Esra!!! So nice to see you here!! And thank you for sticking to this "irregular channel" from the beginning! I'm the one without words to express my gratitude for your support throughout these years!!!
Jeff ma' man!!! Thank you for the support my good Sir!! 2023 was a bit rough with my new day job, so it was difficult to find the time to make more videos. But I had to find a way to come back (content creation is an addiction as it turns out 😆)
While not widely available, the OTD 356mini predates the KBC Poker by about a year, originally running in 2010. It was way ahead of it's time boasting an aluminum chassis, brass weight, and pioneered the gummy o-ring mount. If this video was about that board, you probably wouldn't be modding it lol
Hey Sam, you're by far my favorite keyboard content creator. Your organization, production quality, and segment lengths you put on the bottom and top of the screen are perfect imo. Keep doing what you're doing!!
Hey Corsino! Thank you so much my friend!!! It means the world to small content creators like me to read feedback such as yours!! Despite all the challenges of modern life (when we have so little time to do all the things that we need and want to do), I can tell you that this channel shall keep going (always with the ever important time stamps progress bars 😁)! Creating content is therapeutic to me, so putting these videos out is as important to me as it is to supporters of this channel such as yourself. Thanks again for sticking with me on this journey!
Thank you for such nice words my friend!!! I'm the one grateful for having nice people like you as my audience!!🙏 Changes in my day job last year consumed most of my time and energy, which prevented me from continue my work here in the channel. But in 2024, I'm determined to come back and find a way to post more often here in the channel. And I think that sharing a bit of my personal journey into this hobby with today's video was the best way to start the new year.
Hehe, thank you so much!!! Happy to know my approach to keyboard videos feels different from the rest out there. That is always the goal when I'm producing them, so it is good to know it is working 😁
Dang the update sounds amazing! What a phenomenal and through project! Another amazing video, thank you for all the effort on these videos, they are truly wonderful to watch!
I like the sound of that! 'Rigorous' fits my intent around here better than any other word on the dictionary! 👊😁 Thank you so much my friend! And I'm thrilled to have you around for all my future keyboard shenanigans!!
It sure does my friend! I'm not gonna lie: producing this video sent me into a bit of a nostalgy spiral... And then a reinforced feeling of "lust for life" (as the great Iggy Pop would say: th-cam.com/video/jQvUBf5l7Vw/w-d-xo.html). And thank you for dropping by!!!👊
Thank you so much Aurelius!!! Very much appreciated!! And yes, I have started 2024 very well indeed (after a rather convoluted 2023 with a routine change involving my day job that consumed most of my time and energy). But here's to a much better year in 2024 with (hopefully) more videos in the channel! 🙏
Love the video, Sam! For backlit keycaps with south facing legends, have you looked into lava caps? As far as I'm aware, they're about the only set that meets that criteria.
Thank you so much!! As for the Lava set, I remember seeing someone showing it on their GMMK Pro on Reddit a while ago, and it had centered backlit legends (which while not as good as bottom legends, would still be better than regular top backlit legends). But then I remember not being able to find this particular model to buy at the time (apparently it had sold out precisely because of the mobs of GMMK Pro owners gobbling the entire inventory of these caps).
Thank you!!! Yeah... I don't mind doing new keyboard reviews (those can be fun to do when the vendors send them well in advance that is). But truth is, TH-cam has plenty of channels doing that already. My passion is modding and breathing new life into old tech, which happens to be a "less traveled road" here on TH-cam (at least for keyboards). So, there will be a lot more of these passion projects in this channel going forward.
Wow, so funny that I recently did this with my Pok3r and Race 3 for my kids! I figured they would learn a bit of desoldering and soldering by going through the switch swap and they found it exciting picking out switches and keycaps for their "new" keyboards. As an aside, having a real soldering iron and solder sucker really reduces one's frustration. We got Wuque Studio Clears for the Pok3r and Gateron Milky Yellows and reasonably priced, more colorful keycaps for the boards. I could not find an aftermarket case for the Race 3, but the Pok3r had been with me for so long I had replaced the stock case years ago with a chunky machined aluminum case. Everyone was satisfied with the looks by the end with the switches and keycaps and cleaning and lubing the clip-in stabs was a revelation. However, nothing we had on hand helped the Race 3 sound less hollow and the Pok3r, while sounding less hollow, has some pinging that could probably be fixed relatively easily, but coming from the cheap boards and laptop keyboards these kids have used, they both sound and feel super amazing.
