New Beam Spring Keyboards
modelfkeyboards.com
modelfkeyboards.com
This is an enthusiast producing these and the beam spring mechanism is entirely redone with modern touches (e.g. support for mx style keycaps) so there is risk, but mine works great. I think that the fully enclosed beam spring mechanism should hold up better during shipping than the spring-and-barrel mechanism on the model F.
Of course YMMV and it is an expensive and rare keyboard, but my experience has been good.
I like lots of keyboards and switches but this is a unique switch with deep historical roots that has been brought back to life by an enthusiast. I think it’s worth supporting (if you can afford it) on general principle.
The key switches in these are as different in design from a Cherry MX switch as a Cherry MX switch is from a rubber dome.
There are topre capacitive switches (HHKB, Realforce etc) , buckling spring switches like the ones in this post (& older IBM model M, Unicomp), Alps switches (older mac keyboards, matias), and an endless selection of MX compatible customized switches. All with different tactility and sound profiles.
Merely "having mechanical keys" is a very basic criteria especially for enthusiasts who might have very specific requirements and preference for how their keyboards should feel and sound. This one is mainly targeted towards those enthusiasts.
Would be great if they don't have chatter issues.. I'm typing on my third matias and all three started chattering after some use. Their quiet switches are the best tactile ones I've ever tried. Sound so nice too.
if my T key is chatttering my ttyping would look something like tthis.
The keyboard sits very high and it is a very different feel (long travel, very loud) but it is unlike any other keyboard I have used and very inexpensive compared to used original beam springs.
Worth a look if you are a retro keyboard enthusiast.
PinePhone Pro vibes, except the PPP's problem isn't lack of QC; it's just lack of (FOSS) SW support. Pay 400 bucks, may need lots of tweaking/work to get it usable. Market is enthusiasts that aren't satisfied by anything else and/or that want to support it out of principle.
It's the most open, pretty sure... What other company is selling smartphones with schematics, datasheets, and ICs you're able to get independently from electronic component distributors? Even with Purism, maybe I'm looking wrong, but I don't see the schematics and datasheets of the Librem 5. Fairphone has some schematics, but its parts list is lacking, and the components it does show aren't generally available for purchase. For example, I don't see where I can buy Fairphone 5 chipset, a QCM6490, but I can buy a Pinephone Pro's RK3399. Same with its modem, same with its PMIC, same with its eMMC, etc. It's really a gem of open hardware that's been lost.
Kinda digging the Mini M. https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/MINI_M
Although spare keycaps came with the purchase and the broken one still worked anyway, they insisted on sending me a replacement for the keycap that broke.
I wanted to prioritise comfort over transportability and boy is it comfortable.
It's okay to transport too but with the size of its case I've had to upgrade to a bigger backpack to carry my workstation. (I work mostly from home but sometimes also from the in-laws house.)
I have had it for a month so I'll write a full review later.
I appreciate the alert, thank you my friend.
Do not use any beam spring keyboard in a mission-critical environment.
I can say this is the first time I've seen this in the sales description for a keyboard. Are these assembled from NOS parts?
I have a rare board with Blue Alps switches, from when most keyboards were mechanical; it's definitely very clicky and tactile, but I rarely use it because I can type much faster on a generic low-profile one with soft and cushy rubber domes.
If you mean to say you have to assemble but you get support/replacements if that doesn't work out then that would be a lot better to put than the current text.
I know many of you are keyboard aficionados and I wanted to let you know that the Model F keyboard guy is making a 2nd generation of his Beam Spring keyboards. I got one and it is unlike any other keyboard I have ever used: the tactile feedback is precise like a buckle spring but louder and with a more pronounced break. Travel feels longer and obviously the keyboard sits very high compared to modern board. But it's a heck of a typing experience if you are interested.
I've you've never heard of beam spring keyboards, this was the IBM keyboard before buckle-springs (same guy, Richard Harris) took over. It uses a very different mechanism than buckle-spring:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFYoh5VcZvg
Very cool that someone is working to bring back these older key switches!
From the page:
> What is a Beam Spring Keyboard? Before the Model F keyboard was the Beam Spring keyboard, a keyboard that was designed to be like the IBM Selectric electric typewriters but made to work with IBM’s mainframe terminals. Originals regularly sell for over $1,000 to $2,000 but now you can get one in various “normal” modern layouts and various color options for a fraction of that cost. The new beam spring keyboards are also compatible with MX keycaps (see below for details).
The sound is satisfying yes, but with other people in mind I am looking for the quietest mechanical keyboard I can find these days. I have become self conscious about typing quietly during phone calls or meetings in case I am unmuted.
