Last Updated on August 27, 2023 by Dave Farquhar
The resurgence in popularity of mechanical keyboards makes me happy. Today, you can get an affordable keyboard whose quality rivals those of the late 1980s and early 1990s but in a variety of sizes and styles and with a USB connection for a modern computer. But if you find the styling a bit over the top, you can retroize these newer keyboards. Here’s how I turned mine into a retro style mechanical keyboard.
Modern mechanical keyboards
Most modern mechanical keyboards use Cherry switches or clones of Cherry switches that use the same mounting system. Cherry was making keyboards in the 1980s, although they may or may not have made the switches in your favorite vintage mechanical keyboard. Still, a modern Cherry keyboard can be very nearly as nice to type on as the vintage keyboards you remember. You can get a blue switch if you want a clicky keyboard somewhat reminiscent of IBM keyboards. Brown switches give a more subtle click. Red switches don’t click but still feel better than a membrane board, and will remind you of an Apple IIe or Tandy 1000 keyboard.
The main objection I have is the RGB lighting. I turn the RGB lighting off. But then that can make it difficult to read the key tops because the keys are typically double shot plastic with translucent lettering to let the letters glow. I’d rather have solid keycaps with solid lettering like the old ones.
To that end, I replaced the keycaps on the Hyper X keyboard with red switches that I use for work with retro-style keycaps, and I liked it enough that I turned around and bought another set for the Punkston keyboard I use for writing and editing.
Finding retro style keycaps for a mechanical keyboard
To fix this, I purchased a $25 set of retro keycaps with Cherry mounts. The style of the keycaps closely resembles that of PC keyboards from the 1987 to 1996 timeframe. Look for a Retro 9009 keycap set in Cherry profile. If you want a keycap style more reminiscent of a C-64 keyboard or a vintage terminal, look for an XDA profile Retro 9009 keycap set. I’m a huge C-64 fan but I find the PC-style key profile easier to type on.
The main objection I have to the Cherry profile retro 9009 set I purchased is the keycap heights can vary slightly. We are talking a fraction of a millimeter, but the size isn’t as consistent as the keys they replaced. Across the same row, some of the keys will be very slightly higher or lower than the others. The keys aren’t bad, but the quality control could be a bit better. Keep that in mind if you buy the $25 set.
But even with that slight drawback, I find the retro style keycaps to be an upgrade over the originals. They allow me to use the keyboard with the lighting disabled, and the result resembles a nice Northgate or Zeos keyboard from the early 1990s, except I can get them in a space-saving configuration if I want, and a greater variety of keyswitch types.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.
It almost seems like what is old is new and what is new is old. The fact that we are now valuing quality keyboard is a good thing. I can tell you that I am at this point now were I want a quality machine, not just one that will “do for now.” That goes for keyboards too. I am impressed by the industry tiling as it is.