard, not on it.
I can't detect any scratchiness, it's just nice and smooth.
 
This thing is ridiculously loud. Every keystroke creates a distinctive high-pitched ping, which I love. 
Even with my headphones on, it's really loud. It makes my previous keyboard (Dell AT102 w/ SKCM Black) sound silent in comparison.
If you don't like loud or pingy, avoid buckling springs.
 
This keyboard doesn't have n-key rollover. Might be a dealbreaker for some, but it hasn't been a problem for me.
Model Ms have 2 key rollover, however this M122 usually allows me to press up to 4 keys at a time.
 

(this is the seller's photo, I've taken only one good photo of this keyboard and I've already used it)
 
The build quality
The build quality is excellent.
 
There's very little case flex when twisted. If I put pressure on the case, it creaks a bit. During normal use, there's no creaking.
Model Ms usually have PVC cases, but for some reason, my keyboard's case is made of ABS. I've been told the Greenock factory would occasionally make cases out of ABS.
 
The keycaps are very nice, they're two-part dye-sublimated PBT.
They feel great, the legends are sharp as a whistle and the two-part design makes swapping the caps extremely easy.
Of course, with this keyboard being nearly 34 years old, a lot of the keycaps' texture has worn off — particularly on the numpad, enter and Daten Freigabe keys.
 
The stabilisers are great. In the 2 weeks I've been using this keyboard, I haven't noticed any wobbling or rattling.
If I try to move them, the spacebar rattles a bit but the backspace and right shift stay put.
 
On the inside, it's got a thick steel backplate with a rainbow-ish effect, which looks great.
It's got the usual plastic rivets, which is the main weak point of this keyboard. My board could do with a bolt mod, which I'll be doing soon.
 
It has a thick, grey coiled cable with a 240 degree 5-pin DIN connector on the end.
 

(again, the seller's photo)
 
Final thoughts
If you want a well-built keyboard with a crisp, tactile key feel then look no further.
Just try not to overpay for one of these. It's good, but not worth what some people ask for these on eBay. Especially when you have to convert it and you risk needing to do a bolt mod.
I'm talking about Model Ms in general here - not just the 122.
 
I paid £100 for this keyboard (that's $138.18). I'm happy with that and I feel like it was worth the money. But I don't think it's worth what a lot of eBay sellers ask for these.
If you can't find one at a reasonable price, just keep looking. You'll find one eventually.
 
There are a few little things that I'm not a fan of. They're not dealbreakers, but I feel like I should mention them anyway.
First thing is the tilde key and left function keys don't work with a Soarer's converter unless you map them. It's possible to map them, just works a bit differently than mapping other keys since they don't seem to send scan codes.
Second thing is that this doesn't have a print screen key. Again, it's a converter thing. Just have to map it, which I haven't got around to.
Third thing is how expensive these are. It was worth what I paid but damn that was a lot of money 😆

TL;DR - built like a tank, switches feel great, worth every penny.

Here's a review of my IBM Model M 122, part number 1390888.
It was made on 10th March 1987 by IBM UK in Greenock, Scotland.
It's your usual Model M; it has membrane buckling springs, two-part dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, etc. As far as I'm aware, it was supposed to be used with the IBM 3270 terminal.
 

 
 
Buckling springs
You may have noticed I said membrane buckling springs. Yes, you read correctly. This is, in fact, a membrane keyboard.
When you press a key, a spring buckles. When the spring buckles, it pushes a little hammer onto contacts on a plastic membrane assembly, which completes a circuit, actuating the key.
 
Before I say anything about key feel, let me make it clear that key feel is a matter of personal taste. A switch I like could be a switch you dislike and vice versa.
 
This keyboard is like nothing else I've typed on.
The tactility is sharp and crisp. There's not loads of tactility, but since it's quite sharp, you can really feel it.
When you push the spring, the spring pushes your finger back. It feels like you're typing with the keyboard, not on it.
I can't detect any scratchiness, it's just nice and smooth.
 
This thing is ridiculously loud. Every keystroke creates a distinctive high-pitched ping, which I love. 
Even with my headphones on, it's really loud. It makes my previous keyboard (Dell AT102 w/ SKCM Black) sound silent in comparison.
If you don't like loud or pingy, avoid buckling springs.
 
