Would building my own keyboard save money?

[lemonadeboy]

I like keyboards, not really part of the community, but they're just neat! I have a Logitech K120 which I have plans of replacing some day, so I'm looking for mechanical keyboards in the 60% and TKL range and found some really cheap and cool looking ones, some of them are these "off-brand" types, but it doesn't matter to me. Building things yourself normally saves money, but in the keyboard community it doesn't seem to be the case from what I see, where people spend hundreds of dollars on their materials, and group buys, and all that stuff.. If I can save money like that, I wouldn't need anything too fancy, simply something like a plain chassis (?), keycaps, and regular boring mechanical switches (I personally love the Cherry MX Brown). Thanks in advance!
P.S, where can I find any of that stuff? Like the "chassis" (keyboard with nothing, and preferably easily built), keycaps and switches? I should note that I am in Brazil, so many of the services in NA or EU are likely unavailble, but don't be afraid to cite them!

[Oshino Shinobu]

No, it will be more expensive. It's a niche market and developing a board and chassis to allow for easily swapping keycaps isn't cheap, especially when the quantities aren't that high. 

[Eschew]

Hey there.

17 hours ago, lemonadeboy said:

so I'm looking for mechanical keyboards in the 60% and TKL range and found some really cheap and cool looking ones, some of them are these "off-brand" types, but it doesn't matter to me

It's possible to build a custom keeb on a budget and be decently satisfied with it, assuming you aren't too nit-picky about particular parts (specifically, parts that are usually only available through limited-time group buys / pre-orders).

• For 60%s, DZ60 + Tofu case builds are popular -- a fair number of custom keeb parts vendors carry compatible PCBs and cases. If DZ60 builds are outside of your budget, consider the GK61 / GK64 (and other identical kits, like the SK61 / SK64, GH60, etc.).
• For TKLs, the ID87, GK87 / GK87S, and GMMK TKL Barebones are probably the cheapest barebones kits that are readily available.

 

17 hours ago, lemonadeboy said:

Building things yourself normally saves money, but in the keyboard community it doesn't seem to be the case from what I see, where people spend hundreds of dollars on their materials, and group buys, and all that stuff. If I can save money like that

Generally speaking, not many enter the custom keeb hobby to save money. Aside from the individual cost of parts and shipping costs that rack up expenses, there's delivery times to consider. Mainstream parts like Red / Yellow / Black / Blue / Brown switches are usually in-stock. Anything unique or newly developed will usually be behind a months-long (emphasis: plural) group buy or pre-order, however.

 

If starting from the ground up is unappealing, an alternative would be to purchase a relatively cheap mechanical keeb (Anne Pro, Dierya, Royal Kludge, Redragon, etc.), and swap in your own switches or keycaps, or mod it to your own liking. I'd recommend looking at hot-swappable mechanical* keyboards, if you're interested in aftermarket switches and don't have easy access to a soldering iron / desoldering tools.

 

*Some boards will market themselves as hot-swappable optical keyboards. While they are hot-swappable, they won't be compatible with mechanical switches.

 

17 hours ago, lemonadeboy said:

P.S, where can I find any of that stuff? Like the "chassis" (keyboard with nothing, and preferably easily built), keycaps and switches? I should note that I am in Brazil, so many of the services in NA or EU are likely unavailble

KPrepublic is the one custom keeb parts vendor that offers free worldwide shipping. Their selection of parts is substantial, and generally budget-friendly. Though, they're based in China, so expect delivery to take 1 - 2 months.

• Keyboard Kits
• Switches
• Stabilizers
• Keycaps

For a more comprehensive list of custom keeb parts vendors, I'd suggest checking out this Vendors List. Note that not many are based in South America, although a number of vendors do offer international shipping. For instance:

• KBDfans (FAQs & Shipping Info): China
• Divinikey (Shipping Info): California, U.S.
• Flashquark (Shipping Info):New York, U.S.
• NovelKeys (Support Page): West Virginia, U.S.

I'd highly recommend checking their respective FAQs / Shipping Info pages before placing an order.

[darknessblade]

Yes and no.

 

it depends on what kind of Keyboard you want.

 

if you want a simple mechanical keyboard something like the Sharkoon skiller would be fine.

 

But if you want to go ergonomic, macro, RGB ETC ETC, its often cheaper to go custom/semi-custom