The Worst Hobby on the Internet - Mechanical Keyboards (Beginners Guide)

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Just a warning, Mechanical Keyboards are a rabbit hole. If you start getting into this you will want to do it more and more. I still recommend you do it, I have a ton of fun with these keyboards and I have made a good amount of money on them already while still being able to build myself a nice one for myself and not lose any money.
If you want to see me build one, come to my twitch streams, link below.
Here is my discord server link that you should leave me a message or come talk to me over voice chat for longer questions or if you are just looking for some advice/support on your computer building experience :)
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[@KristoferYee]

Get Dashlane for free on your first device at www.dashlane.com/kristofer Get 50% off Premium by using code "Kristofer" at check out!

[@chosensupra9978]

Hello Kris, keep up the great vids. Cant wait to see more great content from you. Stay safe dude.

[@avolanche2140]

Dashlane more like Germany am I right comment section?

[@y1817]

how are you meant to be saying that someone with good memory cant remember different secure passwords, im sorry, i know all of mine, theyre different and secure, (i know you are saying these things for money)

[@dylanisdog1827]

Hey I live in Vegas what's you offer up name

[@ThomasLancheros-kg1nl]

I HAVE A REALLY GOOD BUDGET COMBO R5 1600af gigabyte b-450 ds3h team t force ram 16 gb 3200 rx 570/580 this can cost 400-500

[@lethargyart]

I recently got into custom keyboards, my wife has left me and the government is taking my home... but damn these Holy Panda switches feel clean

[@skippin]

Lol

[@ben_that_is_fresh6696]

You don’t need a wife, you can use your lube on novelkeys creams >:)

[@yiepie9822]

@@ben_that_is_fresh6696 hehe

[@aknc3891]

*Press F to pay respects*

[@Sukiicore]

@@aknc3891 *clack*

[@Menec3]

its gonna get to a point where we build our own monitors

[@sonny1214]

i’m down

[@retardedasianprogramer923]

Imma go build my own Mouse some day Still need to find a Spine and Brain though

[@regularnothing3197]

@@thenuk.r that’s a really crazy idea, I wonder if that could ever be possible

[@therealosas]

@@regularnothing3197 Mouse Modding is already a thing taking PCBs from wireless mouse and put them in wired ones or replace the mouse chord and mouse feet also 3D printing Shells

[@giornogiovanna1446]

Ok

[@strayiggytv]

I would also add some people are incredibly rude in the mechanical keyboard community. They hate answering questions. I helped a friend work on their mechanical keyboard and we muddled through working on it together because she said she'd rather struggle than ask for help from that community. It's a shame because it's such a niche hobby.

[@ramenoodles1789]

My experience from first learning about keyboards has been decent I’ve been on kbd fans discord and hamaji neo and some people have been pretentious but most have been helpful IMO

[@Maradnus]

This is the same with most online hobby sites. I have left more discord’s because of people been down right rude, you ask a basic question & get an answer that’s basically calling you out for not knowing. Right.... It’s not like I’m asking a question like “what’s a switch?” The few things I have been very specific to a line of code or orientation of a component. I have scraped so much due to no answers!

[@incongruous4]

@@ramenoodles1789 kbdfans help channel used to be good a couple years ago but it's turned into the same few people trying to answer every question and if you try to answer they get shitty with you because they are no longer the center of attention. It's turned into a clique and a circle jerk and no one's allowed in their circle. Any opinions they have outside of technical help with kbdfans specific pcb's or cases is most of the time wrong anyways. Only hit them up if your dz60 isn't working or you're trying to decide between tofu or kbd67.

[@deViant14]

That's crazy for a hobby with so few...moving parts. Like there really aren't that many options. The hobby is about deciphering ever changing spec sheets and trial and error and personal preference. Which seems like it doesn't work well mostly because hardly anyone has tried more than 2 or 3 options and so they can't actually give comprehensive advice. I would think that would lead to some insecurity and trying to convince others (and yourself) you know what you're talking about.

[@strayiggytv]

Came back to add that alot of it is what I call "Entry point Elitism" which effects pretty much any hobby that gets expensive. The vinyl community is even worse than the mechanical keyboard imo. Some newbie will get/get given a cheap version of a (insert your niche item of choice here) and head over to a discord or forumn to find out more about it. They excitedly post their aquisition to the board only to get told to "throw it in the trash and get a REAL (insert niche item of choice here)!" At that point they either like the item enough to persevere , decide to go at this hobby privately so they will not be mocked, or throw the item away and anytime somebody asks about it tell them "(insert niche hobby here) is full of elitist jerks and not worth your time!" People get so far into hobbies that they loose all perspective on what's it's like to be a newcomer and try to essentially gate keep others out of it by setting a certain dollar amount on what is considered a true hobbyist. That's why I always encourage people to take a look at other hobbies outside of their own. The guys spending $800 on a keyboard may think he's hot shit until he looks at the bill for someone who collects classic cars lol.

[@airahfuji]

4 hours ago i didn’t even know i would spiral down into this hobby

[@Jijowu]

Tbh

[@Brianalatese]

Same

[@loukes116]

yup lolll

[@StUCaboose]

Building my own custom sculpt action figures "Wow, this is way cheaper!" Building my own PC "Cheaper than a pre-built, and better too!" Cooking my own food "Healthy and cheap!" Building a custom keyboard "WTF is this?"