This keyboard doesn't have n-key rollover. Might be a dealbreaker for some, but it hasn't been a problem for me.
Model Ms have 2 key rollover, however this M122 usually allows me to press up to 4 keys at a time.
 

(this is the seller's photo, I've taken only one good photo of this keyboard and I've already used it)
 
The build quality
The build quality is excellent.
 
There's very little case flex when twisted. If I put pressure on the case, it creaks a bit. During normal use, there's no creaking.
Model Ms usually have PVC cases, but for some reason, my keyboard's case is made of ABS. I've been told the Greenock factory would occasionally make cases out of ABS.
 
The keycaps are very nice, they're two-part dye-sublimated PBT.
They feel great, the legends are sharp as a whistle and the two-part design makes swapping the caps extremely easy.
Of course, with this keyboard being nearly 34 years old, a lot of the keycaps' texture has worn off — particularly on the numpad, enter and Daten Freigabe keys.
 
The stabilisers are great. In the 2 weeks I've been using this keyboard, I haven't noticed any wobbling or rattling.
If I try to move them, the spacebar rattles a bit but the backspace and right shift stay put.
 
On the inside, it's got a thick steel backplate with a rainbow-ish effect, which looks great.
It's got the usual plastic rivets, which is the main weak point of this keyboard. My board could do with a bolt mod, which I'll be doing soon.
 
It has a thick, grey coiled cable with a 240 degree 5-pin DIN connector on the end.
 

(again, the seller's photo)
 
Final thoughts
If you want a well-built keyboard with a crisp, tactile key feel then look no further.
Just try not to overpay for one of these. It's good, but not worth what some people ask for these on eBay. Especially when you have to convert it and you risk needing to do a bolt mod.
I'm talking about Model Ms in general here - not just the 122.
 
I paid £100 for this keyboard (that's $138.18). I'm happy with that and I feel like it was worth the money. But I don't think it's worth what a lot of eBay sellers ask for these.
If you can't find one at a reasonable price, just keep looking. You'll find one eventually.
 
There are a few little things that I'm not a fan of. They're not dealbreakers, but I feel like I should mention them anyway.
First thing is the tilde key and left function keys don't work with a Soarer's converter unless you map them. It's possible to map them, just works a bit differently than mapping other keys since they don't seem to send scan codes.
Second thing is that this doesn't have a print screen key. Again, it's a converter thing. Just have to map it, which I haven't got around to.
Third thing is how expensive these are. It was worth what I paid but damn that was a lot of money 😆

TL;DR - built like a tank, switches feel great, worth every penny.

Here's a review of my IBM Model M 122, part number 1390888.
It was made on 10th March 1987 by IBM UK in Greenock, Scotland.
It's your usual Model M; it has membrane buckling springs, two-part dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, etc. As far as I'm aware, it was supposed to be used with the IBM 3270 terminal.
 

 
 
Buckling springs
You may have noticed I said membrane buckling springs. Yes, you read correctly. This is, in fact, a membrane keyboard.
When you press a key, a spring buckles. When the spring buckles, it pushes a little hammer onto contacts on a plastic membrane assembly, which completes a circuit, actuating the key.
 
Before I say anything about key feel, let me make it clear that key feel is a matter of personal taste. A switch I like could be a switch you dislike and vice versa.
 
This keyboard is like nothing else I've typed on.
The tactility is sharp and crisp. There's not loads of tactility, but since it's quite sharp, you can really feel it.
When you push the spring, the spring pushes your finger back. It feels like you're typing with the keyboard, not on it.
I can't detect any scratchiness, it's just nice and smooth.
 
This thing is ridiculously loud. Every keystroke creates a distinctive high-pitched ping, which I love. 
Even with my headphones on, it's really loud. It makes my previous keyboard (Dell AT102 w/ SKCM Black) sound silent in comparison.
If you don't like loud or pingy, avoid buckling springs.
 
This keyboard doesn't have n-key rollover. Might be a dealbreaker for some, but it hasn't been a problem for me.
Model Ms have 2 key rollover, however this M122 usually allows me to press up to 4 keys at a time.
 

(this is the seller's photo, I've taken only one good photo of this keyboard and I've already used it)
 
The build quality
The build quality is excellent.
 
