KBD67 MKII
A worthy successor to the KBDfans KBD67.
Humble Beginnings
In late 2018, custom keyboard availability was very grim.
Constantly available products were limited in design or quality.
Group buys had high barriers to entry in both cost and connections for joining.
To make higher quality keyboards available for all, I partnered with KBDfans to fully overhaul their KBD67 family of 65% keyboard designs.
A Refined Look
Unlike the KBD8X MKII which involved a complete visual redesign, the KBD67 MKII saw more an evolution rather than a revolution - it already had a unique and distinct visual from the beginning, so it was maintained through the overhaul.
The USB port on the rear was made flush with the rest of the case, removing the need for a deep cutout.
The unique grill-style weight was carried over from the previous versions while adjusting its size and position for a balanced look.
A badge area was added in the center to carry the KBDfans logo while turning the horizontal lines into a background element rather than a jarring foreground one.
The internals were converted from a stiff bottom-mount to a classic top-mount structure, allowing the plate to flex downwards for dispersing impacts.
The typing angle was also increased slightly to balance the look and typing feel.
A Lasting Legacy
The KBD67 MKII was sold for years after its launch in late 2019, serving as an accessible and performant design for years until its discontinuation.
Specifications
Case Weight | 800g |
Dimensions | 313 x 108 x 29mm |
Typing Angle | 6deg |
Materials | Aluminum (case halves), Brass (weight and plate) |
PCB Variants | Hotswap PCB: Not designed by ai03
Soldered PCB: Designed by ai03
|
Files and Resources
A note regarding the hotswap variant | I originally designed both a hotswap and solderable variant PCB/plate for the KBD67 MKII. The hotswap PCB was scrapped, replaced by KBDfans’ own RGB hotswap PCB, and the plate modified to fit. Due to this, I do not have the final plate files for the KBD67 MKII hotswap variant; please contact KBDfans for it instead. |
Solderable variant plate files | Download |