"This is the way!"... Teaching your kids how to mod and build their own gear from the get-go!! 👊😆 That's the thing about the "poker standard": to this day you'll be able to find cases and PCBs to keep them going (which the Race 3 with its non-standard size and layout don't have the same luxury). I know we all love some shiny new keyboard every once in a while, but there is something so special about breathing new life into old tech, right? I just love doing these types of projects! And if I can find the time this year, I'll finally post my similar restoration to my Filco Majestouch 2 TKL (which might have been my biggest "masterpiece restoration" so far).
Genuinely surprised you didnt opt for a new GH60 style PCB but i guess theres only so much you can "ship of theseus" before you end up with a completely different board
I happen to have a GH60 PCB (plus another 2 other Poker compatible PCBs in my box of parts for other projects). But I think the PCB is part of the "soul" of a keyboard... So I somehow feel like I could no longer call it a "KBT Pure" if I replaced its PCB. But the fact that we have so many options for Poker compatible cases and PCBs from a multitude of vendors to this day (including the best gaming keyboard in the market today, the Wooting 60HE, which is also a Poker compatible board) goes to show how big the impact of that original design was...
Well, we'll definitely have other projects like this here in the channel! The next one will be an even more radical makeover for my Filco Majestouch TKL... ⏳
Thank you!!! And talking about the CM Storm Quickfire, mine is still being used to this day by my Dad (who loves that keyboard!). Coolermaster used one of the best keyboard OEMs in Asia to make those boards at that time (the same one who makes some of Leopold boards), which explains why those early CMs were so good.
At some point, I had the Vortex Core (the only assembled modern mechanical keyboard I have bought) and was considering swapping out the MX Browns with Zealios 65g before I bricked the PCB by spilling some Coke on it. Your video reminded me of that potential "project". Anyway, great video as always. I didn't get started with mechanical keyboards 10 years ago but this still got me nostalgic for times past. I think there is something about the simplicity of these keyboards that I really like.
Thank you!! And R.I.P. that Vortex Core! 😆 And yeah... It defintely feels strange to already be nostalgic about the beginings of this hobby... I guess it finally hit me that I've been in this rabit hole for long enough for some of these memories to start feeling distant.
Thank you Maroun!!! I figured a bit of my own history in this hobby would be appropriate to my viewers at this point, and I'm so glad to see this was positively received!
Great video, I really enjoyed learning more about your journey in this hobby. Have you thought about getting a reproduction Model F? I'm waiting impatiently for my copy of an F77.
Thank you!!! And yeah, I already have a reproduction Model F! :) I bought my F62 “Kishsaver” repro in early 2022 (and got miffed to see you can buy the same board now for half the price I paid back then 😒). I had an issue with some of the "flippers" in my board, which required me to buy additional ones to replace some of the originals (which apparently were not conductive enough to close the circuit and actuate the switch). And that delayed my plans to finish a video for it in 2022 (and then I took a new daytime job in 2023 which delayed everything even further). But yeah... There will be a video about it here at some point. But my take on them is that they are not for beginners...They are a fantastic opportunity for enthusiasts to get a feel for what the original buckling spring keyboards from IBM felt like, while keeping some modern amenities (USB, QMK and modern ANSI layout). But servicing (and programing them over QMK) are not for the faint of heart 😂
Right? I did not expect that combination of LEDs and white PBT to look so nice! The warm tonality of the light through the keycaps is a perfect mix of modern with a touch of retro😙👌 And thank YOU for stopping by and leaving such nice feedback!
I've been spoiled on mechanical keyboards. I've only used Apple Extended Keyboard II with orange alps, model Fs and model Ms. Nowadays, my daily driver is a Next Keyboard non-ADB with Alps black. Meus teclados fode todos!
😂😂 Dude... We all know that nothing touches Alps! By the way, I have a ton of Alps projects (originals and clones) coming up around here! Fica ligado no canal ☝😏
I love his mechanical keyboards history videos! There aren't too many content creators producing videos about the beginings of this hobby, so it is always nice when someone spends the time to do it the way he does!
😂 True... This will never come close to a modern custom keyboard, naturally (this is the kind of board you need case foam and PE switch pads to save it). But at least it is quite usable now (unlike before... lol). But this one is a keeper mostly for its history (and my emotional attachment to it), of course...