[@mrred3370]

Lol

[@signin4079]

same

[@bendik9813]

yay! i get to do all the work AND pay more! BUT DEM SWITCHES BE CLEAN DOE

[@StUCaboose]

Seriously. After typing on box jades, I don't think I can go back to anything else. But very few prebuilts come with them. The rabbit hole is deep

[@prathamkancharla2552]

StUCaboose u r a madman for liking box jades

[@morpheen1062]

Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 1:31 - Keyboards 3:25 - Parts 4:11 - Switches 5:14 - PCB's 6:06 - Different Sizes 7:15 - Plates 9:05 - Stabilizers 10:04 - Cases 10:25 - Keycaps* 11:09 - Where to buy? 13:03 - Where to learn MORE? 14:11 - Group Buy 14:31 - Lube 14:48 - Mods 15:06 - GMK 15:16 - KeyCult 15:26 - Interest Check (IC) 15:36 - Where to buy MORE? 16:19 - Conclusion

[@TheRealPhaeism]

I love you

[@dweevil]

Good job

[@Hi-ht6ft]

Nice profile pic :)

[@sarunasjadzgevicius3633]

Did God send you?

[@millie_drums]

THANK YOU

[@FyrntyYT]

Please do not take the "just buy brass" statement at face value and run with it. Please explore the materials yourselves, sound and feel are very personal tastes and EVERY material is different. Brass is very stiff, very rigid, and creates a very clacky, untamed sound. That isn't for everybody.

[@damnboi3586]

one other option that is pretty popular is polycarbonate, because it creates a much more bouncier typing feel than brass, and the board usually sound lower pitched.

[@pixtron8936]

damn he's just giving a recommendation geez

[@eton6497]

@@pixtron8936 well yeah but you should try other materials because the sound you desire might be much much different than what he recommends. Brass is very high pitched where as pc is lower pitched.

[@pixtron8936]

@@eton6497 I know.

[@toner01]

"dont buy brass"

[@Otinashi]

"would you consider yourself a cool guy" "no" typical cool guy response

[@RabbitConfirmed]

cooler than your mom

[@evilsmileyface]

@@RabbitConfirmed dude you just killed them

[@TeddyBaldassarre]

I first got into cameras and mechanical wristwatches, now this.... My wallet hates me.... Just came across your videos. Keep up the good work.

[@Anthony-sl4fp]

LOL I was just watching your video on spring drive didn’t think you’d be into keyboards too 😅

[@PandaCristos]

couldn't believe that I'm seeing you here! btw, there is a need about the best ready-made mechanical keyboard good Sir!

[@GondalfGaming]

Teddy?! Into keyboards?

[@AI-xi4jk]

Hey man, seen your videos many times. I guess what unites us is a good taste and appreciation of well crafted and artistic things. Style and design!

[@tdg9281]

I mean keyboards are nothing compare to the massive cost of a single L-series lens

[@TaehaTypes]

Mechanical keyboards suck.

[@pgplaysvidya]

sent from my iphone

[@Damianator13]

Ooof

[@danielkim9959]

The man himself!! lol

[@balloon3503]

I took all my life savings

[@WITHERDRAGONYT]

The man, the myth, the legend.

[@whoareyou56101]

Imagine spending this much on a keyboard and forgetting about the pc.

[@Reggy9]

lol, I bet that happens quite often. Many people tuning/boosting their car engines and forget about upgrading their breaks, shock absorbers and all that. Same story!

[@terlaluanjay]

@@Reggy9 IMO it's the other way around, this sounds like you upgrading the brakes of your car without upgrading the engine 🤣

[@Iuta]

@Strawberry Froppyccino some dont care about speed Also henkei shoujo

[@coffeemug1012]

i've spent more on my kayboards than i have on my pc

[@alifnajmi2595]

You guys use keyboards on ur PC?

[@simp5540]

"I'm not saying that you need bigger sizes, but as soon as you see something you want or need..., prepare to have a hold of your wallet"

[@edwynsanchez6914]

Have a hole in ur wallet

[@peachcat2812]

when out of context

[@connorsucksatgames2263]

Hole in your wallet

[@jozef_franek]

crying in TKL

[@cornel9472]

KristoferYee: What's the worst addiction on the internet? Me: drug- KristoferYee: Keyboards!

[@user-zz4zz8ze9f]

Hahahahahahahahahah🤣🤣😐

[@tanmaypanadi1414]

keyboards are worst than drugs

[@jaxcypher4016]

I bought the Drop ALT hot swap 67% and some accessories. I spent right around $300 for it and it’s accessories. Sold it before I got too deep into the rabbit hole. But now I’m itching to get another.

[@cornel9472]

@@jaxcypher4016 Mechanical keyboards addiction is harmful, not on your health but your wallet.

[@poubs_entertainment]

@@cornel9472 cocaine is preatty harder as addiction

[@loganlovely9728]

Juju cables gives amazing tutorials for beginners. He teaches how to do everything. So there are tutorials out there.

