Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

Having two HHKB Pro 2 (one work one at home) since years and i just can say you are 100% right ;)

Just reiterating. They set out to make a no-compromise, feature-complete board, and succeeded. I have 2 that I use every day, one on a Mac, and the other on a PC. Their dip-switch configurator to determine which system they're plugged into is, IMO, a perfect solution. I would buy another in a heartbeat.

The notion that a capacitive switch is somehow expensive to manufacture because the PCB is allegedly "special" (doubt) seems odd to me. All other capacitive sensing stuff uses bog-standard PCBs with nothing special about them at all and it's not like the rubberdome is hard to manufacture either (considering that a more complex kind of rubberdome mat is the centerpiece in cheap rubberdome membrane keyboards).

And then of course the "Rigorous Japanese Quality Standards", because obviously QC is better if the factory is located in a country containing people of the Japanese ethnicity compared to other ethnicities.

Topres are expensive because it's a luxury item and they get away with it.

The Filco Majestouch 2 is a great keyboard. This is an older model, and it existed before the mech keyboard craze took off. Mine was sitting in the closet collecting dust having long ago been replaced by "fancier" keyboards with esoteric switches and other random features. Using it for the first time after a long hiatus was an "aha" moment. The typing experience was so much nicer. Upon reflection, here is why:

1. Plastic case. Aluminum cases and metal back plates have become pretty popular, but they are sooo heavy. It's nice when the keyboard has some weight, but I think things have gone too far.

2. No LEDs. A lot of keyboards have LEDs. Backlighting the keys is one thing, but a lot of keyboards just do it for looks and it gets annoying after a while.

3. Cherry MX blues and browns are great switches. A lot of switches have come on the market over the last few years. I think their proliferation is driven by people wanting something new, but Cherry's blue and brown switches are still better than many other switches.

4. Timeless layout. There has been a drive to make keyboards smaller. I agree with this trend, up to a point. If the keyboard is missing keys you need, it's not a good choice for extended typing. Sure, you can remember the hotkeys for the missing characters, but it's still annoying. Also, there isn't really a standard 60% design, so all the manufacturers do it differently. A ten-keyless keyboard might be _slightly_ bigger than I would prefer, but it's got a layout that has withstood the test of time.

I have the privilege of owning a Happy Hacking 2, it has topre keys. I used it for about a year. And I hated it! It's insanely noisy, to the point of distraction. It's so damn loud. But the dealbreaker for me is how heavy and deep the keys are. It's just too much energy and travel time for efficient typing IMO. After long sessions my fingertips felt sore from the blunt damage of pushing down the keys.

But I'll recognize they have some merit. The chunky feeling has a sense of physically I never experienced in other keyboard. The 60 keys and compact form factor is great for transport and leaves a lot of room for other things on your desk (this is actually super useful). The physical switches for changing the layout are very handy. And honestly the thing look like it could survive an impact from a deep space object. I would be surprised if it starts to show wear within the next 10 years.

I still prefer my cheap Cherry Mx-Board 3 with brown cherry keys. The thing is clunky and ugly, but the more muted noise and lower pressure required to activate the keys is what I'm comfortable with.

I'm so sorry for my former colleagues that had to go through my topre period and deal with the noise I even personally was very annoyed with.

Edit:spelling