EPTAfter several years of using scissor switch keyboards, I switched to mechanical after spilling water on my old workhorse....
So I decided to go buy a WASD keyboard so that I could fit my picky preferences of being quiet-ish and classy. As such, I chose a tenkeyless, a simple neutral color scheme, Cherry MX Reds, a textured spacebar, and thick O-rings(because I don't want to figure out how to do that myself aintnobodygottimeforthat.gif).
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/cjZPjup.jpg)
A close up of the textured spacebar, this feature costs an additional $5. It adds a nice feel to the spacebar, but I mainly purchased the feature for aesthetic purposes. The Korean stuff printed on the keycaps is a free feature, although you kind of pay for it due to the overall cost of the product.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/gMUatc6.jpg)
Ordering from the website
WASD's interface on their website was really solidly done. It allows you to customize all aspect of your keycaps which is super nice. From the website, it is possible to customize all your keycaps and even get ANYTHING printed on them. It's an awesome feature, but one that I do not l have the time or skill to take advantage of as i believe it requires a little bit of photoshop skill to fully utilize.
Picking up from the office
I decided to take advantage of WASD's free pickup at their office. After about a week and a half, they had prepared my order and I was able to pick it up directly from their office as it is on the way to my girlfriend's place. Upon entering the office you will be greeted somewhat awkwardly as there is no reception or lobby: you simply enter a tinted door and you are suddenly in the middle of the WASD's workplace. That said, the employee who greeted me was polite and quick to help. She aided me in installing the textured spacebar upon my request as I lack experience in removing keycaps and i didn't want to damage my new purchase.
Sidenote, lacking a lobby/reception is acceptable given the fact that it is a very small business, but I found it odd that WASD did not attempt to confirm my identity during the pickup process.
Experience with first mechanical keyboard
The total for the board and selected features came out to about $185 + tax. My first impression was rather poor and I was feeling a bit like I had bought too much into the prestige, hype, or marketing of mechanical keyboards. However, I recalled that it is not required to press down all the way to actuate the keyboard mechanisms, so I tried typing lightly. After going to work using a standard rubber dome keyboard for a few seconds, I recognized realized the pleasures of typing with a mechanical keyboard.
In regards to WASD, I found the keyboard to be of good quality.
Conclusion
I feel satisfied with what I have purchased. It was what I desired in a keyboard and was able to figure out some of the reasons that people rave about mechanical keyboards. I must reiterate that I personally am satisfied with my purchase; however, I do not think I would recommend spending as much as I did for this for first time buyers. I think there are perfectly fine alternatives at much lower price points.
PS apologies for my boring writing style and potato quality camera
Edit: I should also mention that Cherry Reds + O-rings made my keyboard about the noise level of a normal keyboard. This was one of my main concerns as I did not wish for the board to be a distraction to anybody.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/PiFExNb.jpg)