[@JoeGaz]

Lol didn't expect to see this - Thank you

[@pancakedood]

JUJU facts remember watching a long time ago

[@loganlovely9728]

JUJU ya man I love your stuff and your guides helped me through my first keyboard build.

[@JoeGaz]

@@loganlovely9728

[@JoeGaz]

@@pancakedood

[@TheRealRCSparks]

I nerded out on this for over 10 minutes. GREAT PRESENTATION .. i enjoyed it

[@vipon9491]

RCSparks Studio Oh hi, whatcha doin here?

[@trentaker69]

I love watching your videos

[@meestake6290]

i used to watch your videos 5 years ago its surprising to see you here

[@furniksadventures9660]

wow not expected to be here

[@gamboi1257]

Same lol

[@bakerfritz4681]

Thank you for having done what I previously thought impossible. You’ve preemptively cured me of any desire to buy a bunch of expensive sh*t for this infuriating hobby I only even learned about 24 hours ago.

[@enki336]

Imagine making money doing a keyboard service without knowing the different types of stabilizers.

[@-----------------------------]

Imagine flipping PCs and claiming to be a certified pc technician without knowing how to change the DNS at the local level.

[@funknugget6334]

kris sees money and he goes to get money

[@funknugget6334]

‏‏‎ can i get a source on this one for the lols lmao

[@ChadPANDA...]

@@----------------------------- idk if you get what th comment is saying he doesn't even know the things about keyboard that much to suggest someone what to buy , changing DNS locally knowing it or not won't affect when you are selecting the parts or building a pc but you should know about types of stabilizer as different people would like different things like switches

[@Ghosty716]

@@ChadPANDA... no you shouldn't because it's unnecessary expectations. You don't need to know those things just to sell keyboards to people who get horny buying keys

[@Alex-zi6pb]

I get that it is a cool hobby to join and enjoy, but I am sure the community won't appreciate you promoting flipping at the beginning of the video as it is already a problem. Also to add, I think you meant r/mechmarket, not r/mechanicalkeyboards.

[@Wr4thy]

This.

[@funknugget6334]

yes.

[@visivan]

Exactly

[@DillyPickly69]

Flippers and botters have ruined the hobby in the span of a year now.

[@soothee5086]

AGREED. just days ago the nk65 sold out in less than 30 seconds. I swear I refreshed at 9am sharp

[@liammilk5802]

You know somethings wrong when your keyboard is more expensive than your pc...

[@fajaradi1223]

With current GPU pricing situation? Yeah mate! Something is very wrong

[@greaterthanpie]

it's kinda amazing how much has changed in a year. I dove head first into this hobby and have my first completed build and I was able to build it all from just one web site for around 250$ I am even working on a second build this time a TKL. That being said using a pre build PCP case and plate combo did help a lot.

[@zuccx99]

Honestly the worst hobbies are hi-fi equipment and this, if I were to sell all of my stuff, I could easily get a brand new Civic.

[@shaddonai2636]

it doesn´t matter in which one you start, you inevitably get carried to the other one

[@nickwild7]

@@pandesal_mark I can agree with cars. My $3900 weekend track car turned into a 30k money pit in 4 years 😂😂

[@SaddisticSpeller]

@@nickwild7 Weekend track cars are a fucking scam and a half, "Oh I'm not gonna do anything wild to it just some basic body stuff and super light engine mods if even that" then you fast forward 3 years and you're trying to figure out how to fit the engine you ripped out of a scrapyard R8 V10 into your 1968 VW Beetle.

[@4lc441]

Hi-fi is a true never ending money pit. People seem to have this mindset that if something is more expensive, it must sound better and that that scales infinitely. So it seems like companies can price stuff like amps/dacs as high as they want, regardless of what's in them, and people will still buy them.

[@4lc441]

@@pandesal_mark Yeah I definitely get that. Even though I don't really believe that amps/dacs over $100-200 make any difference for headphones at least, I'm still kinda interested in getting new stuff just for the looks and novelty. I've currently got a Jotunheim, which is a total waste of money just in terms of sound. So I guess I'm part of the problem lol.

[@babaluweng5431]

*me wanting to learn the beginners guide on mechanical keyboards* Taeha types: blue switches are loud and annoying me with a blue switch: aight imma head out

[@LandonQizilbash]

Its been almost a year since I first watched this and got into custom mechanical keyboards. I got some my friends into the hobby and now we geek out on keyboards together

[@Alienform51]

Best info online on mechanical keyboard building. I have been weeks on forums and no success learning how to do it. Thanks Kristofer clear advise

[@HeatmetaI]

Everyone on r/mk: Complaining about people flipping keysets and kits for more than triple the original price This dude: This hobby is easy to make money off of

[@justinnguyen7997]

SHAGGY -OW Did you miss the part about him being new to the hobby?

[@angelderp6689]

Im just getting into the hobby and bought a 75$ prebuilt optical switches(worst decision ever btw i didnt know any better) and with the keycaps i just bought it's around $100 already. Please help before i buy a custom cable.

[@HeatmetaI]

@@angelderp6689 I bought the GK61 then modified it to fit into a different chassis. And now I have multiple GB keyboards and keycaps on the way. It's a slippery slope.

[@galax3971]

True it makes the video look like his intention is for others to rapidly start building and then selling them for wayyyy more. This is still a really fucking anyoing thing with Group Buy Keycaps. I can understand if you want to sell it for more but come on triple the original price is just a joke.