There's very little case flex when twisted. If I put pressure on the case, it creaks a bit. During normal use, there's no creaking.
Model Ms usually have PVC cases, but for some reason, my keyboard's case is made of ABS. I've been told the Greenock factory would occasionally make cases out of ABS.
 
The keycaps are very nice, they're two-part dye-sublimated PBT.
They feel great, the legends are sharp as a whistle and the two-part design makes swapping the caps extremely easy.
Of course, with this keyboard being nearly 34 years old, a lot of the keycaps' texture has worn off — particularly on the numpad, enter and Daten Freigabe keys.
 
The stabilisers are great. In the 2 weeks I've been using this keyboard, I haven't noticed any wobbling or rattling.
If I try to move them, the spacebar rattles a bit but the backspace and right shift stay put.
 
On the inside, it's got a thick steel backplate with a rainbow-ish effect, which looks great.
It's got the usual plastic rivets, which is the main weak point of this keyboard. My board could do with a bolt mod, which I'll be doing soon.
 
It has a thick, grey coiled cable with a 240 degree 5-pin DIN connector on the end.
 

(again, the seller's photo)
 
Final thoughts
If you want a well-built keyboard with a crisp, tactile key feel then look no further.
Just try not to overpay for one of these. It's good, but not worth what some people ask for these on eBay. Especially when you have to convert it and you risk needing to do a bolt mod.
I'm talking about Model Ms in general here - not just the 122.
 
I paid £100 for this keyboard (that's $138.18). I'm happy with that and I feel like it was worth the money. But I don't think it's worth what a lot of eBay sellers ask for these.
If you can't find one at a reasonable price, just keep looking. You'll find one eventually.
 
There are a few little things that I'm not a fan of. They're not dealbreakers, but I feel like I should mention them anyway.
First thing is the tilde key and left function keys don't work with a Soarer's converter unless you map them. It's possible to map them, just works a bit differently than mapping other keys since they don't seem to send scan codes.
Second thing is that this doesn't have a print screen key. Again, it's a converter thing. Just have to map it, which I haven't got around to.
Third thing is how expensive these are. It was worth what I paid but damn that was a lot of money 😆

TL;DR - built like a tank, switches feel great, worth every penny.

Here's a review of my IBM Model M 122, part number 1390888.
It was made on 10th March 1987 by IBM UK in Greenock, Scotland.
It's your usual Model M; it has membrane buckling springs, two-part dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, etc. As far as I'm aware, it was supposed to be used with the IBM 3270 terminal.
 

 
 
Buckling springs
You may have noticed I said membrane buckling springs. Yes, you read correctly. This is, in fact, a membrane keyboard.
When you press a key, a spring buckles. When the spring buckles, it pushes a little hammer onto contacts on a plastic membrane assembly, which completes a circuit, actuating the key.
 
Before I say anything about key feel, let me make it clear that key feel is a matter of personal taste. A switch I like could be a switch you dislike and vice versa.
 
This keyboard is like nothing else I've typed on.
The tactility is sharp and crisp. There's not loads of tactility, but since it's quite sharp, you can really feel it.
When you push the spring, the spring pushes your finger back. It feels like you're typing with the keyboard, not on it.
I can't detect any scratchiness, it's just nice and smooth.
 
This thing is ridiculously loud. Every keystroke creates a distinctive high-pitched ping, which I love. 
Even with my headphones on, it's really loud. It makes my previous keyboard (Dell AT102 w/ SKCM Black) sound silent in comparison.
If you don't like loud or pingy, avoid buckling springs.
 
This keyboard doesn't have n-key rollover. Might be a dealbreaker for some, but it hasn't been a problem for me.
Model Ms have 2 key rollover, however this M122 usually allows me to press up to 4 keys at a time.
 

(this is the seller's photo, I've taken only one good photo of this keyboard and I've already used it)
 
The build quality
The build quality is excellent.
 
There's very little case flex when twisted. If I put pressure on the case, it creaks a bit. During normal use, there's no creaking.
Model Ms usually have PVC cases, but for some reason, my keyboard's case is made of ABS. I've been told the Greenock factory would occasionally make cases out of ABS.
 
The keycaps are very nice, they're two-part dye-sublimated PBT.
They feel great, the legends are sharp as a whistle and the two-part design makes swapping the caps extremely easy.
Of course, with this keyboard being nearly 34 years old, a lot of the keycaps' texture has worn off — particularly on the numpad, enter and Daten Freigabe keys.
 