Thank you TechGuy!!! Appreciated ma' man!!! I asked myself that same question before, and in the end my conclusion is that it is more difficult to produce content for a more mature audience on TH-cam (that is not simply a “meme fest” filled with jump cuts), not only because the type of content I try to do here is far more difficult and time consuming to produce (and thus more difficult to post regularly - and regularity is something the YT algorithm favors), but also because the vast majority of people watching TH-cam are not mature audiences (and as a result don’t appreciate this type of more “serious” long format content). So, I think that while the creators that can quickly grow TH-cam channels today appear to be “worse” in our eyes, the reality is that they are doing the type of content that the masses on TH-cam prefer to watch. It might be a sad truth, but it is still the truth… lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But that's fine... I rather go for quality, rather than quantity, when it comes down to my audiences! :)
There are absolutely no words to describe how much I enjoy your videos.
Esra!!! So nice to see you here!! And thank you for sticking to this "irregular channel" from the beginning! I'm the one without words to express my gratitude for your support throughout these years!!!
The quality is so good.
The perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon; a cup of tea and a new IO Sam vid!
Hehe... ☕ Thanks man!!! Nice to have your here!!
Good to see you back!!
Jeff ma' man!!! Thank you for the support my good Sir!! 2023 was a bit rough with my new day job, so it was difficult to find the time to make more videos. But I had to find a way to come back (content creation is an addiction as it turns out 😆)
While not widely available, the OTD 356mini predates the KBC Poker by about a year, originally running in 2010. It was way ahead of it's time boasting an aluminum chassis, brass weight, and pioneered the gummy o-ring mount. If this video was about that board, you probably wouldn't be modding it lol
Hehe, yeah... OTD boards were already "unicorns" when were new... Today you could pay off your mortgage with one of those! 😂
loved this video man. crazy to see the difference in what the hobby prioritized before and now.
Thank you so much!! And yeah... The mechanical keyboards hobby has come a very long way since 2012 indeed! We're kinda spoiled today... 😆
Hey Sam, you're by far my favorite keyboard content creator. Your organization, production quality, and segment lengths you put on the bottom and top of the screen are perfect imo. Keep doing what you're doing!!
Hey Corsino! Thank you so much my friend!!! It means the world to small content creators like me to read feedback such as yours!!
Despite all the challenges of modern life (when we have so little time to do all the things that we need and want to do), I can tell you that this channel shall keep going (always with the ever important time stamps progress bars 😁)!
Creating content is therapeutic to me, so putting these videos out is as important to me as it is to supporters of this channel such as yourself. Thanks again for sticking with me on this journey!
I am SO grateful that you are back making videos!! Sam, you are the best.
Thank you for such nice words my friend!!! I'm the one grateful for having nice people like you as my audience!!🙏
Changes in my day job last year consumed most of my time and energy, which prevented me from continue my work here in the channel.
But in 2024, I'm determined to come back and find a way to post more often here in the channel. And I think that sharing a bit of my personal journey into this hobby with today's video was the best way to start the new year.
Please go on, your content is like fresh air))
Hehe, thank you so much!!! Happy to know my approach to keyboard videos feels different from the rest out there.
That is always the goal when I'm producing them, so it is good to know it is working 😁
Dang the update sounds amazing! What a phenomenal and through project! Another amazing video, thank you for all the effort on these videos, they are truly wonderful to watch!
Thank you Marbs!!! It was indeed quite a makeover on the acoustics department!! 😂 Glad you enjoyed this "labor of love" video!
Brand new to the keyboard world the past month or so, and you have, by far, the most rigorous channel on the subject. Keep up the great work! Subbed
I like the sound of that! 'Rigorous' fits my intent around here better than any other word on the dictionary! 👊😁
Thank you so much my friend! And I'm thrilled to have you around for all my future keyboard shenanigans!!
Feeling nostalgic already seeing this build! 10 years sure passes quickly. Great video!
It sure does my friend! I'm not gonna lie: producing this video sent me into a bit of a nostalgy spiral... And then a reinforced feeling of "lust for life" (as the great Iggy Pop would say: th-cam.com/video/jQvUBf5l7Vw/w-d-xo.html).
And thank you for dropping by!!!👊
What a comprehensive video. Very enjoyable watch!
Thank you Brad!!! 🙏 Happy to read such nice feedback!!
Love seeing your videos in my feed. Hope 2024 is treating you well so far!
Thank you so much Aurelius!!! Very much appreciated!! And yes, I have started 2024 very well indeed (after a rather convoluted 2023 with a routine change involving my day job that consumed most of my time and energy).