[@Desopolis]

You guys don't get it... He's agreeing with you. He's saying that it's stupid that because, (as he say's in the video) that there aren't any good tutorials or starting points for builders to enter. He's saying that there shouldn't be that much markup on a keyboard compared to a kit. Because there's so few builders you have a high demand with a low supply. By getting MORE PEOPLE into your hobby equipment manufacturers can have better margins thus produce more and gougers will have less incentive to exist meaning those without the skill can have more affordable access.

[@cinna7814]

I really dislike how the hobby was shown. You've basically told people to start coming in only to make money for themselves in a hobby that already struggles with people flipping parts making prices higher. With someone who has nothing to do with the hobby coming into it (nothing against you) having an opinion on something that has been a relatively closed off community for years up until this point, it's really saddening to be told that people are just going to be coming into the hobby solely to sell for a profit. The like to dislike ratio is what saddens me even more. Most people who see this video won't even know that there is anything wrong with the video, but there's so much misinformation and it is going to cost others more money in the future.

[@midnightmista2190]

ok

[@DaFranXX]

I'm trying to learn more about mechanical keyboards. Since you're saying there are much misinformation in this video, would you mind diving into the specifics?

[@xephh]

@@midnightmista2190 oh no my favorite youtuber is getting called out for a bad video, better reply ok to all the comments :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

[@json6990]

And of course he hides behind his shit video like a coward

[@cinna7814]

@@DaFranXX A lot of what he had stated was preference, other points are just outright stupid. He says there are no good ways in order to get into the hobby. He goes on about saying they're really specific or really long, then proceeds to make a 17 minute video with information that is pretty poor. He doesn't go properly into depth on anything because he doesn't know a lot about the board. If a beginner were to watch this video, they run the risk of getting a lot of things wrong. He even goes as far as to state creams are smooth, they really aren't until you've broken them in. Not all Cherry switches are scratchy, but he goes and says they all feel scratchy and cheap. I personally love cherry housings and make sure to get smooth Cherry switches. When talking about hotswap and solder PCBs, he shows 2 hotswap PCBs which is absolutely dumb. He just posted the same PCB but one was a front view, the other was a rear view. When it comes to plate material and layout options (specifically WKL), that is all preference. Brass is not just the best because it has a higher cost. You need to have tried different plates and find what you like in order to say that there is a definitive answer; even then that's only for you personally. I personally prefer aluminium and have tried PC, FR4, Alu and Brass, it all varies on how you want your board to sound and feel. The whole "WKL bad" thing is dumb. People pick that because they like it, you're not just going to find a keyboard that goes with that layout under $250 anyway but he makes it seem like it is an extremely common layout option when it really isn't. The whole screw in/clip in situation was entirely his fault. If you don't know about different types of stabilizers, you shouldn't be building for yourself; let alone someone else. The fact it took him 8 hours in order to desolder and resolder a board is laughable. Even with a desoldering pump, an experienced builder shouldn't take more than 3 hours. Even with having problems with my pump, it only took me 2 hours to desolder a TKL. It goes to show that if you're not capable of doing something, don't do it for others. TL;DR: Makes a long video explaining nothing after complaining about them. Says cherry switches are scratchy when so are creams. Can't tell the difference between hotswap and solder PCBs. Bashes on layout and doesn't understand plate preference is a thing, makes WKL look very common when it isn't. Doesn't know anything about stabilizers and shouldn't be building/desoldering for other people.

[@abn10000000000]

Watching this nine months later and I’m amazed at how many of the tutorials getting pumped out are so new

[@tirs0d]

this is The beginner video I needed. I've been watching keyboard videos for days and I had no clue how many other parts you needed, other than a case, keycaps and switches.

[@FL1PEFF3CTZ]

There's plenty of beginner friendly tutorials on the internet. I've built three mechanical keyboards at three different price points following these tutorials, and had no prior knowledge on keyboard parts and how to assemble them. To claim there isn't such things on the internet, is simply ignorant. If anyone is struggling to find beginner friendly tutorials I'll be more than glad to direct you to them.

[@user-pw4qi4gc60]

Could you give me a link to some?

[@addmeonebay2626]

@@user-pw4qi4gc60 taekeyboards has a lot of diy stuff and beginner friendly videos/guides he is like taeha types but a little more experimental, both very knowledgeable though and very chill about it all.

[@carter5731]

What’s a good hotswap board ?

[@plaxico23]

Help is available literally everywhere. I’ve built multiple as well. Took a month or so to really feel comfortable with everything but resources are out there for sure. I learned everything just by reading and some tutorials.

[@kota69420]

@@carter5731 the dz60 is pretty good

[@montizzle13]

The Custom Keyboard scene has been one of the best in terms of community cohesion, being relatively free of leeches who join solely to make a profit out of scarcity, so thanks for fucking that up man! Much appreciated :)

[@hubbletelescope5749]

How did he fu*k it up. I’m kinda confused but kinda get it. Can you explain a little more?

