Custom keycaps have become one of the prime options if you are looking at the possibility of personalizing and customizing your keyboards. In case you are a hobbyist dealing with the keyboards, you would find that it is extremely important to understand how to work with custom keycaps and get access to a for more enhanced efficiency.
In case you are a mechanical keyboard fan, and looking for the best possible experience in terms of custom keycaps, the GMK Keycaps should perhaps be what assumes a lot of importance. Have you ever wondered what are the GMK keycaps and what makes them stand apart from the rest of the options?
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What Are GMK Keycaps?
GMK keycaps have been regarded as one of the excellent options for providing you a high degree of performance. An acronym for Gunther, Meinhardt, and Kredler, it does indicate the names of the founders of the company.
GMK is a German company specializing in specialized keycaps for almost all mechanical keyboards. The company specializes in the manufacturing of custom or limited design keycaps and offers you them in group buys. The keycaps manufactured by GMK do provide you access to far more versatility and unique design. The keycaps can be a great choice for your needs in case you are checking out the Cherry MX profile. The ABS keycaps can indeed provide a special look for your keyboard.
Are GMK Keycaps Worth it?
If you went to find the GMK keycaps that would meet your individual requirements, you will find the GMK keycaps are expensive. Why are GMK keycaps so expensive? Have you ever attempted finding why GMK Keycaps expensive?
The specific reasons for the expensive price tag of the GMK keycaps is solely because of the uniqueness offered by each of the keycap and the powerful Cherry MX profile. That is exactly why GMK keycaps are so much in demand and that should explain why they are expensive.
The Group buys feature that you can buy the GMK keycaps has been rated to be one of the thoughtful options ever. In essence, even when you do not like the keycaps you bought for one or the other reason, it would be worthwhile to consider selling them off – once again through group buy. That can perhaps fetch you a price that may be worthy of it which may be equivalent to the price you have paid or even more than that.
The GMK keycaps are quite high in demand and there are not many manufacturers, and that should explain why they are so expensive. The quality offered by the GMK keycaps is quite impressive and that should be one of the exciting options of high-end quality. Having said that, it should also be noted that they may develop key shine over the years.
How to Clean GMK Keycaps?
Cleaning the GMK keycaps should be based on a few key parameters. The right procedure you should opt for cleaning the GMK keycaps would ideally be:
- Remove the keycaps from your keyboard. Make sure you have taken an image of the keyboard before removing the keycaps. This will ensure that you will not mess it up when reinstalling the keycaps
- Take a damp cloth and fill a bowl with soapy water.
- Soak the cloth in the soapy water and clan each of the keycaps
- Simply strain the keycaps in a strainer.
- Do not let the keycaps dry with the soap on them. Rinse them off with clean water.
- Stain them once again in a strainer.
- Use a towel to dry the keycaps
- Reinstall the GMK keycaps.
Why Are GMK Keycaps So Expensive?
GMK Keycaps attract a high end pricing because of a variety of reasons and they can be quite expensive to the core. In fact, the GMK keycaps can even be more expensive than the keyboard itself. While it has been an expected fact that the GMK keycaps are expensive, have you ever wondered why they are so expensive?
There are several factors that should explain what makes GMK keycaps so expensive:
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An Outstanding Quality
Most of the keyboards come with a thin profile of the ABS keycaps. The poor construction of the keycaps can make them wear out or even develop shine really faster. The thin keycaps can also susceptible to damage and breakage.
The GMK keycaps are strong and durable and come with an ABS keycap construction nevertheless. But, the ABS material or profile used in the GMK keycaps is quite thicker. That would ideally make them one of the excellent choices for your needs in helping you get access to a very high degree of high-end keycaps. While they will develop shine over the years, it may happen after a considerably longer time than most other standard ABS keycaps.
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It Uses a Thick Cherry MX Profile
The GMK keycaps follow and work with the same profile as on the Cherry MX profile. The Cherry MX profile does provide you access to a good degree of the overall shape and height of the keycaps. The Cherry profile has been considered to be a great choice for most of your requirements in gaming and typing requirements you may have.
The thicker keycap design can be one of the excellent choices for almost all your needs in terms of comfortable usage. We found the keycap offering a decent and acoustic when you are using the GMK keycap. The Cherry MX profile offered by the GMK keycaps can be definitely one of the most genuine options ever.