But here's to a much better year in 2024 with (hopefully) more videos in the channel! 🙏
Love the video, Sam! For backlit keycaps with south facing legends, have you looked into lava caps? As far as I'm aware, they're about the only set that meets that criteria.
Thank you so much!! As for the Lava set, I remember seeing someone showing it on their GMMK Pro on Reddit a while ago, and it had centered backlit legends (which while not as good as bottom legends, would still be better than regular top backlit legends).
But then I remember not being able to find this particular model to buy at the time (apparently it had sold out precisely because of the mobs of GMMK Pro owners gobbling the entire inventory of these caps).
i always come to watch your video and happy to see that you're doing something different here and it work so well. cheers.
Thank you!!! Yeah... I don't mind doing new keyboard reviews (those can be fun to do when the vendors send them well in advance that is). But truth is, TH-cam has plenty of channels doing that already.
My passion is modding and breathing new life into old tech, which happens to be a "less traveled road" here on TH-cam (at least for keyboards). So, there will be a lot more of these passion projects in this channel going forward.
Wow, so funny that I recently did this with my Pok3r and Race 3 for my kids! I figured they would learn a bit of desoldering and soldering by going through the switch swap and they found it exciting picking out switches and keycaps for their "new" keyboards. As an aside, having a real soldering iron and solder sucker really reduces one's frustration. We got Wuque Studio Clears for the Pok3r and Gateron Milky Yellows and reasonably priced, more colorful keycaps for the boards. I could not find an aftermarket case for the Race 3, but the Pok3r had been with me for so long I had replaced the stock case years ago with a chunky machined aluminum case. Everyone was satisfied with the looks by the end with the switches and keycaps and cleaning and lubing the clip-in stabs was a revelation. However, nothing we had on hand helped the Race 3 sound less hollow and the Pok3r, while sounding less hollow, has some pinging that could probably be fixed relatively easily, but coming from the cheap boards and laptop keyboards these kids have used, they both sound and feel super amazing.
"This is the way!"... Teaching your kids how to mod and build their own gear from the get-go!! 👊😆
That's the thing about the "poker standard": to this day you'll be able to find cases and PCBs to keep them going (which the Race 3 with its non-standard size and layout don't have the same luxury).
I know we all love some shiny new keyboard every once in a while, but there is something so special about breathing new life into old tech, right? I just love doing these types of projects! And if I can find the time this year, I'll finally post my similar restoration to my Filco Majestouch 2 TKL (which might have been my biggest "masterpiece restoration" so far).
Genuinely surprised you didnt opt for a new GH60 style PCB but i guess theres only so much you can "ship of theseus" before you end up with a completely different board
I happen to have a GH60 PCB (plus another 2 other Poker compatible PCBs in my box of parts for other projects). But I think the PCB is part of the "soul" of a keyboard... So I somehow feel like I could no longer call it a "KBT Pure" if I replaced its PCB.
But the fact that we have so many options for Poker compatible cases and PCBs from a multitude of vendors to this day (including the best gaming keyboard in the market today, the Wooting 60HE, which is also a Poker compatible board) goes to show how big the impact of that original design was...
Has to come back for a 2nd run, these are too good, quality off the charts
Well, we'll definitely have other projects like this here in the channel! The next one will be an even more radical makeover for my Filco Majestouch TKL... ⏳
Great video as always!
Fun fact, one of my first mechanical keyboards was also the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid with mx browns!
Thank you!!! And talking about the CM Storm Quickfire, mine is still being used to this day by my Dad (who loves that keyboard!).
Coolermaster used one of the best keyboard OEMs in Asia to make those boards at that time (the same one who makes some of Leopold boards), which explains why those early CMs were so good.
At some point, I had the Vortex Core (the only assembled modern mechanical keyboard I have bought) and was considering swapping out the MX Browns with Zealios 65g before I bricked the PCB by spilling some Coke on it. Your video reminded me of that potential "project". Anyway, great video as always. I didn't get started with mechanical keyboards 10 years ago but this still got me nostalgic for times past. I think there is something about the simplicity of these keyboards that I really like.
Thank you!! And R.I.P. that Vortex Core! 😆
And yeah... It defintely feels strange to already be nostalgic about the beginings of this hobby... I guess it finally hit me that I've been in this rabit hole for long enough for some of these memories to start feeling distant.
