Please fill out the Google form linked below to reserve or request one of the possible new Model F designs (Split Ortho, Planck, Preonic, 6×12, F20, Kinesis Advantage, Unsaver, etc.). All of these designs may not be made, so in the Google form, please do feel free to request second choices and third choices should your first choice not be made, but clearly indicate whether you want all of the designs or if you will order only one of the designs you indicated interest in.  The next round of Model F Split Ortho keyboards.  They are expected to have an upgrade of the RP2040-based Leyden Jar controller (also uses the open source Vial firmware like the other keyboards) as well as direct communication between halves so that there is only one USB cable to the computer.  For more details, see this post:  https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=79141.msg3203218#msg3203218

https://forms.gle/bBBcQGW6g7HvACpc8

End of production.  This keyboard will not be produced again.  The price will increase as we get down to the last couple keyboards, same as with the other models.  I still get inquiries about the other new Model F keyboards that are no longer in stock so please do not miss out on these if you really want one!  Like other keyboards, the remaining keyboards will have signs of handling and cosmetic damage.

Recommendations with your keyboard order:

1. First Aid Kit – highly recommended since these are custom made foam pieces and I did not order many of them.  Limit 3 kits/foams per keyboard order. Just click the check mark on this page and you’ll get the correct kit for your keyboard.
2. Custom/Low Serial – pick your serial/production date and the price will be calculated for you below.  The web site reserves your serial only for 30 minutes after adding it to your cart, so you have to check out before then or the serial can go to someone else and you have to start again.
3. Your keyboard includes any new Model F full key set in stock – just note which one you want.  Plus you get the few extra keys pictured like 2 1U Ctrl/2 Alt/4 extra cursor keys.  You can get any available ISO set that you want (just add an order note) and the F15 is available pre-configured from the factory for ISO style at no extra cost.  Plan for the most amount of flexibility of how to configure your new keyboard as your preferences will change as you get to using the keyboard:  Full Key Sets in various colors, Transparent Relegendable Keys, and Custom Extra Keys.
4. F1-F12 front printed key set
5. Industrial SSK 12 key set
6. Bumpers to vary the keyboard height and angle
7. Solenoid driver with solenoid – add one to your other new Model F keyboard or keep for future usage from my old group buy; they will not fit in the compact cases of these keyboards however; there are some 3d printed holder projects referenced in the manual.

Important notes: 