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The Uniqueness of the Keycaps
The GMK keycaps come with a unique and excellent look and design. In fact, the unique design has been one of the prime factors that have made the GMK keycaps quite expensive. Each of the unique keycaps from GMK is available only for a limited period of time. In case you miss the keycap once, you may not be able to get it once again. If you are not able to buy them through a group buy, you will be forced to buy them, aftermarket dealers, at a very expensive price tag.
The limited number of availability of the GMK keycaps further makes it one of the strongest factors that increase the demand for the keycaps. The limit on the purchase window and the unique design can be one of the excellent choices for a wide range of options for your requirements.
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The Aftermarket Flipping
If you are unable to get access to a group buys option, you will be forced to buy them from the Aftermarket. But, in case you are buying them from the aftermarket forums such as Geekhack or Reddit marketplace, you need to be ready to buy them at a very higher price point.
In fact, it so happens that the aftermarket operators sign up for the group buy and thus end up getting a good number of aftermarket deals. This will make them stock the GMK Keycaps and then sell them off at a very higher price point. This can be one of the major reasons for the rising price of the GMK keycaps.
How to Buy GMK Keycaps?
You can buy GMK keycaps from a host of several options. You do have access to a considerably a great number of options for buying the GMK keycaps.
A few of the primary options that can help you buy GMK Keycaps can include
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Group Buys
Group Buys can be a great option and one of the widely opted ways for buying the GMK keycaps. There are several group buy options you may want to check out. These group buy options share a host of options for different group buys including GMK Keycaps.
The group buy sites such as Mechgroupbuys provide you access to group buy options and can link you directly to the vendor.
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Amazon
Amazon has been one of the best online retailers for getting access to an enhanced experience in getting a far more degree of how to buy GMK keycaps. Do note that not every type of GMK keycap is available with Amazon. You can check out the best options for the best GMK keycaps from Amazon.
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Aftermarket
The aftermarket is yet another option for buying the best GMK keycaps. Do note that you should opt for the aftermarket options only if you miss out on the group buys or online sources and are impatient for the GMK keycaps. The price you may need to pay in the aftermarket can be hefty and can even break your bank. The aftermarket is also prone to scammers who may dupe you of your money or even sell you counterfeit products.
Why Do GMK Keycaps Use ABS Instead of PBT?
If you have been following the best quality of the keycaps material, you would perhaps be aware that the keycaps made of PBT are quite durable and resist the key shine. So, why do GMK keycaps use the ABS keycaps instead of PBT keycaps?
GMK keycaps follow a unique route of ABS keycaps instead of PBT keycaps lies in the ease of construction offered by the ABS material. Even when the GMK keycaps are expensive, the fact that they use ABS material can prove to be extremely strange.
Why do GMK keycaps use ABS? Here are a few reasons that would specify it:
- The ABS keycaps are not prone to warping. They will also not cause many imperfections. The PBT keycaps on the other hand can be prone to warping.
- The colors on the ABS keycaps tend to pop up better and they also provide a better acoustic experience when typing.
- The PBT keycaps can warp and can result in the best keys (in the case of the large keys) and an off center lettering on the keycaps.
That should explain why GMK prefers using the ABS keycaps instead of PBT.
The Closing Thoughts
If you are a keyboard enthusiast, you will find that the GMK keycaps to be a great option by several counts and parameters. While they may be quite expensive, the GMK keycaps do provide you a very high degree of performance enhancement through superior quality and durability.
Except for the fact that they are quite expensive and much difficult to find even when you are planning to buy the keycaps, they do tend to be one of the most sought-after keycaps ever for most of your requirements. The exclusivity and the high demand are a few of the factors that should make it one of the high-end options ever.
FAQs on GMK Keycaps
How long does it take for GMK keycaps to shine?
There can be several reasons that would make the GMK keycaps to begin shining. It can take anywhere between one month to one year of continuous usage. In essence, the time taken for developing the key shine will be dependent on your typing habit and usage pattern.
How do you clean GMK keycaps?
You can simply pick a damp and clean cloth and clean up the keycaps using soapy water. Make sure that the soap does not dry out on the keycaps. Rinse the caps after they have been cleaned.