The stabilisers are great. In the 2 weeks I've been using this keyboard, I haven't noticed any wobbling or rattling.
If I try to move them, the spacebar rattles a bit but the backspace and right shift stay put.
 
On the inside, it's got a thick steel backplate with a rainbow-ish effect, which looks great.
It's got the usual plastic rivets, which is the main weak point of this keyboard. My board could do with a bolt mod, which I'll be doing soon.
 
It has a thick, grey coiled cable with a 240 degree 5-pin DIN connector on the end.
 

(again, the seller's photo)
 
Final thoughts
If you want a well-built keyboard with a crisp, tactile key feel then look no further.
Just try not to overpay for one of these. It's good, but not worth what some people ask for these on eBay. Especially when you have to convert it and you risk needing to do a bolt mod.
I'm talking about Model Ms in general here - not just the 122.
 
I paid £100 for this keyboard (that's $138.18). I'm happy with that and I feel like it was worth the money. But I don't think it's worth what a lot of eBay sellers ask for these.
If you can't find one at a reasonable price, just keep looking. You'll find one eventually.
 
There are a few little things that I'm not a fan of. They're not dealbreakers, but I feel like I should mention them anyway.
First thing is the tilde key and left function keys don't work with a Soarer's converter unless you map them. It's possible to map them, just works a bit differently than mapping other keys since they don't seem to send scan codes.
Second thing is that this doesn't have a print screen key. Again, it's a converter thing. Just have to map it, which I haven't got around to.
Third thing is how expensive these are. It was worth what I paid but damn that was a lot of money 😆

TL;DR - built like a tank, switches feel great, worth every penny.

Here's a review of my IBM Model M 122, part number 1390888.
It was made on 10th March 1987 by IBM UK in Greenock, Scotland.
It's your usual Model M; it has membrane buckling springs, two-part dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, etc. As far as I'm aware, it was supposed to be used with the IBM 3270 terminal.
 

 
 
Buckling springs
You may have noticed I said membrane buckling springs. Yes, you read correctly. This is, in fact, a membrane keyboard.
When you press a key, a spring buckles. When the spring buckles, it pushes a little hammer onto contacts on a plastic membrane assembly, which completes a circuit, actuating the key.
 
Before I say anything about key feel, let me make it clear that key feel is a matter of personal taste. A switch I like could be a switch you dislike and vice versa.
 
This keyboard is like nothing else I've typed on.
The tactility is sharp and crisp. There's not loads of tactility, but since it's quite sharp, you can really feel it.
When you push the spring, the spring pushes your finger back. It feels like you're typing with the keyboard, not on it.
I can't detect any scratchiness, it's just nice and smooth.
 
This thing is ridiculously loud. Every keystroke creates a distinctive high-pitched ping, which I love. 
Even with my headphones on, it's really loud. It makes my previous keyboard (Dell AT102 w/ SKCM Black) sound silent in comparison.
If you don't like loud or pingy, avoid buckling springs.
 
This keyboard doesn't have n-key rollover. Might be a dealbreaker for some, but it hasn't been a problem for me.
Model Ms have 2 key rollover, however this M122 usually allows me to press up to 4 keys at a time.
 

(this is the seller's photo, I've taken only one good photo of this keyboard and I've already used it)
 
The build quality
The build quality is excellent.
 
There's very little case flex when twisted. If I put pressure on the case, it creaks a bit. During normal use, there's no creaking.
Model Ms usually have PVC cases, but for some reason, my keyboard's case is made of ABS. I've been told the Greenock factory would occasionally make cases out of ABS.
 
The keycaps are very nice, they're two-part dye-sublimated PBT.
They feel great, the legends are sharp as a whistle and the two-part design makes swapping the caps extremely easy.
Of course, with this keyboard being nearly 34 years old, a lot of the keycaps' texture has worn off — particularly on the numpad, enter and Daten Freigabe keys.
 
The stabilisers are great. In the 2 weeks I've been using this keyboard, I haven't noticed any wobbling or rattling.
If I try to move them, the spacebar rattles a bit but the backspace and right shift stay put.
 