I'm actually a Topre purist.
It's a weird hybrid keyswitch that isn't widely used because it's expensive. It has a distinctive sound and a fantastic feel.
I use a switch called Akko Penguins, but there are tons of silent switches out there that people like. Topre keyboards also have a strong following and I think are pretty quiet.
Like I get if where you work is as quiet as a library, but in most places people are on voice calls, talking to each other over your head, etc. Any one complaining about clicky keys in that kind of environment can get stuffed as far as I am concerned.
The biggest such environment I worked in circa 1993 had about 40 people in it. No problem.
I carefully kept a bunch of those keyboards as people were throwing them out in the late 1990s and early 2000s and I have about 5-6 original IBM boards. I still use them. Yes in open plan offices, in the last decade. Including in crowded workplaces. I let people try my keyboards, encourage them to pick them up and feel them. I let my younger colleagues marvel that I type on a keyboard older than they are.
Nobody minds. I've had like 2 complaints this century. It's not that bad.
And it's also worth noting that I don't have RSI, I think because I use stiff mechanical boards with long travel and my fingers get a workout, even if the rest of me doesn't.
Many gamers are even migrating over to hall effect sensors over mechanical switches, since you have a full analog customizable setup for key actuation.
Yeah, I’ll pass
It died quite quickly after and become parts donor for old IBM Model Ms I bought out from people’s attics. It was a wonderfully repair-unfriendly thing, too.
Your unit must have been a couple years older than mine, so it just might be of that more legendary quality. Yours is from at least 2008, right? You may even had got it before markets went bonkers!
This was the same time, around 2013, so I like to hope things have improved since then. I know they did switch the controllers they use in the intervening years and they also replaced the original IBM tooling for the other parts of the keyboard, so hopefully things are in better shape now.
I’d get one if the shipping to EU would be more reasonable.
It's not cheap for a keyboard, but no one on this forum should be cheaping out on a keyboard. I always say, if you can find a vendor of Model-M keyboard buy a lifetime's supply (i.e. one).
Has their finishing improved at all? A coworker bought one, maybe 15 years ago. He has to spend time with a file to remove all the remnants of the molding process. I'd expect a nearly $200 keyboard to feel finished and not have sharp pieces poking out all over the place.
I've long thought about getting a Unicomp, but seeing how poorly finished they were always gave me pause and made me question what other shortcuts they took.
This is still dogshit. This document is poorly formatted, is your intent to make the website look like it was written in the era when the original keyboards were introduced?
Pay a designer/tech writer/information architect and get the job done.
I'm not associated with this project in any way, but I'm excited to see the Beamspring (and Model F capsense stuff) is still ticking along. I keep meaning to redesign my controller for the 2020s but the original crappy design keeps working perfectly for my needs and I can't justify the time to update it. I'd love to do something dumb like throw an FPGA at the problem or try and use the RP2350 PIO. I don't think we ever matched what IBM's original ASIC achieved.
Not sure if you've been following but forum member Rico recently created a new controller based on your original: an RP2040-based controller that runs on Vial. Check out Rico's github for the "Leyden Jar Controller"
As far as the beam spring goes, this is the second revision of these switches. These switches are a complete modern re-imagination of the original beam spring switches and support Cherry-style key caps. Unlike the Model F, the switches are self-contained and setup just involved putting key-caps on. The keyboard worked flawlessly and immediately.
This is an enthusiast trying to bring back classic keyboard switches that have been out of production for decades, so I am willing to grant him some slack in general, but I'm extremely happy with my board. It's a very different typing experience, but I love it. I understand many people aren't willing to risk $400 on a keyboard, but I also want to let people know about my great experience with it.
You are seeing discussion of issues in these HN comments and in the project thread in recent years due to me preparing and shipping a few thousand keyboards over that time, not because a high percentage of boards are permanently nonrepairable. If you can follow what’s in the manual, you are guaranteed to have a working keyboard, period. It’s nice to receive a note that all is well, but most folks only email/post if there is an issue. If several dozen out of 7,000+ folks are posting with issues that does not indicate mass quality control improvements needed. Almost all of the negative discussion stems from the same half-dozen people who posted again and again on one of the now-ghost town mechanical keyboard forums a couple years ago, whereas I have exchanged thousands of emails with folks, many of whom let me know privately that they followed the manual and are happy with the setup. And almost all of their reports centered on one product that ended production years ago, instead of the dozens of variations of keyboards that have been released since then.
Apologies in advance for my long-windedness. To quote Oscar Wilde: “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
Regarding the warranty - nonworking parts are replaced for free under the limited warranty. If someone is saying otherwise, they didn't read the project or did not contact me to ask for a replacement. You don't have to live with a broken keycap.
