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ghostfaceschiller OP t1_j4w7la1 wrote

I'm an r/ergomechkeyboards cretin, and I posted this over there a couple days ago, if not allowed here please remove! Thought some people here might be interested tho

"After a few months of use, I'm happy to introduce the Fulcrum Keyboard - a 20-key ergo-mechanical split keyboard, with two rotary encoders, and two 5-way switches. It runs on KMK.

The sideways-mounted 5-way switches are such a game changer. It's like adding a force-multiplier to your board.

Our thumbs aren't the same as our other fingers (they are “opposable”, after all) so it makes sense that we shouldn’t give them same type of keys as our other fingers.

If you think about how you type on a iPhone keyboard (which most people can do quite well), this joystick mimics a similar type of movement. Our thumbs are very dexterous in this dimension.

The 5-way joystick, plus the regular key switch placed directly below it, puts six (SIX!) different actions at the tip of each thumb, all with minimal movement. Crucially, all of these actions are easily and comfortably paired with other key presses elsewhere on the keyboard.

Previously I had thought of this board as a fun, almost gimmicky side project. Now it's been my daily driver for about three months, and I can regularly type faster than what my all-time high speeds were with my other boards."

​

Other Fulcrum Features, including stuff r/mk might be interested in:

  • All non-thumb keys are MX-style switches (Momoka Frog)
  • Thumb switches are low-profile Red Chocs (bc your thumbs sits lower)
  • Key caps are XDA, except thumb keys which are custom designs that I 3d printed for max comfort (my models are on the github, but I think they were originally remixed from here
  • Two rotary encoders: tilted for ergo reachability
  • Word keys: "the" & "and" each have their own key in this layout. I could take or leave the "and" key, but I don't think I'll ever type again without a "the" key

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Keymaps/photos/info/etc on the github repo if anybody is interested. Hope you like!

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