Jabberwocky Sinister CNC Edition prototype with GMK Birch (Full Size) - Posted to Geekhack.
What is a Jabberwocky?The Jabberwocky Keyboard product line is a series of full-size columnar-staggered mechanical keyboards that combine multiple design elements for ergonomics or convenience. The Jabberwocky layout iterates upon the design of the
Boardrun Bizarre, a keyboard designed by
Shensmobile.
The name was chosen as an indirect reference to the Alice semi-split keyboard layout by way of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the poem “Jabberwocky.”
The Jabberwocky layouts, PCBs, and DIY kits were designed by
NoPunIn10Did. The Jabberwocky CNC Edition case was designed by
hali.
Dexterous or Sinister?Jabberwocky is a nontraditional Full-Size layout. It has room for all 104/105 keys typically found on a standard ANSI or ISO board, including a full number pad. For the
Dexterous Jabberwocky (available as DIY kit or standalone PCB), the number pad sits to the right side of the rest of the keys, similar to a more traditional keyboard. For the
Sinister Jabberwocky (available as DIY kit, standalone PCB, or CNC edition), the number pad sits to the left (southpaw layout).
Sinister CNC Edition
Sinister CNC Edition prototype backside (Full Size)
Sinister Jabberwocky CNC internals (Full Size)
Sinister Jabberwocky CNC partially built (Full Size)The CNC edition is a top-mounted aluminum board with an internal brass weight and stainless steel side caps. It will be sold as part of a limited factory run of
12 units (plus one prototype, seen above).
This does not preclude future larger runs of the board, though I do not have the funding to support a larger batch at this time.The CNC edition will only be available in the “Sinister” layout, with the number pad on the left. MSRP for the CNC edition is 995 USD estimated at 975 USD plus shipping .
These units are already in production; you may reserve one with a $200 refundable deposit (
Order Form), with the remainder of the price and shipping due when the units are in hand. Estimated delivery is early Q1 of 2024.
A Jabberwocky CNC Edition kit will include:
- 1x Anodized aluminum top frame
- 1x Anodized aluminum bottom frame (engraved with “JABBERWOCKY”)
- 1x Internal rectangular brass weight
- 2x Stainless steel side caps
- 1x Unified Daughterboard with 4-pin JST cable
- 2x PCBs:
- 1x Solderable PCB (“Green” variant)
- 1x Hotswap PCB (“Black” variant)
- 2x Switch plates:
- 1x CNC’d aluminum switch plate (silver finish)
- 1x FR4 switch plate (black)
- Screws / bolts
- Polycarb palm rest seen in photos not included, will do a separate order for those later.
FR4 Skeleton Case Kit
Dexterous Jabberwocky FR4 kit (v1) with JTK Tianwen (Full Size)
Sinister Jabberwocky FR4 kit (v1), photo courtesy of keebnewb (Full Size)As the price of the CNC edition is admittedly quite high, I am also providing a far more budget-friendly case option. Similar to the first Jabberwocky run (examples seen above), I am offering simple “skeleton case” kits for
both the Sinister and Dexterous layouts. These are made from FR4, a material commonly found in PCBs. It is a blend of fiberglass, copper, and other materials.
FR4 kits will include two black-colored plates: a bottom and a top, with the top serving as the Jabberwocky’s switchplate. The two plates will attach via ordinary M2 screws and spacers, with other components in the middle. The bottom plate of the FR4 kit will include additional mount holes to attach a Unified Daughterboard if so desired.
Because of its length and rectangular exterior design, the FR4 skeleton case should be compatible with most palm/wrist rests intended for standard full-size keyboards.
Price: 45 USD
Acrylic Sandwich Caselukeski14, an extremely helpful Jabberwocky devotee, has provided an
open-source repository for building your own acrylic sandwich Jabberwocky board (either Dexterous or Sinister).
Jabberwocky PCBsJabberwocky PCBs, which can be purchased on their own or paired with a kit, are color-coded based on the arrangement of the number pad and whether they are soldered, hotswap, or DIY.
These PCBs all use the same QMK firmware. VIA and VIAL ports are in progress.
PCB OptionsPCB / Plate Layout Support| PCB Variant | Numpad Side | Daughterboard | Soldered / Hotswap | In-switch LEDs | Price |
| ------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------------------- | --------------------- | ----- |
| Blue | Left (Sinister) | Elite C | Soldered (SMD DIY kit) | Caps & Num Indicators | 55 |
| Red | Right (Dexterous) | Elite C | Soldered (SMD DIY kit) | Caps & Num Indicators | 55 |
| Green | Left (Sinister) | Unified DB | Soldered (switches only) | Backlit + Indicators | 80 |
| Yellow | Right (Dexterous) | Unified DB | Soldered (switches only) | Backlit + Indicators | n/a |
| Black | Left (Sinister) | Unified DB | Hotswap Hybrid | None | 90 |
| White | Right (Dexterous) | Unified DB | Hotswap Hybrid | None | 90 |
There are six total designs. Three are currently in-stock (red, blue, black), and two are on order (green, white). The yellow PCB (solderable dexterous with unified DB) is not currently slated to be produced unless I receive several requests for it.
Sinister Jabberwocky Layout Support (Full Size)
Dexterous Jabberwocky Layout Support (Full Size)Hotswap PCBs support an ANSI-like layout. Some layout options, like split backspace, are available to the hotswap PCB but will still require soldering for those individual switches.
The other solderable PCBs support ANSI, ISO, and JIS layouts.
Q&AWhere to buy? How to buy?The Wordpress site includes an order form, but all of the actual transactions are handled via Paypal invoicing. After receiving the order form and potentially confirming details via email, I will send you an invoice when the items are in-hand.
The exception to this is the $200 refundable deposit for reserving the CNC edition, which I will request payment for immediately, with the remainder due when the boards are ready to ship.
How hard is it to solder the SMD components of the DIY PCBs?It's really not that bad. I have a
writeup that describes the basics of what is involved.
Is this a Group Buy?Not really, but it is a preorder. The DIY kits are in stock, the CNC edition board is already in production, and the remaining PCBs are on order (or will be shortly). Some products are not yet ready to ship, but I'm not relying on customer money to fund production.
How this
does resemble a GB is that the Jabberwocky CNC Edition is a niche keyboard that is unlikely to ever be mass-produced. It was designed with custom keyboard enthusiasts in mind. I had the intent of potentially running a group buy some day; I just realized it wasn't financially responsible for me to take on the risk of a larger MOQ.
It's here in the Geekhack GB subforum because there's really not a better space for a limited buy like this.
How does it sound?I am not a typing sound expert, but I have links to several
recordings on the Wordpress page, typing using varied switches and plate materials.
Jabberwocky Sinister CNC Edition prototype with GMK Thai Tea (Full Size)
Jabberwocky Sinister CNC Edition prototype with GMK Thai Tea (Full Size)