On the inside, it's got a thick steel backplate with a rainbow-ish effect, which looks great.
It's got the usual plastic rivets, which is the main weak point of this keyboard. My board could do with a bolt mod, which I'll be doing soon.
 
It has a thick, grey coiled cable with a 240 degree 5-pin DIN connector on the end.
 

(again, the seller's photo)
 
Final thoughts
If you want a well-built keyboard with a crisp, tactile key feel then look no further.
Just try not to overpay for one of these. It's good, but not worth what some people ask for these on eBay. Especially when you have to convert it and you risk needing to do a bolt mod.
I'm talking about Model Ms in general here - not just the 122.
 
I paid £100 for this keyboard (that's $138.18). I'm happy with that and I feel like it was worth the money. But I don't think it's worth what a lot of eBay sellers ask for these.
If you can't find one at a reasonable price, just keep looking. You'll find one eventually.
 
There are a few little things that I'm not a fan of. They're not dealbreakers, but I feel like I should mention them anyway.
First thing is the tilde key and left function keys don't work with a Soarer's converter unless you map them. It's possible to map them, just works a bit differently than mapping other keys since they don't seem to send scan codes.
Second thing is that this doesn't have a print screen key. Again, it's a converter thing. Just have to map it, which I haven't got around to.
Third thing is how expensive these are. It was worth what I paid but damn that was a lot of money 😆

TL;DR - built like a tank, switches feel great, worth every penny.

The oldest Model Ms have a silver square badge, the middle(?) Ms have a grey oval badge and the newer Ms have a blue and grey oval badge.
The earlier Model Ms had thick cases and thick steel plates, which got thinner over time.
Cables also changed over time, but can't remember how they changed.
Not really. As far as I'm aware there's not much difference between British, American and Mexican made Model Ms.

TLDR with the differences: over time, IBM and later Lexmark applied some cost-saving measures to the design to keep them 'competitive' with the rising horde of rubber dome keyboards at the time (which can be generalised into four generations, of which Unicomp continues to make the the fourth). Whilst it's argued whether these actually affected typing feel (some notice a relative difference, some don't, but all good condition Model Ms will type well anyway), it does potentially have quality of life implications. Deskthority's article on the subject explains the difference quite well, but TLDR in Enhanced Keyboard (101/102 key Model M) terms:
The metal backplate got progressively thinner resulting in a reducation of weight Metal wire key stabilisers were swapped with plastic rod ones Later Ms added drainage holes and/or channels for liquid spillage Modular SDL to AT or PS/2 cables were progressively discarded in favour of fixed cables The final generation had a unique controller board design that resulted in a change of the lock-light LED alignment from bottom-left to top-middleish Of course, the IBM logo badge changed For the most part, I wouldn't worry about the factory. Whenever IBM introduced a change to the design, most of the factories (predominately IBM UK, IBM US Lexington later Lexmark after 1991, IBM US Rest Of until 1993-ish, and IBM Mexico) seemed to have synced up within a year. The only major difference to note is that IBM UK Model Ms have a ABS spacebar with a grounding wire underneath, due to stricter European law to combat against static electricity build-up caused by CRTs, and they only partially implemented the drainage system (added holes for liquid to escape, but didn't add channels to make it easy for that to happen). Neither affect the typing feel or overall build quality, but just note the ABS spacebar can yellow. If that bothers you, you can just order a PBT-made replacement from Unicomp or find a US/Mexico sourced PBT spacebar off eBay.
 
As to what to look for and look out for:
Rivets. All Enhanced Keyboard-style Model Ms have an internal assembly held together with many plastic rivets that can break over time. If too many are missing, you run the risk of it feeling less crisp to type on or outright failure that can only be fixed with doing a 'bolt-mod' yourself or sending it to Unicomp for refurbishment. Some might have differing opinions, but usually up to five missing *should* be alright provided the ones missing are spread out (if ~5 were missing in one spot, there's probably trouble!) The 7-digit part number on the back. The part number can be used to reveal most of the specs of the keyboard, confirm it's genuine by comparing the keyboard with other known examples, and tell what system they were originally intended for and what their connection type might be if not visible/stated. As a rule of thumb for PC-compatibles, 139012x/139014x (without lights for locks) means it's XT auto-sense, 139013x means AT, 13914xx means PS/2 systems, 92G74xx/42H12xx means PS/2 or other mid-'90s systems, etc. They can also reveal if it's a rubber dome variant that you probably want to avoid (71G46xx). Anyway, you can use my website's database, r/ModelM's wiki (which is based on my website's data anyway, in slimmer form), or deskthority's wiki to find out the specs of a keyboard from it's part number (provided it's known, if not and you can't find out more from Google, just post the part number here and I can help you) The connection, given terminal Model Ms exist. Usually, it's obvious since most 102-key terminal Ms have an RJ-45-like modular jack, but there's some (like 13863xx) out there with a DIN connector that looks like AT but has a different pin arrange (240-degree vs AT's 180-degree arrangement). If unsure, the part number can be used to find this out. Hope this helps!

