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Comment by brailsafe | Hacker News Reader

Is there a way way I can exactly replicate a Microsoft Sculpt, but with the apparent reliability or key action of cherry browns or clears? Because right now my mech keyboard is rotting in a cable bin while my hands, shoulders, and wrists are always so happy with the Sculpt.

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The high-end of ergonomic mechanical keyboards are things like the Maltron or the Kinesis. Recently, there are projects which make use of 3D printing like the Dactyl Manuform.

Somewhat cheaper than these approaches is to go for a split keyboard, and 'tent' each of these halves. Ergodox is probably the most popular of keyboards like this; but there are smaller/cheaper keyboards like the Corne keyboard.

I've recently built a Dactyl Manuform [0], which is still a bit of work in progress (cf. the rubber bands :D ), but it's the most relaxed typing I've had so far. I used Gateron browns for this one, and they're really nice. I get a very relaxed typing position, and my fingers need to move very little. On the downside, there's a bit of a learning curve (ortholinear + layers)...

[0] https://imgur.com/a/dKCrqIF

I have a gallery of ergonomic mechanical keyboards. I'm not aware of anything exactly like the Sculpt; once people are 3d printing a case they tend to make other changes.

The final picture is to a site with more traditional ergonomic keyboards, I haven't added these individually yet.

https://aposymbiont.github.io/split-keyboards/

Not sure if there's a Sculpt clone out there, but I've been using a Natural Keyboard Elite for >20 years, and I'm pretty happy with the Kinesis Freestyle Pro I just picked up (brown switches because I don't want to make tons of noise in a coworking space). Key placement is close enough that there isn't much of a learning curve.

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