KLP Lamé started as a 3D-printed profile designed by Braindefender, a low-profile sculpted design that became a genuine favorite in the ergo community. Most keycap profiles are designed for standard layouts first and adapted to ergo boards later. KLP Lamé went the other way: it was built for ergo keyboards from the start. That's part of why we wanted to bring it to injection molding, so it could exist as a proper keycap, consistent from set to set, with the texture and durability injection molding allows for.
Getting the files ready
The stems needed particular attention. We made sure KLP Lamé's stems were compatible with both the newer low-profile Choc switches and Choc v2 (used for MX low-profile keycaps).
Four rounds to get it right
From there, we went through four mold iterations, each one addressing something the last sample got wrong. The injection gate, the point where molten plastic enters the mold, needed to sit somewhere it wouldn't leave a visible mark on the sides of the keycap, wall thickness needed to stay on the thicker side, and stem fit needed tuning. The final mold modification was approved at the end of May.
What's coming
- Sizes: 1u saddle, 1u saddle tilted, 1u saddle homing, 1u thumb, 1.5u vertical thumb
- Spacing: Choc and MX
- Material: PBT, in black and white
Blanks first, dye-sub next
The first units off the mold are blank keycaps. Dye-sub legends are already in design and will follow once blank production is validated, since dye-sub tooling and QC only make sense to lock in after the base part is confirmed. As with the rest of our lineup, the dye-sub sets will be built as proper ergo sets, 40s and 60s, not standard layouts with the extra keys trimmed off.
Where it stands
KLP Lamé is moving from a design people printed themselves to a set we can produce consistently at scale, without losing what made the original worth printing in the first place. Blanks first, dye-sub sets to follow.
Questions about fit or compatibility with your board? Reach out to support@fkcaps.com. We're happy to help you figure out what works.