Wooden Keycaps

Some time ago I remodeled my gaming system to also be usable for machine learning and to test LLM based projects. That essentially meant more memory, a GPU no one should buy for gaming (RTX4090) and a Keychron Q3 with Kailua Pro Burgundy switches. For gaming I prefer linear switches and the Q3 is one of the best bases for a good board I ever used.

I did not want another set of aluminium keys, especially because I do not like the shop I got my set from. So for half a year I just kept the standard caps on it (with a profile I hated to type on). I finally found time and motivation to get a proper keycap set - this time I landed on walnut.

I did some research before buying these. The stem is actually plastic and glued in, only the caps are actual wood. However, this seems to be preferable: a wooden stem seems to grind down switches pretty quickly.

Overall the feel of the caps is good, they do not have lots of texture and are very smooth. If you rely on some surface resistance while typing they are likely not for you. The etched characters show well enough in a lit room, but I would say this is a set for touch typing. They keyboard backlight shines through between the caps, but they’re not translucent. I really like the look and feel so far! Here is also a quick sound check captured with an iPhone 15.