Regarding paint wear - the main complaint - this was with the original production keyboards that started shipping over 6 years ago. 5 years ago, the paint formulation changed to a more modern, tough powdercoating that has received zero complaints of premature wear. Bottom line, if you want tough powdercoating, pick a model besides the classic style F62/F77. That’s the only one with the paint-wear issues. The originals still have some stock remaining (with full disclosure of this, and now sold at a hefty discount), which is why it’s still brought up every now and then that these two old models can be bought today and will have the old coating because they were made a long time ago.
Regarding firmware - the project switched to Vial several years ago. To change a key you can now use the Vial GUI. Additionally, a new controller has been made that is based on the RP2040; it also uses Vial firmware. Many changes since the old days of original xwhatsit firmware and QMK. With the new Leyden Jar controller you literally click a key combination to enter the bootloader, an empty drive appears in the file manager, and you copy and paste the firmware file to that folder.
Regarding the manual, keys getting stuck etc. - the manual has recently been rewritten and reorganized into easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. I think the main complaint is that many folks believe that all products should arrived fully assembled and never require maintenance or adjustments; they think if they have to adjust something as a normal part of setup that it is somehow broken. I explain below why that's just not possible for a small project like this one. Additionally, someone else wrote their own ultra short manual which can be found as a link on the manual page on the project website. It’s normal to spend a couple hours to setup the keyboard and then a few minutes to adjust keys and springs every now and then. The manual is designed to cover every possible step to setup and maintain these keyboards in the decades to come; not every action is needed as part of normal setup. The manual will enable even beginners to have a fully working keyboard by following the step-by-step instructions there. As I mention there, the last step is to email me if you are having trouble after following the manual and I can help.
Regarding the project philosophy (customer service, etc.):
The project philosophy has always been about teaching folks how to maintain their keyboard for life, not to rely on others for help. The setup guide is there to walk you through everything, from adjusting springs to reseating keycaps, so that even if you aren’t naturally inclined to use tweezers and a screwdriver, you can keep your board running long after the project has shut down. For ten years now, the priority has been clear: pass along the lowest possible cost to everyone. The project rejects the modern product philosophy of essentially “renting” a device for its warranty duration and then discarding it because it can’t be repaired.
To keep these keyboards affordable, the responsibility falls on the end user to learn the basics, such as reseating springs and keys. The alternative would be adding several hundred dollars to the cost of every keyboard to cover “free” repairs, salaried customer service representatives, and shipping charges (due to the heavy keyboard weight) for simple things that only require a screwdriver and tweezers, or to reduce the quality and production cost substantially. That would completely defeat the goal of making these boards accessible to as many folks as possible. Making these boards that much more expensive with friendly service and dedicated phone support would reduce the possible number of new Model F’s shipping each year by half or more. There’s a reason why IBM charged $800, plus annual maintenance contract fees, for what the project charges $200 to $400 (without service contracts). At those prices and with IBM’s economies of scale, one can afford generous customer service with a no questions asked full replacement of the keyboard even if one key stops working, instead of fixing it yourself. Always a tradeoff in small business - more one-on-one service and freebies that big companies offer, higher cost or cheaper product. There are no margins to cover these extras. The businesses that can afford concierge service have a large enough margin and economies of scale to support it, whether one is aware that they charge many times the cost of the product/service or not. For example Apple’s average selling price is $900 to $1000 for an iPhone and their gross margin is estimated at 50% to 60% for each iPhone, with other products as well contributing to their overall profit margin of close to 50%. Given their scale that margin comfortably allows for retail stores with Genius Bars and walk-in support, but with products that are not economically repairable outside the warranty period.
While a small but vocal group might post online wanting personalized customer service for every issue and for a rep to never tell someone to read the manual, the vast majority of the thousands of users simply follow the manual and are perfectly happy typing away. Taking an hour or two to read the guide almost always addresses the expected adjustments required as part of the initial setup. If a part actually fails prematurely during the warranty, it gets replaced for free, but realistically, I just can’t be the first line of defense for simple operations that are already clearly detailed in the manual. I need to focus on working with the factories and mailing out all the orders. These kinds of small projects require balancing the desires for more against the need to keep the keyboard cost as affordable as possible without sacrificing quality.