I bought a battleship. 

Nay, I doth not

I bought a battleship. 

Sire, doth thine owneth a Volvo?

Nay, I doth not

I paid for this yesterday but it's all to go down to see my bf again :^) @PlayStation 2 😳💗



 

Thanks!! I did the Bonsai Tree the same night I posted I received it. Unfortunately, The White House kit will have to wait as I'm out of space lmao. I got to follow that thread and see what's going on there. Thanks for letting me know!!
 
On a side note, the Statue of Liberty kit I've had in my room for the longest time, I built that today and is right next to my monitor for now. 

Well, uh, I wasn't anticipating on winning this, but uh...

A VHS screener of the SpongeBob Movie. I think this might be the most I've ever dropped on a single tape, but at the same time, I can't feel too bad about it because this is a very late VHS screener.

Amazing, happy Building ! And when you're finished don't forget to show them off in our awesome Lego Thread:
 

Biggest PC monitor I’ve ever owned..ok ok ok it’s. a TV...used with my main rig and my XBox One X mad PS4 Pro...it’s a Samsung UN65TU8000 65 inch 4K TV...just got it mounted so not final finishes around it.

Good ol' StarTech, always there with dumb shit when you need it. USB 2.0 card and a 3.5 to 5.25" adapter for my XP rig showed up today. The fruits of my labor can be seen here.

Bought a couple things, which I should have bought some time ago to move forward in some of my hobbies/project:

Shitty phone pic is all I have (and all you should expect from me tbh).
 
Got a soldering station, Hakko FX888D, some flux, two sizes of tin to go with it and a soldering mat. Also got an ESD bracelet, because I feel like I should have one for some of the projects.
Not pictured is a multimeter, so no more borrowing a shitty one from someone else 😄 With my novice level skills it may as well be a "continuity meter, which I sometimes use for measuring other stuff".
 
P.S. the grime on the mat is from working on it today.

ASUS PCE-AX58BT PCI-E Wireless Adapter
Can you say "frivolous purchase"? 😂
 
[On some public stream, somewhere.]
'Chew: ...So, I'm torn between buying keycaps or a new motherboard. Might go with the keycaps, 'cos they're a limited-run thing, and I don't need the motherboard right now...
Also 'Chew: [...Buys a wireless adapter and installs it on the GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI, because WHY THE HECC NOT.]
 
BEFORE Y'ALL GET ON MY CASE.
I'm planning to use this with an ASUS PRIME X570-PRO -- which doesn't have WiFi -- sometime in the future. It's not meant to be a permanent addition to the WiFi MOBO, m'kay. 🤣
 
Also, this was my first purchase from Amazon that I was genuinely dissatisfied with. Was specifically dissatisfied with the packaging:
 

ASUS PCE-AX58BT PCI-E Wireless Adapter - Backside

Excuse the friggity feck outta me.
The heck is that huge-ass gash supposed to be.
 
Bought the item as new, sold by and shipped from Amazon.com -- not from some third-party seller, and not from Amazon Warehouse.
 

ASUS PCE-AX58BT PCI-E Wireless Adapter - Box Contents
Having Trouble?

Gonna call Amazon, though. Not ASUS's fault.
 
Thankfully, all the items/accessories inside were all undamaged. Buuut I'm not gonna tell Amazon that.  Instead, I'ma bitch about the damaged box over the phone, and get a measly $10.44 (IDK why the odd number?) in Amazon credit for my trouble, lol.
 

ASUS PCE-AX58BT PCI-E Wireless Adapter
Purdy lil' thang. 👀