Nice video idea Sam, I really like the revival of an old mech that was your gateway drug
Thank you Maroun!!! I figured a bit of my own history in this hobby would be appropriate to my viewers at this point, and I'm so glad to see this was positively received!
@@IOSam positively achieved and greatly appreciated
King is back.
😁🙏 Thanks man!!! You're too kind!
Seriously how is it that NO ONE has made south facing backlit keycaps??
Yeah, I know... I have been asking myself that question for 10 years! 😂
Great work on all the improvements. That keyboard should last you even longer and it sounds so such better.
Thank you!!! This little guy is sure enough ready for a few more decades of typing sessions now! :)
Great video, I really enjoyed learning more about your journey in this hobby.
Have you thought about getting a reproduction Model F?
I'm waiting impatiently for my copy of an F77.
Thank you!!! And yeah, I already have a reproduction Model F! :) I bought my F62 “Kishsaver” repro in early 2022 (and got miffed to see you can buy the same board now for half the price I paid back then 😒).
I had an issue with some of the "flippers" in my board, which required me to buy additional ones to replace some of the originals (which apparently were not conductive enough to close the circuit and actuate the switch). And that delayed my plans to finish a video for it in 2022 (and then I took a new daytime job in 2023 which delayed everything even further).
But yeah... There will be a video about it here at some point. But my take on them is that they are not for beginners...They are a fantastic opportunity for enthusiasts to get a feel for what the original buckling spring keyboards from IBM felt like, while keeping some modern amenities (USB, QMK and modern ANSI layout). But servicing (and programing them over QMK) are not for the faint of heart 😂
not a fan of leds but those keycaps look really nice with a white backlighting.
and keyboard sounds amazing.
thanks for the video
Right? I did not expect that combination of LEDs and white PBT to look so nice! The warm tonality of the light through the keycaps is a perfect mix of modern with a touch of retro😙👌
And thank YOU for stopping by and leaving such nice feedback!
nice vid mate
Thanks man!!! Appreciated!!
I've been spoiled on mechanical keyboards. I've only used Apple Extended Keyboard II with orange alps, model Fs and model Ms. Nowadays, my daily driver is a Next Keyboard non-ADB with Alps black.
Meus teclados fode todos!
😂😂 Dude... We all know that nothing touches Alps! By the way, I have a ton of Alps projects (originals and clones) coming up around here!
Fica ligado no canal ☝😏
Love the throwback video.
Reminds me of @Charo stuff in a really good way
th-cam.com/video/KEqYO1_RP08/w-d-xo.html
I love his mechanical keyboards history videos! There aren't too many content creators producing videos about the beginings of this hobby, so it is always nice when someone spends the time to do it the way he does!
You did a lot for it, but there was only so much that could be done.
😂 True... This will never come close to a modern custom keyboard, naturally (this is the kind of board you need case foam and PE switch pads to save it). But at least it is quite usable now (unlike before... lol).
But this one is a keeper mostly for its history (and my emotional attachment to it), of course...
I wanted the vortex pure so bad back in the day lol
😂 Ah the early days of this hobby... Not many keyboard enthusiasts today know what we had to go through back in those days, eh? lol
@@IOSam The KBs these days absolutely blow my mind with the quality you get for the same money we spent for these sorts of boards back in the day!
@@sharkosaurfps Exactly what I say to people today!!! We're living in the future!! And the future has been VERY good to this hobby!
Your videos are amazing!! Why do worse creators get more subs? Anyway you're great as well as your content.
Thank you TechGuy!!! Appreciated ma' man!!!
I asked myself that same question before, and in the end my conclusion is that it is more difficult to produce content for a more mature audience on TH-cam (that is not simply a “meme fest” filled with jump cuts), not only because the type of content I try to do here is far more difficult and time consuming to produce (and thus more difficult to post regularly - and regularity is something the YT algorithm favors), but also because the vast majority of people watching TH-cam are not mature audiences (and as a result don’t appreciate this type of more “serious” long format content).
So, I think that while the creators that can quickly grow TH-cam channels today appear to be “worse” in our eyes, the reality is that they are doing the type of content that the masses on TH-cam prefer to watch. It might be a sad truth, but it is still the truth… lol
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
But that's fine... I rather go for quality, rather than quantity, when it comes down to my audiences! :)
Hi Sam.
Hey Esra! I'm still here! And by coincidence or not, after this long hiatus, I have a new video dropping here in the channel tomorrow... ;)⌛
@@IOSam Yay! That is a wonderful coincidence!