[@shenshenGG]

he used his power for evil :)

[@bobbygrewal5547]

@@hubbletelescope5749 im pretty sure shiny is mad when he indirectly suggests the use of bots to drone Reddit for keywords for keyboard launches and the like, more for flipping the said keyboard than keeping it. Personally idc what kris or anyone else does, it's their money. But I guess it will lead to more sneaker head culture behavior with more reselling? idk tho

[@choke-]

@@bobbygrewal5547 Aftermarket prices are already very high due to low amounts of production of high quality products in an ever-growing community. Resellers just make it worse for everybody.

[@jaydawg4014]

This dum dum just told people to bot keebs

[@a_a_ron2262]

Really great video for beginners. Saw this when I started getting into keyboards and it was really helpful. Keep up the good job 👍

[@turboxide]

thank you for this video! This is just what I was looking for, I've been familiar with mechanical keyboards but this is a maze of its own

[@jackhutchings2507]

Thank you. Honestly, I've been following Teaha for a while and have always been anxious to make a keyboard. This video really helped me lay it out and I am glad to see that you're getting into the custom keyboard seen and helping for the community. :)

[@dangsimple5267]

12:37 Chris mentions r/mechanicalkeyboards as a resource for aftermarket parts, but arguably, I'd say r/mechmarket offers a wider spectrum of parts (aftermarkets, group buys, artisans, etc) for everything keyboards. Still a great video tho!

[@geigster]

mechkeys has zero anything for aftermarket parts, it's just straight up false info

[@carsonwright210]

I was about to add this

[@crabus2561]

I was about to say this

[@lynnedoesathing9567]

You're a hero man, this video is so clear and really fun at the same time. Thank you so much for making this!

[@markb9896]

Thank you! I just found this today and have just started to get into mechanical keyboards. Background I do research for a living so I have spent way too many hours reading and watching vids! Also to selling what I have found after 6 years of selling racing/freestyle quadcopters/multirotors (some mistakenly call drones) is that the product is only what someone is willing to pay for it, that being said you certainly don't have to sell something for less than you want. I really appreciate this vid it has been the biggest help since I started researching this hobby.

[@bakaguya1383]

It's not really cool to promote that custom keyboards is a good hobby to flip. People just really want the board. The recent NK65 sale had people losing their minds because it sold out in seconds. Not saying it's entirely your fault but flippers just need to be minimized, not increased.

[@dhoffnun]

I think he could have phrased that intro a lot better, because it totally comes off sounding like he's advocating all the shitty scalping that goes on. I think what he was actually suggesting, though, is doing what TaeHa does - *building* premium keyboards out of already expensive parts and selling them for what the market will pay - which is a shitload.

[@Divinity_vA]

Yeah like people within the community dont bang each other every now and then and basically do the same. "oh i want that board so much" week later : "oh here you can have it , give me 500$ more". Its so funny reading the comments on this video lmao.

[@max-zf8ob]

Bout to flip, y’all just making it sound way better since people are desperate for keyboards. Time to bring me my money

[@maxlombardo2702]

David Hoffnung This comment makes no sense. You’re complaining about nothing.

[@leonawroth2516]

I don't believe you have thought this through enough. If more people get interested in custom keyboards, manufacturers will produce more and hence make it cheaper and better available for all. The fact, that stuff get's sold out in minutes right now just shows, that who ever is producing them, is miscalculating how popular it is. This will likely change.

[@asceny5224]

2:11 - OMG, you have our cable ❤️

[@joshie5341]

When are your keyboards going back In stock?

[@jungle6815]

I love you guys 🖤🖤

[@yusukeurameshi500]

"find some, order it" custom keyboard industry: "GOOD FUKIN LUCK WITH THAT"

[@gymnasticsgirltg]

This is great! About to start my first build, so thank you!

[@tcbeckham]

Hey Kris, just wanna say that I'm appreciated for a very informative video. This is exactly what a beginner like me recently find interested in building a cool mechanical keyboards.

[@DogHairDontCare]

Video guy: "I'm incredibly disappointed with the mechanical keyboard community." *proceeds to disappoint the rest of the mechanical keyboard community* Giving back, I see!

[@papasscooperiaworker3649]

how is he disappointing the community back? sorry im dumb

[@andybarrios4204]

@@dongwookkim2252 I wouldn't call that flipping tho? he's buying separate parts and turning them into an assembled product to sell to those who don't have the time or skills to build it on their own. I think that's fair. It's like paying extra for an office chair that's pre-assembled

[@waitwhat9222]

@@andybarrios4204 Keycult kits sell for 2k+ on the aftermarket without any switches or keycaps, kits are mostly if not always the most expensive part. Unless you are using things like really old vintage blacks or other vintage switches, they won't be more than 100 for most builds, if you want a nice gmk keycaps set they range from 100-400 USD but usually not more(Artisans are an exception), what he is promoting is definitely flipping, him in this video is very unknowledgeable about keyboards, and the 60% rule only apply to budget customes, it is a completely different story when you go beyond mid-range boards. And do not only look at the size when you are buying parts for a keyboard, there are various different mounting styles of the plates. And hot-swap and soder plates are usually different, please do not take this video as the whole truth, you will get fucked up hard.

