Timber Wolf - Starting to place orders

Design

• Isolated top mount
• Plateless
• 7.5 degree typing angle
• Centered USB-C
• Anodized aluminum top and bottom case
• Small internal brass badge (not a weight)
• 2.75KG fully built

Layouts
There will be 3 main layouts offered with the Timber Wolf - the TBR-Prime, TBR-A, and TBR-B. These layouts are roughly pictured above (with the TBR-Prime in dark gray, TBR-A in rose gold, and TBR-B in blue), though the actual ones will all have a full column of 5 keys to the left of the 60% zone like you see on the TBR-Prime, as per the results of the IC. The order form will have clear images of this to avoid confusion.

One of the weird features of this keyboard is that you can order a custom layout, changing the physical placement of top case cut-outs, with the PCB designed to allow for some fairly different configurations. I broke down the possibilities by rough regions: Left, Right, and Top.

However, the 60% block also has a bunch of options, illustrated here.

Pricing

• TBR-Prime: $365
• TBR-A or TBR-B: $390
• Custom Layout: $465

• Extra PCB: $60
• Extra TBR-Prime Top Case: $150
• Extra TBR-A or TBR-B Top Case: $175
• Extra encoder: $5
• Extra knob: $5

Shipping
I will send out shipping invoices after I've received the items and finalize packaging. Plan is for custom boxes and custom cut foam. Estimates are as follows:
CONUS - $35
Everywhere else - $80-$100
I expect the final prices will be lower, but won't guarantee that. If there is a specific shipping method you would like to opt for, I should be able to accommodate that.

In the Box

• Timber Wolf bottom case with brass badge
• Timber Wolf PCB & daughterboard
• Selected Timber Wolf top case
• 2 rotary encoders & a brass knob
• Everything you need to build it

Colors

• Blue Grey
• Dark Gray
• Silver
• Violet
• Rose Gold
• Red

Timeline
GB opens 9/20 at 8PM PST.
The MOQ is 25, the maximum quantity is 40, FCFS.
GB closes after we hit 40, or after a month, whichever happens first.
People will have 1 week to respond to invoices before they lose their spot.
I’m estimating fulfillment in about 5 months, based on information from my manus, and assumptions that some things will go wrong. Could be less, could be more, but that’s my best guess.

Post-GB
If all goes according to plan, there will be a few extras and/or B-Stock available after the conclusion of the GB. A round 2 is also a definite possibility at some point, depending on how this GB goes, but that'll likely be years away.

After fulfilling the GB, I plan to open-source the PCB and top case design, so that people can design their own custom layouts if they want to.

Disclaimers
I don’t trust my manu to produce quite the colors that I want. Since perfect color matching was nowhere near a focus of this project, and I’m happy with the rest of the work that has been done on my prototypes, I’m not going to be completely starting over with a new factory. However, I’m also not comfortable advertising the color samples that I have received, as I don’t believe the final ones will be in line with them. To give you an idea of the problems I’ve run into, the rose gold was a bit too pink, the blue grey was a bit too blue, and the dark gray was a bit too light gray. That being said, I’m going to try to get the colors as close to my ideal as I can, but if it would break your heart to have suboptimal colors on your Timber Wolf, I would maybe recommend against joining in, or see if maybe there’ll be a B-stock in the layout you want and get it cerakoted.

On a similar note, the most expensive option (custom top case Timber Wolf) is also going to have the worst QA, as I can’t afford to order extras of one-off layouts in order to bin the best products. If I get a piece that’s super damaged, I’ll take the hit and order a replacement, but I highly recommend the TBR-Prime, -A, or -B layouts for best finish quality.

All sales are final, no returns or cancellations.

Switch Compatibility
This is a plateless, MX-only board. That means no Alps switches, no Box switches (unless you somehow get your hands on the custom ones Kailh is making), no Panda switches. Only PCB-mount switches will work on this board (so they need to have the plastic mounting pins), unless you want to spend your night straightening keys.

So, all Zeal switches will work, and I believe there are pcb-mount versions of most Gateron, Kailh, and Cherry switches (with the obvious exception again of Kailh Box, and I’ve also noticed that Kailh Creams fit a bit loose so I’d be wary of those). Most PCB-mount Gaterons will be a tight fit, including round 1 Inks, but Inks since the color options were introduced are much more comfortable.

FAQ:
2u vertical keys???
First thing’s first, all spots with 2u vertical keys support using 2 1u keys instead.
The reason behind using a numpad enter on a keyboard without a numpad, is that it allows you to hit enter with your mouse hand’s thumb. It’s something that I’ve done all my life, but if you’re confused as to why it’s there, I’d just use 2 1u keys instead.
The reason behind using a + key, is mainly for homing. I think that the delete key should be as close to its original position as possible, rather than having to go up a row with your pinky. However, when I’ve tried to use a delete key in the traditional position, but with another key under it, it just felt uncomfortable, so I tried using a 2u delete and I love it. I’d say it’s worth a try, but again, not forced.

The name?
The Timber Wolf is one of the most popular mechs from the tabletop game, BattleTech. This franchise has been my favorite for most of my life, and this keyboard is kind of a tribute to that mech. One of the identifying features of the Timber Wolf (well, omnimechs in general, but let's not get too deep in the lore) is its ability to quickly swap out loadouts, and the flexibility of its payload. Allowing custom layouts is part of how I've attempted to mimic that, and if you order extra top cases + pcbs, you can quickly change from one layout to another.