1. September 2023 update:  Thanks to the great work by Deskthority forum member NathanA, these boards all have the open source Vial firmware as the default, which means you can use the Vial program or go to the web site vial.rocks to configure your keyboard.  Both options automatically recognize the keyboard, no need to download any configuration files.
2. 10/5/23 update Regarding key combinations: NathanA’s workaround to allow layer sharing between both halves is working; this functionality is built into the new firmware.  I tested it on the production split boards and it is working. There are some limitations as detailed in posts from NathanA, especially this one:  https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?p=516636#p516636 Layer programming would be normal with this and the base Vial firmware is already preprogrammed for the second layer.  This NathanA firmware will be the one that ships with each board.  The layers are programmed to each board and no additional hardware is needed, so this should meet most folks’ requirements.  This does not affect 99% of what most folks do.  For example, you can click Ctrl on the right side keyboard half and click S on the left side to send Ctrl+S to the computer without doing anything extra.  You can’t click a key designated as Fn or MO(1) on one half and another key on the other half, since the Fn key press is not sent to the computer but is only used inside the QMK controller.  Additional Recommended options:
   1. Use the built in tap keys functionality instead of the old function layers, or use that half of the board’s function key for function layers on that board.  Tap keys example: you can set the 1 key to send “1” if pressed normally, or “F1” if pressed and held down for a slightly longer amount of time that you can customize.  Included by default in the firmware – all you have to do is configure it.
   2. Software remapping:  AutoHotKey, Sharpneys, Keytweak on Windows.  Karabiner Elements on Mac.  xbindkeys, xmodmap, autokey, keyd, kbct, kmonad, interception, xmodmap, setxkbmap, xkeysnail on Linux.  In Vial, set one key on each keyboard to an unused scan code (such as F13 through F24, 0xde, or 0xdf).  Then in software you can configure a keypress combination of that key plus another key, in order to produce a specific output like volume mute, skip track, etc.  For the Mac, it is reported that all you have to do is install the program to share modifiers between keyboard halves; no configuration needed.
3. This Brand New F15 Split Ergonomic Model F Keyboard has an anodized metal (aluminum) case, available only in black.  There is no available model with an original style case.  The photos in the product gallery include a group shot of various boards.
4. This keyboard will include a key set as well as the additional keys pictured that are not included in the base key set, such as the keys on the bottom row.  All keyboards were factory set to the ANSI layout.  You may request a non-ANSI key set but you agree to pay a $50 additional fee for me to convert it, if you do not want to convert it yourself.  The custom keys like 1U Ctrl are not available in other languages so you agree to accept the pictured legends for these keys even if you request an international key set.  The F15 space bars on each half have been custom made for this project.  They are normal style space bars with a stabilizer wire, just smaller.
5. Each half of the keyboard has a separate xwhatsit controller.  Your computer will recognize two keyboards and you will need two free USB ports on your computer.  There will be two USB cables included.  It is not the case that one half of the keyboard connects to the other half.  I looked into putting a USB hub into one of the halves so that there could be one cable going into the other half and just one cable going to the computer, but that option was too complicated for a tiny production run.
6. You can order various custom keys on the Extra Keys page, and you can also order transparent relegendable keys here.
7. I see that some boards like the original IBM M15 Adjustable Keyboard and Ergodox EZ have highly adjustable legs/feet and a way to interconnect the halves (with the M15).  The new boards do not offer these options as a factory-provided solution.  These boards have 4 holes in the bottom of each half to accommodate long bolts that could be used in combination with rubber feet/bumpers to make these keyboards even more adjustable in their positioning.  If anyone does any customizations in this regard please do share them with me!
8. Some folks have outstanding orders such as a beam spring keyboard, Model F keyboard, or accessories.  I have already paid the factory for these items and they are either in stock, in production, or have completed production and are on their way to me.  Unfortunately I am unable to exchange or cancel any prior orders so that you can get one of these new offerings.  Please don’t ask!  No exceptions.

Shipping Rates — US: Free. See the Shop page for additional rates.

Need help ordering? Please feel free to email me directly and I will help you! The email address is at the bottom of the page.

Choose Custom/Low Serial Number and jump ahead in line!  Also a great way to support the project a little more and request your own serial number and/or production date.  Serials can be up to 7 numerical digits only – no letters or other special characters.

Please do check out the other items in the store, especially the First Aid Kit of spare parts for future repairs once production has long shut down (over 1000 kits ordered so far!), the brand new custom made solenoid and solenoid driver, controllers, key pullers, extra key sets (the key tops do wear down over time and you won’t be able to buy more XT quality one piece keys after the end of the project) and also a spare custom made 3 meter USB cable (same as the one that is installed with the keyboard). I hope to be able to manufacture as many First Aid Kits and spare parts as possible to keep all these great Model F keyboards running decades from now.

There are additional key sets that can be ordered on the “Full Key Set” product page.  Please check out that page for additional details.

Please check out the home page to review all of the features and specifications of the Brand New Model F Keyboards.  All Brand New Model F Keyboards are fully functional with Mac, PC, Linux, and Android!  While ordering any of the recommended add-ons, please review the individual product pages to see the details of what you are getting.

Want to adjust the angle / height of your keyboard?  Check out the available bumpers of varying heights:  1/16″, 1/8″, 1/4″, 1/2″, 1″  see this store item for details.