[@flowzion]

@@dongwookkim2252 he flips everything he buys on the channel so I wouldn't expect less

[@ZoulXHD]

@@waitwhat9222 its not flipping, wtf. its a building service. nothing more to add to that

[@DrivenKeys]

Thank you for this concise guide. It's funny how this has recently exploded from the niche it's been for so long. KB's were once projects for people who already made or designed things. It used to be rare that a kb enthusiast was learning to solder, most of us had already learned with stereos and other circuits. I'm so happy to see the community growing so fast that your guide is necessary.

[@DoktrDub]

Hot swapping being a thing now too.. don’t even need to solder on those boards lol Also I learned soldering in guitar a long time ago.. now I have the urge to build keyboards.. please save my wallet.

[@AJ-te6tf]

Months ago, I didn’t know anything about keyboards. Didn’t even know the difference between membrane and mechanical keyboards, but now... switches, keycaps, stabs, plates, cases, I AM ADDICTED.

[@KristoferYee]

If you guys want to see my screw one of these up on a live stream, the link to that is in the description :)

[@emirhan5379]

Yes please do!

[@jbear4433]

Hearting your own comment? Insert Obama awarding Obama meme

[@fleecasy]

unban me it was a joke

[@chosensupra9978]

Hello Kris, keep up the good vids. Yo make such great content. Stay safe and stay Yee.

[@jzsxph7007]

@@chosensupra9978 stay yee?

[@chosensupra9978]

YAY KRIS IS COMING BACK WITH ANOTHER VIDEO.

[@zam246yt]

Kris make a video about making a list and building the pc using ONLY the Newegg pc builder

[@dosemetic9378]

@Oaz_Zam you mean pcpartpicker?

[@dragos-lucian]

You're out of your mind if you spend $100 on a soldering iron. Mine cost like $10 and it's still doing great.

[@AbdullahGoesClimbing]

vouch

[@RabbitConfirmed]

honestly, I bought one for 20$ and it's total shit after 3-4 times of normal use lol

[@DoktrDub]

@@RabbitConfirmed are you using it correctly or did is it made of chinesium? Lol My current iron is roughly 35 bucks, and it is great, I even got tons of use out of an old 10 bucks soldering pen lmfao, maybe your tip was worn out or defective.

[@DoktrDub]

If you plan on using it a lot and want something more specialised I understand it

[@RetroPlus]

@@RabbitConfirmed Are you cleaning the tip properly?

[@yawteg]

Awesome beginner guide. I learnt, laughed and subscribed!

[@darth420vader]

Video: what the keyboard community doesn't tell you... Me: know literally all of this thanks to the keyboard community

[@larryfoster423]

OK....OK....Im 35 seconds in and Im hearing that people are spending "STUPID AMOUNTS OF MONEY" OK nothing new here

[@wwklnd]

A decade ago, I got myself a Cherry G84-4100 low-profile industrial keyboard (this was before low profile mechanical switches were a bigger thing), from which I harvested the switches and built a completely custom hand-wired (i.e. no PCB, all wires and diodes + a microcontroller) keyboard with a home- and handmade wooden casing. It was a pretty great experience for my first build, and I actually found a pretty great generalist tutorial for making your own completely custom hand wired keyboard! Might perhaps not be the "general intro" most people are looking for, though. 😁

[@DB-vl9ob]

Bro thank you so much. This is the forth or so video i watch. Noone is explaining it, yes i would even say hiding information. You´re the man.

[@Zesuto3]

The two worst hobbies are Mechanical keyboards AND Hi-Fi audio/music equipment because they're huge money sinks, I could trade everything I have in both categories for a mid-high class home in my country with a swimming pool. Edit: Ironically I daily drive CherryMX blues because I'm a big fan of the scratchy feel and the noise! (also because I'm scared of damaging my custom Pink sakurios KB which is basically the polar opposite of my blues).

[@lordoompasshungiteminion6579]

You forgot school

[@chrisc4733]

bruh

[@yiepie9822]

then you have spent WAY too much lmao its not that hard... so ur saying that you could spend upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars

[@DANCERcow]

Coin collecting would like to have a word with you!

[@Zesuto3]

@@lordoompasshungiteminion6579 I graduated as a general surgeon from a public school, I didn't pay a dime. :)

[@bryceedwards6891]

A good soldering iron does not cost around $100, by itself is like $30(on the higher end) and if you want to control the temp you can make a dimmer switch setup for like $10. And a set of different tips is like $5.

[@chuckgrumble5440]

always with the tips

[@fruitylemon2670]

Wow i just got into this hobby and i’ve been searching online for days for info. This is the BEST intro i’ve seen.

[@jingerbread93]

This info is gold! Best laid out information for anyone starting at the hobby like me. Thanks

[@schmintendont]

I hate how he promotes mechs as a money making strategy... That's just going to drive up prices even more.

[@midnightmista2190]

ok

[@So1oMoe]

let everyone eat!

[@Th3Fly1ngCow]

cool

[@dhoffnun]

I think this has true to it. Still - there's r/mechanicalkeyboards and there's r/customkeyboards - one has a price range of like $25 to the moon, and the other starts at the moon.

