VOGONS


First post, by user33331

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Hello
I'm very positive that keycaps of 1990s were more beige and egg white as were PC cases even when new and factory fresh.
( In 2022 old keyboards and cases look now orange because of sunlight and UV.)
But to subject China produces new mechanical PBT keycap sets that are just too ivory or 100% bone white.
Be it new Cherry profile or Unicomp keycaps they are too white like hollywood actors' teeth or "Apple(Mac) white".

Anyone noticed this ?
Why China does not produce beige caps like they used to be.
What is the secret of the egg white plastic color is it impossible to replicate ?
People say PBT plastic keycaps does not yellow.
So people are stuck with modern bone white caps.

Also why China does not know about stepped CapsLock with centered stem ?
Impossible to find it.

Anyone know if colored Windows 95-symbol keycaps are old and used original keys or just a modern invention ?
- I own only original black/white Win95-symbol keys. Never seen colored ones ?

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Reply 2 of 11, by user33331

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Hello
I use GMMK v.1.0 full size hot swappable ISO body barebone keyboard.
- It comes only as black color when ISO-European layout. ( Would have wanted white/silver body but it is only in ANSI-U.S.A layout.)
https://www.gloriousgaming.com/products/gmmk- … ll-brown-switch

I think the PBT keycaps ( from Varmilo Taiwan ) are too white and greys are too dark.

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Reply 3 of 11, by Horun

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user33331 wrote on 2022-07-08, 05:05:
Hello I'm very positive that keycaps of 1990s were more beige and egg white as were PC cases even when new and factory fresh. […]
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Hello
I'm very positive that keycaps of 1990s were more beige and egg white as were PC cases even when new and factory fresh.

Anyone know if colored Windows 95-symbol keycaps are old and used original keys or just a modern invention ?
- I own only original black/white Win95-symbol keys. Never seen colored ones ?

Yes the old 1990's keyboards were generally light beige or cream colored, have a few NOS that never were in the sun and still are close to original color.
Had a friend that had one late 90's (or maybe very early 2000's) KB that did have colored Windows keys but they were not common.....

Wow thanks for asking ! Just found a long lost Teac FD-55BR-578 black face that thought was long gone, was in with some old keyboards found when searching for colored keys 😀

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 6 of 11, by user33331

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Yes. I realized a week ago that my do-it-yourself mechanical keyboards do not look classic at all.

Here is a Teamwolf DIY X06S Void storm (Gold color version) hot swap socket barebone.
- Keycaps are white cherry profile manufacturer: Magicforce.

Now I need beige keycaps to replicate 1990s keyboard.
Majority of cherry PBT keycaps are all snow white.

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Reply 7 of 11, by user33331

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Leopold keyboards seems rare now. Probably missed the train on these. Nobody sell them new.
Color is spot on, keys are PBT and have cherry profile.
https://global.leopold.co.kr/Shop/Item.php?ItId=1550022220

LEOPOLD FC900.

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Reply 10 of 11, by user33331

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Did factories of 1980s/1990s have any standard industrial color number for this light butter grey beige ?
- Similar like RAL colour standard catalog number # ?

Does any plastic product use this color today ?

Just need beige keycaps I might ask if factories could produce new special color keycaps.
- I use my own modified chinese switches 67g and hot swap boards to mount switches.
Previously I have bought full and ready keyboards just to harvest some keycaps that I like from those.

Reply 11 of 11, by user33331

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9009 keyset (cherry profile) arrived with Windows 95/98 keycaps.
This one has more beige greys than Varmilo CMYK keycaps (Varmilo has much darker grey keycaps).
Still not found those butter beige keycap sets or a beige donation keyboard from where to remove keycaps.

At least the grey keycaps look similar as old keyboards.

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