Austin V2

Form Factor

The Austin is a compact full-size keyboard by DriftingMechanics.

My primary use case for any keyboard is coding, so I do not have much use for a numpad, but I enjoy the aesthetics it brings.

The only other board with a similar layout I have used was the Rekt1800. The form, finish, and experience with the Austin is vastly superior, but that is to be expected at twice the price.

Carbon Fiber

I am not a fan of metal plates, so I went with Carbon Fiber. Carbon Fiber has many of the same characteristics of metal plates, but with a little flex and less pinging.

Switches

This is also my first time using the V2 (new molds) for the Alpacas. I did a little testing beforehand. Unlubed, the V2 Alpacas sound and feel much better than V1. However, once lubed, I had a hard time noticing any real differences.

I also went back to TX films (the thinner version). They are much easier, quicker, and less error-prone to install. However, they still do not close as nicely as the Deskeys.

Stabs

I went with V2 Durocks. The V2s have an extra "lip" on the end to help ensure the wire does not come out. I had been debating purchasing them because I still have quite a few sets of V1 on hand. I have only had one wire pop with Durocks to date, and the build itself likely caused this.

But thinking more about it, desoldering^[1] the Austin to fix a broken stab would be a lot of work. To seal the deal, a wire popped on the Key65 when I switched caps the other night. Too early to tell if the problem is fixed, but from a sound and feel perspective, the V2 are certainly not worse. Let's hope the update does the trick.

Photos

Money shot

Left Profile

Right Profile

Naked Carbon Fiber pic

Backside!