I make a living from typing and have more mechanical keyboards than I will admit in public. And despite that, I keep looking, looking and salivating for new ones. In that constant search, some frankly rare specimens appear from time to time. Therefore, we bring you the most curious keyboards you can find . As you will see, some of them are downright surprising.
And to open your mouth, the fastest you can find …
The keyboard that promises 300 words per minute
We begin with what I would like already. The promise of reaching 300 words per minute with the keyboard you see in the photo above, created by Radomir Dopieralski, a Swiss programmer.
As you can see, the keyboard has a very strange layout and the trick is revealed by its name: Steno Keyboard . It is a stenography keyboard , that discipline of shorthand that you can see in lawyer movies when someone is taking note of everything that happens in a trial.
For that, special machines are used, but you can build this keyboard yourself, use it on a normal computer and, if you learn stenography well, you can still reach those 300 words a minute.
I will continue pounding with my two index fingers and my tongue sticking out the corner of my lips.
The most expensive keyboard in the world
Of course, one of the most curious keyboards is the most expensive in the world. According to the current Guinness Book of Records, that honor corresponds to a special Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional model .
For just over $ 4,200 it can be yours, and of course something like that can only be sold in Japan. Produced by a Fujitsu affiliate, it may not seem like anything to write home about when looking at the image and wondering why it is worth so much.
The truth is that Happy Hacking makes excellent keyboards, but its Professional models can be found for between 200 and 300 euros to start. The main difference with this version is that the keys are lacquered with Urushi varnish . Hence its curious appearance.
This is a highly appreciated material in Japan, which has been used for more than 7,000 years according to them, it is obtained from the Urushi tree and is an art form there. That’s why the keys have that weird look you see. Besides that, they carry gold powder.
If you want to fill it with crumbs, you know.
The Steampunk keyboard
There are more keyboards with Steampunk aesthetics than you might imagine, but I have to admit that I love the one in the image above (the game you play with the mouse rounds out the charm).
This one, in particular, is handcrafted by the Etsy SteampunkRenovation store and, right now, if you want it, it seems like many others too and is not picking up new orders at the time of writing this.
However, don’t worry, there are more options. Datamancer is another store that makes keyboards of this type , as well as mice and monitors with matching aesthetics.
Of course, again we are talking about prices not suitable for the faint of heart. From 700 euros the cheapest, to easily exceed 1200 euros (and without VAT or import).
It is not Happy Hacking , but if you have a habit of eating and wanting to live under a roof, you already have to like it a lot.
As you can see, these curious keyboards have the honor of holding the podium of the strangest or most fascinating and I better not spend so much time looking, lest I do something stupid.