Important Notes and Limited Warranty information: legal, safety, and limited warranty information for this MODEL F LABS LLC product is available to consumers pre-sale and will be furnished upon request, by writing to the email or mailing address at the bottom of this web page.  Of course you’ll get a printed booklet with your order shipment!  To highlight important safety information, the keyboard being called ergonomic does not confer any health benefits; it is just to refer to the split adjustable nature of the keyboard in a simple manner; always consult a doctor about the risks of using a keyboard before use.

Key colors (from left to right:  Pebble, Pearl, Black, Industrial SSK Blue, 60% Dark Gray):

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the Model F and why is it so good? One of the best videos on this was put together by Deskthority forum member and YouTuber Chyrosran22 – click here to watch.  The best line I heard from someone else describing these keyboards was that IBM built them up to a standard, not down to a price point.  That is why they cost nearly $1,000 back in the day (in today’s dollars / adjusted for inflation).

What makes the Model F different from the IBM Model M keyboard?  See this 2 minute video highlighting the differences.  While the Model F was replaced with the cheaper and now easier to obtain Model M, the Model M made some sacrifices on build quality and tactile response, replacing almost all metal with plastic. Out was the incredibly sharp and firm click of the Model F’s flippers making direct contact with its large printed circuit board.

Where can I see the reviews of these keyboards?  More than 6,000 new Model F and Beam Spring keyboards have shipped since 2019 and many who picked up a keyboard years ago have liked it enough to order another keyboard, whether as a spare to the one they have or one of the newer models.  Check out this page to see all of the in-depth keyboard reviews and news media articles, including reviews from Chyrosran22, Level1Techs, Linus Tech Tips ShortCircuit, Lazy Game Reviews, PC World, Cult of Mac, Eurogamer, and others.  The page also links to news postings from Ars Technica, The Register, Popular Mechanics, NPR, Slashdot, Hacker News, The New Yorker, Techspot, Wired, Extremetech, Pin Report, Tech Report, PC Magazine, Tom’s Hardware, Hot Hardware, and others.  See this page for dozens of user reviews and postings over the years that this project has run.

How much does shipping cost?  Shipping is free within the continental US, $48.92 for Canada, international worldwide shipping is $74.69, and $25 for the non-continental US. Do not be scared by the shipping cost; these keyboards cost more to ship than the typical plastic 2 pound mechanical keyboards because they are made of ultra high quality materials and a lot of metal.  The shipping weight of orders is typically as much as 12 pounds (6 kg) per keyboard, which means it costs a lot more to ship because it is so much heavier.  I can also ship to US-based freight forwarders if you prefer to combine shipping to save cost, though these keyboards are heavy so you will not save much, if anything, in cost.

Will this work with my computer?  All Brand New Model F and Beam Spring Keyboards are fully functional with Mac, PC, Linux, and Android!  While ordering any of the recommended add-ons, please review the individual product pages to see the details of what you are getting.  If you order an HHKB-configured board, you get the HHKB 6 key set matching the key set configured with the keyboard, same as with the F62 and F77.

Do these keyboards come assembled?  Yes, everything is assembled by the factory except for the keys which you would install when you are following the step-by-step setup video to get your keyboard up and running for the first time.  You also install any of the extras that you order, such as LED overlays, badges, solenoids, etc.  It is normal for the keys to be user-installed because this is a small project and there are already hundreds of stocked keyboard variations without counting the dozens of different key set options, which would have resulted in thousands more possible combinations.

Delivery time and other disclosures:  By placing an order you agree with the terms and conditions, limited warranty, and privacy policy, including those on the home page of the web site and here as well. You are buying a “SPECIAL ORDER” made-to-order product that will take an extended amount of time to produce and deliver to you. For the purposes of full disclosure at the time of sale, all goods are considered made to order and will take longer than 30 days to deliver. All sales are final. See the terms and conditions at checkout for additional required disclosures.  In general, most items have a normal backlog of about a month or so, but sometimes longer.

