Modding My: Tai Hao Shipment

Hello everyone and welcome back to Tiro Finale for another chapter of Modding My. This time, we will be casting the spotlight on my personal work keyboard, the Ducky One 2 SF, and my shipment of key caps. Yes, I am aware that the fourth and final chapter of Project K9 was promised but, I was a little excited when this little shipment came in a little earlier than expected. 

As the title suggests, I just received a shipment of three new key caps from Tai Hao including one particular set that I have been looking forward to for quite a while. All three sets are double shot PBT keycaps from Tai Hao. The first set which can be seen through the clear plastic packaging is the Tai Hao Rainbow. It was a toss up between this and the Hawaii but, I finally decided to go with the Rainbow after consulting a friend of mine.

The second set is another very iconic color way that many manufacturers emulate and remains to be a staple whenever the name, Tai Hao, is mentioned. The Miami color way is possibly one of the more popular key caps color ways around and this is Tai Hao's recent shine through double shot PBT variant aptly named Miami Lights. Pictures certainly do not do this set justice as the colors really pop unlike what you would expect from a PBT key cap. Moreover, the shine through components on the aqua colored key caps are actually tinted pink!

The third, and arguably most important, set of key caps is the latest release from Tai Hao, the Sakura Michi. This set was available for pre-order up till the month of May 2020 and has since been in full release. Because the set is so new, the only actual pictures we have of it are those provided by Tai Hao which by itself was more than enough to win me over already. 

This also happened to be one of the most expensive set of key caps made by Tai Hao. Not only was it a shine through double shot PBT key cap set, it is actually a 140 keys set which would include additional modifiers for all sorts of layouts. Hence the reason Tai Hao decided to go for a particularly special packaging for this board.

Layered like a sandwich, there are four tier of keys in total laid out in an entirely cardboard packaging. I was rather disappointed that they did not go with their usual foam board which helped to secure the keys a little better. But I suppose this route is much more eco-friendly. Nevertheless, the most important thing lied with the contents and these are some absolutely gorgeous key caps. 

PBT key caps are commonly known to not be able to produce as vibrant colors as ABS but, do produce better pastel shades. In that regard, the Sakura Michi works towards the strengths of PBT for one of the most beautiful pastel gradient key caps I have ever seen. Not only that, the surface treatment is nice and textured guaranteeing a nice tactile experience for touch typing. 

While I was tempted to slap on the new set of Sakura Michi key caps on my Ducky One 2 SF. I decided to go with the Rainbows instead and leave the Sakura Michi for a special occasion. The One 2 SF serves as my primary work keyboard. As such, I really love changing around the key caps whenever I get the opportunity to as it really is a treat to see how my fellow colleagues react to it.

I have not gotten much typing time with the Rainbows just yet. But aside from looking great with a much smoother gradient than expected, these maintain the same gritty texture that are inherent to Tai Hao's double shot PBT key caps such as the Rainbow Sherbet (of which I am a very big fan of). The black legends are dark and inky making them especially clear behind the bright keys. I have yet to figure out the ideal back lighting for the keys so, I will have to experiment with that when I can. 

In the meantime, it is time to pack up the keyboard in my trusty felt bag. As soon as I get some proper time with the Rainbows, I will be surely to provide a write up on my impressions on the key caps. Until then, thank you so much for reading and have yourself a wonderful day ahead!