Expressing your personality on your beloved keyboard by personalizing it is one of the most satisfying things in the custom keyboard hobby. By doing so, you are making a keyboard that is truly your own. One of the many ways to personalize a custom keyboard is through custom keycaps. This can even further be taken to the next level through artisan keycaps.
Artisan keycaps are handcrafted keycaps that provide the user’s keyboard with a unique look. They come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and designs that reveal a lot about users’ tastes and style. Many designs are based on real-life objects and pop culture references.
In this post, we will be discussing everything that buyers need to know about Artisan keycaps. The topis that we will be going through include what an artisan keycap is, the usual cost of artisan keycaps, what is considered for its pricing, why you should get one, and some artisan keycaps that we recommend getting your hands on. And ultimately, users should be able to decide if they want to purchase an artisan keycap and where they can get one.
What are Artisan Keycaps?
Artisan keycaps are custom-made keycaps that are somehow a way for users to personalize their keyboard by adorning it with their own flare. Artisan keycaps come in varying shapes, sizes, and designs. More often than not, these are placed in your modifiers or the function row, given that these are the least used ones.
The main reason why artisan keycaps are placed in lesser-used keys is due to their shape. Unlike regular keycaps, most artisan keycaps do not follow traditional keycap profiles. Most of the time, artisan keycaps are taller to accommodate their unique design. In addition, placing them in lesser-used keys ensures that they won’t get worn out easily.
However, the designs and decorations used by the artist in creating an artisan keycap may be subject to faster wear and tear due to different external factors. For example, materials such as wood, beads, glitters, and other craft materials can be scratched or torn off the artisan keycap.
According to some users, artisan keycaps are usually limited in numbers because they are produced only in small batches. Artisan keycaps are also constantly sold out, which means that if you are looking forward to buying one, make sure you follow your favorite artists as, more often than not, they only produce their masterpieces in limited batches.
How Much DoArtisan Keycaps Normally Cost?
According to some users, the price of artisan keycaps can go for as low as $10 and can go high up to $1000. Some people might think, why does an artisan keycap cost so much? Well, to answer that question, there are many reasons why artisan keycaps cost so much.
The first reason why artisan keycaps cost so much is because of the materials used in making an artisan keycap. Most of the materials used in making an artisan keycap are quite pricey, like resin, silicone, clay, pigments, cleaning materials, and other craft materials. The pressure pot, air compressors, and other tools used in making the keycap also cost a lot of money.
The second reason artisan keycaps are expensive is the artist’s time and energy in sculpting or molding the artisan keycap. Sculpting or molding a keycap can go on for days, sometimes even weeks or months, depending on how intricate the artist is making the design. The knowledge of the artist in the different styles of designing also plays a huge role in creating an artisan keycap.
The third reason for its high cost is the casting complexity of the resin. It means that the more detailed or intricate a design is, the more it is likely to be hard to finish. The artist needs to carefully cast the resin and let it cure for some time to get the desired design and to avoid air bubbles in the artisan keycap.
And last but not least, the reason that contributes to the high cost of the artisan keycap is the availability of the artisan keycaps. Only a handful of artists and manufacturers make artisan keycaps, which means the rarer the design is. The lesser chance of acquiring it usually happens because of the high demand for artisan keycaps, but there are only a few supplies available to the market.
Why Should You Get At Least One Artisan Keycap?
Artisan keycaps do not offer many advantages compared to other regular keycaps. The primary thing it offers is aesthetics. Users usually buy artisan keycaps to decorate and beautify their own keyboards.
Some users claim that the texture of the artisan keycaps helps them feel that what they’re typing on the keyboard is being registered, but it does not feel that way for some.
Artisan keycaps also do not improve the typing speed or accuracy of the user, which some people might say, but it does make the user’s keyboard feel more special, so we suggest that you at least try to get some, just to express your own aesthetic and personality.
Featured Artisan Keycaps
Petite Meal Resin Keycap
The Petite Meal Resin Keycap is an artisan keycap made by the collaboration of the brands Dwarf Factory and tinymakesthings. The petite meal resin keycap shows off designs that look like delicious and mouth-watering staple foods from our favorite fast-food restaurants. The designs featured in this set are a cheeseburger, a soda pop, french fries, and a hotdog bun.
The petite meal resin keycap is compatible with Cherry MX switches and their clones. It is available for purchase on the Dwarf Factory website and Drop’s website.
Hammer Fidget Spinner Artisan Keycap
The people behind the Lagoon and SA Carbon spacebar designed the Hammer Fidget Spinner Artisan Keycap. This artisan keycap features a fidget spinner on top of the keycap. This artisan keycap is perfect for people who like to play with fidget spinners or for people that generally like to fidget a lot.
The hammer fidget spinner is compatible with Cherry MX switches and their clones. These keycaps are available for purchase in online stores like eBay and Drop.
Hot Keys Project Lucky Cat Artisan Keycap
The Hotkeys Project Lucky Cat artisan keycap is designed by the brand hotkeysproject. This artisan keycap features a vibrant, cute, and very lovable Maneki Neko design. This artisan keycap features both transparent and opaque designs, which can show off the RGB lights of the keyboard.
The Hotkeys project lucky cat artisan keycap is compatible with Cherry MX switches and their clones. This artisan keycap is available for purchase on the Hotkeysproject website and Drop’s website.
Dwarf Factory Terrarium Resin Artisan Keycap
Another popular artisan keycap maker is the brand Dwarf Factory. These artisan keycaps feature designs that depict the intricately cultivated plantscape. The plant designs inside the resin can vary to cactus, succulents, aloe vera, and other forms of plant life. This artisan keycap is perfect for users who like to cultivate a garden or explore mother nature.
These keycaps are also compatible with Cherry MX switches and their clones. The Terrarium Resin Keycap is available for purchase on the Dwarf factory’s website and Drop’s website.
ZMKC Pocket Game Console Artisan Keycap
The Pocket Game Console artisan keycap is designed by the brand ZMKC. The pocket game console artisan keycap is modeled after the famous gaming console released in 1989, the Nintendo Game Boy.
This is perfect for users that are big fans of vintage gaming consoles and for people who like to feel nostalgia. These artisan keycaps are available for purchase on Drop. These artisan keycaps are compatible with Cherry MX Switches and their clones.