Can I split larger keys?  Every 2U and larger key (backspace-sized key) and larger can be split into two keys, and the sensing pads are already there.  Just add a flipper and then you can add keys!  (Example splittable keys:  space bar, both shift keys, backspace, enter)  I offer a hardware layout modification service for a small extra charge (split or un-split keys only) – email me for details if interested.  The spacebar can be split to add an additional 1.25U key to the right – just order the medium spacebar, extra barrel, flipper/spring, and the 1.25U key that you want.

Any other important notes and Limited Warranty information?  Please note that you are not buying from inventory for Brand New F122 and Round 2 beam spring keyboards.  They are in production and are expected to ship to you over the coming months.  All orders are subject to a backlog, even if it is in stock; see the Updates page for the latest information.  Legal, safety, and limited warranty information for this MODEL F LABS LLC product is available to consumers pre-sale and will be furnished upon request, by writing to the email or mailing address at the bottom of this web page.  Of course you’ll get a printed booklet with your order shipment! LED overlays, keys, and badges are to be installed by the end user – they are not factory installed.  See the additional terms and conditions found on the project home page and terms and conditions page during checkout.

Is this type of keyboard right for me?  More than 6,000 new Model F and Beam Spring keyboards have shipped to fans around the world in the past decade, but what am I really getting into here?  Why would any keyboard require setup and maintenance?  What should I expect?  Am I willing to sacrifice some of my time to setup and maintain a keyboard that people have believed is worth maintaining for over 40 years, unlike nearly every other computer product that has come and gone?