[@TeemoIsMySon]

Or make them lower because of an influx of keyboards

[@sameecc3432]

Look at kris acting all innocent when he knows he hasn’t uploaded in 4 weeks

[@No0_Name]

This is some thing i was looking for a long long time!!! NO ONE teach or talk about this kind of things , people making all those keyboards vids are just like we are all pro at the begining(even we are not)

[@XvZGhost]

Thank you a ton! I needed this video to explain stuff for when I get enough money for that

[@JustWhyFFS]

Over a year later and you're still the only "how to get started" video. Appreciate this.

[@brusferatu]

Bro you want more people flipping kbs? what are you doing....

[@Th3Fly1ngCow]

cool

[@alanleuthard2689]

The keyboard community has a problem with people putting together keyboards for sale? What a horrible community.

[@posilly8564]

@Joey H nk65 v2 :(

[@dylansmith697]

@@posilly8564 sad but true :/

[@monkeman374]

@@alanleuthard2689 they would have no problem with people putting boards up for sale for a profit if it didnt affect the prices of the parts of mechanical builds. people selling mechs for a profit is the same for the mech keyboard community as for the pc building community back in 2017 when all prices went up very significant amounts of money because of miners. also, not only the prices have gone up but also people that make mech parts are normally small individuals so the parts are only available for short amounts of time and then flippers come and buy 75% of that while leaving a very small chunk of that to people who will actually use it. please at least before stating something check your facts as to not make a wrong statement.

[@iamboss334]

Great video! Thank you for all the great information

[@JE-tn5tc]

Just jump into this hobby with a keychron q3 without much research and coming from the audiophile headphone community the prices that I have seen so far don't seem too unreasonable IMO. Thanks for the vid. I learned a lot.

[@clickbait7396]

"If you want To build A Mechanical Keyboard. Do yourself a favor, and don't."

[@dot8243]

Taeha: Builds keyboard for Tfue Kris: Builds computer for Taeha

[@atsigajung]

Wow thank you for the informations Kris, I never knew I needed to understand things the community didn’t tell me 👍🏻 This video is literally will save my time later when I build my own keyboard

[@bababababababababa39]

Watch a vid from an actual keyboard channel, this video is not good

[@hase2944]

tbh when I first got into mechanical keyboard I just watch videos cluelessly while reading comments and slowly I fill in gaps of information. my first mechanical was a rough journey cause I didn’t even know how to pull out a switch properly T_T I am so glad now there are more content creators explaining thing in this platform

[@joonas5156]

Honestly doesnt really seem like a hobby anymore, but rather an addiction

[@madjoejoe_]

I can’t wait for the Ryan Higa pc build video!

[@SliceOhBread]

I love how relatable this video is from inspiration and know how to keyboards

[@dermax_hd]

I get part of the fun is building it and choosing exactly what you want but for most I'd say getting a hot swap gk61 for 40$, lubing the btw really decent optical gaterons and putting on new key caps will work just as well. Sure it won't be as custom but you can so alot with some lube and key caps

[@Awokein]

Alternative title: Why you shouldn't custom build a mechanical keyboard

[@MegaDAli95]

Agreed

[@KevinGian94]

9:25 I recently got into mechanical keyboards a few months ago as well, but idk what made you blatantly confident enough to take on client builds without knowing the difference between clip on and screw in stabs. to me that just screams side hustle > hobby which is a shame for the type of message you are spreading to the community.

[@vilextone8031]

Who cares? He is the one who fd up, not the community. Chill

[@oxy4747]

@@vilextone8031 Encouraging flipping keyboards is harmful to the market. Its specially dumb because this guy obviously didn't know what he was doing when he built the keeb

[@henryguardado8341]

@@oxy4747 blame manufacturers its only a problem if theres a short supply. The more people flipping the more competition which means prices will go down

[@oxy4747]

@@henryguardado8341 You obviously don't know how custom mechanical keyboards work. The community designs and orders keyboards directly from the manufacturer. The way this works, makes everything in short supply, because nothing is manufactured more than once. The more people flipping simply drives up prices.

[@chuckgrumble5440]

Now I will start flipping them, botting up the group buys everywhere

[@LordWiseWolf]

Thank you so much for this video. I just recently thought about building my first keyboard. This is very helpful. Ive been wondering why I can’t find 100% parts. So I just ordered the glorious gmmk to try it.

[@alvaroarenasu2]

I built my first mechanical keyboard (a crkbd). This video was very helpful. Thx for making it

[@logancheung5751]

Imagine buying 6 plates with the wrong layout... smh my head.

[@xbox_tommyr237]

U don’t need the my head just smh

[@itzsupremedestroy4766]

Take a Joke

[@kalidades0418]

Shaking my head my head

[@shouko9097]

Itz SupremeDestroy how is that a joke?????

[@eapa37]

@@xbox_tommyr237 RiP in Peace

[@NBaeK01]

What, there's tonnes of good introductory videos about the hobby and kb building. Taekeyboards made so many nice vids years ago for example

[@Luzanneloves]

THANK YOU. Exactly the video I needed! I was so overwhelmed with all the technical terms but no one was explaining everything at once.

[@zahitemremetin606]

Go check out Taeha Types' tutorial videos, they're really well made. Start with "Why Mechanical Keyboards?" then continue with "Anatomy of a Custom Mechanical Keyboard" and so on.

