The World of Artisan Keycaps
A deeper dive into the mechanical keyboard community
What are artisan keycaps?
My collection of artisan keycaps (photo mine)
Artisan keycaps are handmade keycaps. They are usually made out of resin and made by pouring the resin into molds. Some are painted by hand, but more expensive ones are usually made by pouring different colors of resin in layers.
How do you type on them?
Usually, you don’t. They’re art, and sometimes displayed on the “escape” key of mechanical keyboards. They fit on keyboards just like any other key would. They are usually sized for specific keys and switch stems. The most common size is 1u, the size of any letter on a standard keyboard. They can also be made to be the size of a spacebar, or in any other size. I have a cap that is 1.5u, the size of the tab or control key on a standard keyboard.
A size 1.5u artisan cap (left) next to a size 1u blank cap (photo mine)
A size 1u artisan (left) next to a size 1 blank cap (photo mine)
The most common type of mechanical keyboard switch stem is MX, made to be compatible with Cherry MX switches or similar clones. They can also be made to fit on alps or topre stems which have a different size and shape than MX switches. Because these switches are far less common than MX switches, it is harder to find artisans that fit them. All of mine are MX compatible.
The back of an artisan cap (left) next to a standard MX compatible blank cap (photo mine)
These caps are truly works of art. Some of them feature incredible detail and vivid color.
The detail on a “Geekrilla” cap, made by Simulacra Caps (photo mine)
Where can you find these caps?
Most artists sell their artisan keycaps on the reddit thread r/mechmarket, a market place for mechanical keyboard related products, or geekhack, a forum for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. Since these caps are made in very small batches of about 4-10 caps, the sales are done through raffles. If you’re interested in purchasing one, you submit a google form that is open for a predetermined amount of time, usually between 6 and 24 hours. Once the form closes, invoices are sent to the winners.
Some caps are made in even smaller batches, by artists who have been on the scene for a long time. Caps being raffled off sell for anywhere between 15 and 100 dollars. If you miss entering or winning the raffle, you can always buy caps from other people on r/mechmarket or Geekhack. For some that are in high demand and have low supply, you may end up paying hundreds of dollars.
The community aspect
Some cap artists are well established and have loyal followings. On a given day on mechmarket you can find enthusiasts looking for specific caps in exchange for sums of many that could buy many mechanical keyboards. Other artists are just getting started and looking to cultivate a fan base. Last week I bought a cap in one artist’s first raffle. The cap came with a little thank you note.
Frumpzkeys Rune Helm cap and thank you note (photo mine)
Today, I entered his second raffle and got 1 of only 6 caps he made. While it may seem coincidental that I would win two raffles in a row, chances are that not many people entered. Because of the resale value of caps made by more well known artists, it is harder for newer cap makers to get started. Some more established artists set rules for their raffles and resale, dictating that winners cannot resell their caps on r/mechmarket for at least a month after winning them to try to prevent people just looking to make a profit on the caps from entering the raffles.
The mechanical keyboard community might seem strange, but hopefully you can appreciate the craftsmanship of artisan keycaps even if a custom mechanical keyboard does not appeal to you. Thanks for reading.