HK GAMING Custom Keycaps | Dye Sublimation PBT Keycap Set for Mechanical Keyboard | 139 Keys | Cherry Profile | ANSI US-Layout | Compatible with Cherry MX, Gateron, Kailh, Outemu | 9009

I’ve been on the lookout for a decent quality PBT keycap set for my filco TKL for a long time. Actually started looking well before December 2019 but then COVID-19 hit us and well everything went sideways in terms of stock, availability, delivery and manufacturing.A lot of keycap sets on Amazon cater for ANSI layout keyboards only as they are in reality the more popular layout. Some kits purport to be both ANSI and ISO but only provide partial support for ISO caps.The sets listed by HK Gaming fortunately provide full and proper support for ISO UK keyboards and include the double quotes, British pound, ampersand and large Enter keys.The keyboard originally was supplied with Filco ABS keys and I wore those down to a shine in about 4 years. They were replaced with a set of tao hoi dolch keycaps which were ok but again made of ABS and starting to shine.This is the first PBT set that I’ve had the pleasure of owning/using. Initial impressions are very good as they caps arrived within 24hrs of ordering and securely packaged in thick cardboard box. The caps themselves were enclosed in two plastic trays. The first tray contained the alpha and function caps and ANSI modifiers. The second tray contained the ISO caps, number pad and cursor key caps.The caps themselves are a lower profile than the tao hoi caps (oem vs cherry mx). The surface of the caps is smooth which is unusual for a PBT cap but reading the reviews for HK Gaming keycap sets is to be expected. I’d have preferred the more usual rough or stippled finish that you get with standard PBT caps but in reality for me it’s a minor complaint given the price.The caps were easy to replace on the keyboard and a key cap puller is included in the box if you don’t already have one. Swapping the caps over took about 10mins and the result is a cleaner fresher looking keyboard now with a slightly lower key profile.The legends on the keys are sharp and clear, only minor observation I’d make is that the spacing between some of the legends doesn’t match up. It’s very slight though and not something that would cause me to return them, you’ll have to judge that for yourself though. If you want perfection with a keycap set then be prepared to pay a lot more than £40.The difference in the type of plastic and thickness of the key caps has also altered the key sound of each key. It’s a little less high pitched now e.g. when you bottom out the key the tone is lower and deeper then with the ABS cap it has replaced.Overall, I like the 9009 set, it’s a little retro but with a splash of colour and it suits the Filco TKL to a tee. After all filco keyboards have no RGB lighting (well no lighting at all, apart from caps/scroll lock) or gimmicks that seem to be prevalent on gaming keyboards. These caps are good quality replacement caps for the money and I’d have no hesitation in recommending these to someone wanting to get a replacement/second set without breaking the bank.

First set of caps that wasn't just in a plastic bag, and first set that's actually got UK layout as well as US. Goes to show, better to pay a little more for quality than cheap out. These caps aren't transparent but then again they not supposed to be. I love the retro feel, and the ability to add a little customisation with the various ESC and ENTER key colours. The thicker plastic also effects the sound of the key presses.

Price:The price is excellent considering what you get, as far as I can tell, you get every single keycap that you could need and I've tried these on my 60, 75 and TKL keyboard layouts and all the keys fit perfectly, so that's always nice.Feel:To be perfectly honest, I don't really like the feel of the keycaps. Although they're marketed as PBT, they do definitely feel like ABS keycaps, a little smooth, a little slippery at times, but maybe that's because I'm coming from the Ducky One 2 Mini and I'm very used to those keycaps after having used them for a really long time. I think this will definitely a make or break for a lot of people. I've not been using them for long, so hopefully they'll get better or rather feel better with time.Conclusion:I'm very happy /w the product, I think for the price it's second to none. They seem good to type on, they're slightly lower profile than Ducky and Leopold keys, so that's always nice as well. No bad keys on my side of things, no wobble, everything is tight and really nicely fitted. Would definitely advise these for someone looking to get a nice keycap replacement set.4/5*

These are clones of popular designs of keycaps, which would be way more expensive if you got the original design. Other manufacturers need to pull their fingers out. HK Gaming can get you all the keycaps, including ISO keycaps, for £40 with quick delivery. For the original sets you're looking to pay around £150 and have wait times of up to a year. It really is a no-brainer. Quality is good and as they're made from PBT they will last much longer than keycaps made from ABS. Could not recommend enough.