[@Luzanneloves]

@@zahitemremetin606 Thank you! I did check out his channel after watching this video! Thank you for these recommendations :D

[@christopherreyes263]

Awesome video bro, a lot of helpful stuff

[@zarokgrowtopia]

I like when u start talking about keycaps it says "Cases"

[@RhinoTV]

I've always wanted a ducky keyboard and I think nows the time to get one. However I dont really know what switches ill like. I use a Razer Black widow and I love the clickyness and the sound. Any ideas on what one to get ?? I want led's too :))

[@DifWrld]

I got the kalih speed pro you can look up different switch types on KZbin personally I LOVE the speed pros

[@Mel0n]

Mark Salvador Don’t get a Glorious Switch Tester

[@elliseberwein8786]

Cherry Blues or browns, reds are pretty nice if you’re a gamer.

[@Mel0n]

Ellis Eberwein I wouldn’t recommend Scratchy reds

[@Mel0n]

@@pandesal_mark I never said that gamer switches existed thought? So don't really understand what you are trying to tell me.

[@samanthakim5035]

Ah, I finally get to this kind of video. This helped me a bit so I can be more aware of being an *over-hobby.* But if I got to custom my budget-friendly keyboard, I will just focus on my typing and just watch some keyboard vids lol

[@Fr0stbite1801]

Getting into the wild world of custom keebs has further reinforced my annoyance with the limited drop/group buy business model. Seriously though, thank you for this video. It feels kinda refreshing seeing a video guide that is both all encompassing and captures the feeling of being lost and disoriented as a noob to the mechanical keyboard scene.

[@romariobailey2756]

Im kinda late to this but, the Mechanical Keyboard subreddit literally has a Wiki, that tells you everything about the hobby and links all the popular sites.

[@breakfastdonut5594]

I made a custom mechanical keyboard a year ago because I had a membrane... Now I have 10 mechanical keyboards :/

[@sonlaxx]

i did a thing and bought myself a gmmk pro.... "endgame" keyboard for people that don't wanna a get too deep into it. that or the Q1 by keychron. for the gmmk pro you will definitely want to swap out the stock stabs and plate. other than those two cons, i am really happy with it.

[@frostii4943]

It took me a long time to learn about all types of things in this hobby and so I could make sure I knew what I was getting before I bought something. This hobby will take a while to learn about all of the specifics but it gets easier as you keep learning. This is a simple rule and it should be followed in other aspects of life as well, DON'T RUSH YOUR WHAT YOU BUY AND KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

[@Rango-Tha-God]

i love how you can tell that he loves the hobby but wants to hate it so much but can’t, so he makes a video on how bad it is in essence

[@shoto42]

The thing about weird hobby’s is that the stuff sells really well to the right person, currently I’m into vinyl and have extremely expensive vinyl from a person who didn’t know what they had. Short story short I’m selling them and one them is $260

[@diangthericeball]

Bruh there's so much useful information here I legit took notes Thanks very much KristoferYee, this is an epic video.

[@maxtwentynine5968]

a good set of clickys sounds like a gentle rain on a tin roof and its the most relaxing crackle ever . it can soothe yer soul .if its too loud your too old

[@sanjacobs6261]

14:58 That's a terrible way to describe what mods are. Mods is short for modifiers. Alt, Ctrl, AltGr and Shift are modifier keys, though grouped in with them are often keys like backspace, enter, tab and basically any other key that is bigger than a normal letter key.

[@TheAlex726a]

He's talking about modified ustom keycaps, not the actual modifier keys.

[@TheRussell747]

No, it's mod as in modified keypads. Not mods as in the modifier keys.

[@chickenpasta7359]

my biggest gripe with this hobby is that limited runs are all too common, but i guess that makes a lot of custom keyboards one in 500 billion

[@bengodwin3515]

thank you for making this, my parts just arrived for a gateron yellow build. If it where not for this video I do not think that I would have made the choice to build a keyboard.

[@DerSchakkalakkaTyp]

Thanks my dude I was several times on r/mk but was never so clueless yet fascinated from this hobby.

[@user-ik9bl8xv2f]

The sizes of mech keyboards is what bothers me so much and why I am not interested in building my own. I despise keyboards that don't have my 10key. I need them, they are not optional. It was difficult enough to find a full mechanical board with the switches I want and a somewhat low profile so I can keep my typing speed. I'm painting it and changing out the caps and I think that's personalized enough for me lol

[@forzprento3116]

Why do you need low profile keyboard tho?

[@eraserheadSH]

10keys are completely useless unless your job is accounting or banking.

[@HeretixAevum]

@@eraserheadSH Disagree, I despise entering numbers with the number row, the 10keys are sooo much better.

[@jackmiddleton2080]

You could buy an external 10 key.

[@crytex6441]

@@eraserheadSH Incident Management team member here, I've actually had to rebind the number row to output it's respective punctuation as I never use that row for numbers as it is more cumbersome to type incident numbers, calculations, and phone numbers. Honestly though it's up to personal preference as people get different keyboards for different purposes so I won't shame the 60% or tenkeyless community for choosing that design. Hell I use a HHKB for gaming and typing when I'm not working.

[@frankrossi3524]

you don't need to spend $100 on an iron, $30 Aoyue is perfectly fine.

[@matokdelk3074]

0:02 I can’t be the only one that thought this was a hair on my screen