In summary and to directly respond to several commenters here, according to the thousands of emails I’ve sent and received over the past several years, these keyboards have held up well for those who have bought during that timeframe. If they didn’t, then you’d see thousands of complainers, not dozens of the same folks who post the same things again and again, and you’d see hundreds of folks each year trying to sell broken new Model F keyboards on eBay. (I track these sales and estimate that more than 97% of the project’s keyboards have not been resold). Every part of the Model F and Beam Spring keyboard is repairable or replaceable, which is one of the main draws to these keyboards being truly Buy It For Life and against the planned obsolescence movement. The only reason the keyboard would stop working is if someone did not follow the manual to set it up and maintain it when needed. I wouldn’t ruminate on comments based on products made 6 years ago (two specific old models you’re likely not buying), which the bulk of the few negative comments are about. It’s easy to be negative on social media, especially when the algorithms reward controversy to maximize engagement, but it takes a rare courage to put your (online) reputation towards stating something positive, in public, when you know that others may disagree with you and then personally attack you for your beliefs if you speak up.
My grandfather is a long retired design engineer and has told me about designing a keyboard like this because the typists didn’t like their first few iterations because they didn’t feel “like a typewriter”. I should send this over to him and see what he thinks about it. I’m curious if this is the keyboard he designed (he’s in his 80s now). He’s very spry intellectually despite his advanced age, I bet he’d be willing to answer any questions about the original design, he loves talking about the glory days.
The inventor of the IBM buckling spring actually had a chat session on another forum several years ago: https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=25847
At least at the time my brother bought his keyboard, the warranty policy was "1 year duration only covering manufacturing defects, buyer pays for all shipping, if any labor is required it will be billed at $50/hour". I think that even you realize this is unusually harsh, as the warranty policy isn't publicly available anywhere on your site prior to placing an order. There's just a mention buried in the terms of conditions that you will provide a copy of the warranty upon request.
From the people I've talked to, the impression I get is that the QC has gotten worse over time, not better. The newer models being larger and having more keys means that they need more adjustment to work properly. You can get a board where the keys on the middle click properly but the keys near the edges don't, and you have to mess with the mounting pressure and springs to get everything working.
In general I don't like pushing the philosophy of "these keyboards are for enthusiasts who like tinkering" as a way to spin avoiding QC and offloading the adjustment and testing process onto customers. I appreciate the idea of making a keyboard that's user-serviceable, but if it's not a kit, it should at the very least be working when it arrives.
Having to adjust more springs because there are more possible keys that need to be set up on the larger layout keyboards does not mean that QC has gotten worse over time. That's just because there are more keys on the keyboard that it's more likely that at least one or more springs need adjustment.
The most common setup step is just adjusting springs and reinstalling a key if it doesn't click the first time you install it.
The warranty includes replacements for parts because the user replaces the parts like keycaps, springs etc. if they are broken. I just mail the parts for free as part of the warranty. My post that you replied to notes that a full mail-in warranty service would not be sustainable, so there is no real way I can offer a labor service. The manual emphasizes that I can't offer free labor to set up or maintain each keyboard; following the manual will give everyone a 100% working keyboard.
This is not a kit for tinkerers; it's for folks who have a buy it for life mentality and are not afraid to use tweezers and a key puller to reseat something over the coming decades. If you follow the manual, your keyboard will be working 100%, but you do have to adjust the springs and keys and go through the setup instructions. I explained why it's not feasible to offer increased service.
This stuff has cool factor but it’s pretty terrible compared to the incredibly varied and fully customizable modern mechanical keyboard market.
It was a nice novelty for me to have an “IBM keyboard” but outside the novelty it wasn’t anywhere close to being a competitive keyboard.
Someone interested in this should just buy real vintage equipment as the novelty factor on that is way higher.
So I am very curious about beam springs. I doubt I would ever use one every day (I am pretty set on split ortholinears that sit low on the desk with short keycaps) but would love to try one.
They were only about $100 on ebay at the time though.
Jinkies!
This one is good to, and takes MX key caps.
great!
I'm typing this on a Das that's been completely reliable and, to some extent, clackety and 'special' in its own right. There's five other keyboards that came with computers not thirty feet away including an older Das that I wore out: the keycaps are unreadable on that one, the current one's hanging in there.
I'm not in a position to randomly splurge on this new beam spring monster but I understand exactly what it is, and admit to craving it something fierce :) it's exactly the sort of thing I'd get.
Quite frankly, I’d totally have a real 3278-2 as my daily driver.
Must be alien tech.
The 104-key model F I’ve got has a dead spring in numpad delete, and I can’t carve out enough time to disassemble and fix it. Mind you, I did disassemble, put in DIY foam, and reassemble a Model F XT, so I’m not afraid to do it.
Between me ordering the beam spring one and getting it, I managed to change my citizenship, name, and house. But it was only a two year wait, the first Model F remake (60%) took three years and I was quite late to that party.