1. Just as people have been doing for the past four decades with these keyboards on their own, for most things that come up you are expected to fix them.  I am well aware this is not the standard attitude of manufacturers which sell you a short warranty, prevent you from maintaining your products afterwards, and want you to keep buying their products every few years after the previous one stops working. My goal with this product is that you buy it for life, tell your friends/family/coworkers about the project, and buy spare repair parts so if the project disappeared tomorrow you could still maintain and repair your keyboard 10 or 20 years from now.  A key or spring not working?  Take out your key puller!  The good thing is that this is probably the most repairable mainstream, industrial-quality keyboard out there in widespread use and almost everything is easy to fix with nothing more than a screwdriver, key puller, tweezers, and pliers.  Every single fix is spelled out with a step-by-step manual and video guide geared towards complete beginners.
2. A major part of the project philosophy is that you need to be self-sufficient and follow the manual which provides step-by step instructions, instead of trying to do things another way, and you agree to abide by the terms of this project in order to receive service in the event that something is not right (mainly you have to do the troubleshooting steps in the manual as the project doesn’t have the resources to hire folks to walk everyone through the manual on a one-on-one basis, and I am extremely busy coordinating the project and mailing out the order backlog (I’ve QCed and mailed out 6,000 keyboards and thousands of parts orders!).
3. This is not a hobbyist or kit project; the keyboard is fully assembled and every key position is tested, but there’s an exception: the user has to follow the step-by-step instructions to put on the keycaps and adjust any keys that are not working, and follow the other step by step instructions in the manual. The manual should not scare anyone; it includes every possible issue that could come up with the keyboard and the step by step way to fix it. Most folks only need a very small part of the manual, to install keycaps and adjust a few springs to get things fully working (it may take longer to go through the manual than to do the actual setup!).  You won’t be left with a non-working keyboard if you follow the manual; the last step if the steps in the manual do not fix an issue is to contact me and I will help.  To read more about the project philosophy, see the manual linked above.
4. To keep the cost of these keyboards as low as possible for people all around the world (so far to more than 70 countries!), and to avoid the need to charge everyone a lot more to pay for frequent mail-in repair service as with other products (think those $300 to $500 in-home or mail-in service warranties for prebuilt computer systems, etc.), this project has a different philosophy which empowers the end user to take responsibility for following the manual to set up and maintain their keyboard, instead of having others do the work for you; by ordering any item from this site you agree to abide by the project’s terms and conditions at the bottom of the home page and during checkout. An example, these products will come not completely working out of the box because you have to install the keycaps and set things up, which includes actions such as adjusting parts that are not perfect and exactly in place, including keys and springs. You don’t get to send everything back for someone else to do the work shown in the manual.  Instead, you would go through the manual fully and contact me if the steps do not resolve the issue. Do not have false expectations that you will get all the benefits of a Model F keyboard and have to do little to no work because everything will be done for you.
5. Cosmetic damage: just like computer monitors are often not sold as cosmetically perfect products and having several dead and stuck pixels is considered acceptable, and just like with the IBM original keyboards, 100% of the powdercoated cases and other parts for this project have minor, but noticeable cosmetic damage, including scratches, scuffs, bumps, small case gaps, lost paint, and surface variations for die cast and injection molded parts.  Everyone is required to accept the terms and conditions at checkout indicating that they agree that all products are subject to cosmetic damage without the ability to receive a replacement.  The limited warranty covers neither cosmetic damage upon arrival nor wear from usage over time, which means that you will have to live with an imperfect keyboard or touch up the keyboard with a can of sample paint.  The reason is that the cases were designed to reproduce the old matte powdercoating paint style IBM approved in the 1970s and 80s when beam spring and their Model F successor keyboards were designed.  No super-shiny automotive-style or anodized finishes here!  The reason is I don’t want to have to raise costs for everyone in order to placate the more picky customers whose expectations are not in line with the products being offered through this project.  The attitude for this project is that the end user should teach themselves how to maintain the keyboard and be self-sufficient and confident enough to fix little problems themselves such as lost paint, springs and keys needing reinstallation, etc. so that these keyboards can remain as affordable as possible.  Painted products with zero protective coatings will have defects and will wear down over time with usage, just like a professor’s well-worn briefcase is carried as a badge of honor for a long career.
6. What attitude should I avoid?  You can’t have the attitude “I won’t do what’s in the manual and I expect you to take it back and do the work for me.” It goes against everything explained here and it is why you have to agree to the terms and conditions before placing any order.  This includes performing the troubleshooting steps that you are instructed to do, such as reseating and adjusting springs and other parts. If someone else is doing this work for you, you won’t become confident enough to be able to fix and maintain the board in the future and it will end up in a landfill, which is what I don’t want. This is not some product that is fully set up for you, just power it on and take it to the repair shop only for the duration of the one year warranty, and then get rid of it and buy the latest model when it breaks because of planned obsolescence and because it is not economical to repair.  Do not try to come up with creative solutions to fix issues described in the manual; just follow each step in the manual which addresses every possibility including the last step that you need to email me, as a last resort, for support for something that is bad.
7. What if I am nervous? It is ok to not be confident about some parts of the manual especially if these types of keyboards are new to you, but once you learn it all becomes quite easy and it may only take you seconds or minutes to fix something in the future. No experience is needed to work on these keyboards.  Over the years people have told me exactly this, so you should not worry, as long as you can follow along a step by step guide while being able to use a screwdriver, tweezers, pliers, and a key puller. If you’re unwilling to do what’s in the manual then you’ll have to ask a friend or family member for help as I can’t guide you.  It’s not as difficult as programming the VCR, I promise!

I have other questions or want to learn how these keyboards work.  Where can I go?  See the manual page, which includes detailed descriptions of everything you need to know, all on one page.  There is also a comprehensive step by step setup video that you will be following once your new keyboard arrives so that you can get set up as quickly as possible.

I am fascinated by small manufacturing projects such as this to bring back and keep alive great things from the past / How can I learn more about how this project to bring back the old IBM keyboards came to be?  I recommend seeing the hour-long presentation I made at Google’s offices in NYC on the project.  It was a great honor to have been invited to speak.