Onibi Keyboard Kit [Group Buy]
“Beware the Onibi, for their beauty is a deadly trap, and their light a beacon to the afterlife. In the presence of these ghostly flames, one must tread carefully, lest they become another lost soul, forever wandering the night.”
Designed by Serajiman, in partnership with KBDFans, Onibi is a dual mounting-style TKL keyboard with design inspiration taken from Japanese folklore. It emphasises customisation, comfort and tasteful classicism with a twist.
The PCB, Foam kit, and Plate are not included in the keyboard kit and must be purchased separately.
Design
Onibi is a TKL with a comfortable 6.5 degree typing angle, 18mm front height and a variety of attractive design elements, taking inspiration from Japanese folklore and architecture.
The side profile was designed to somewhat resemble a Shinto shrine, apt given the namesake.
Featuring beautiful variable filleted edges which, when viewed from the top, provide a distinct and alluring shape and a comfortably rounded front lip.
The aim of the design was to aptly reflect the theme of Onibi – a flaming spirit that guides lost souls to the afterlife – the Shinto shrine being what I imagine their ‘natural habitat’ would be.
The flaming skull is my interpretation of Onibi, and its presence can be seen externally and internally.
Aesthetic
We've incorporated extensive curved surface machining to elevate the overall aesthetic appeal of the keyboard. From the front, it transforms from a cold piece of metal into a work of art.
For a unique tactile experience, we've utilized a "super-silky" anodization process, featuring ultra-fine sandblasting and subtle anodisation, allowing the keyboard to display varying textures under different lighting conditions.
Weight
This keyboard boasts a 3kg+ weight from a unique, through-body copper weight design, chosen over brass and stainless steel for its superior mass, machinability, and cost-effectiveness.
The design integrates sound channels and a continuous skull motif from the weight into the case.
Screwless
After seven revisions, and leveraging the advantages of the upper and lower case structure and dimensions, we adopted an internal screw locking design. The benefit is clear: a clean, screwless external appearance. However, there's a trade-off: to access the screws, you'll need to remove the top and bottom rows of keycaps.
Cherry Lip
The "Cherry lip" front edge is a tribute to the design of venerable Cherry OEM keyboards (similar to the G80-3000's front lip). This sloped front edge has been adopted in many custom keyboards, allowing the palm to rest more comfortably against the front of the keyboard, enhancing the typing experience.
Mounting style
Onibi is a Top Mount and gasket mount keyboard
Top Mount
"The greatest invention of this century," Top Mount has been prevalent for over a decade, valued for its superior consistency and accurate tactile feedback to the switches.
It's a foundational experience for every custom keyboard enthusiast. The industrial design of the Onibi TKL offers a fresh interpretation of Top Mount, with the designer implementing a new understanding of this structure.
For the top case mounting points, the designer opted for a 7-point layout: 4 points above the F-row, a common choice for most TKL keyboards, and 3 points below, similar to many renowned keyboards like Merisi, TGR, and Glare TKL.
Gasket mount
The gaskets are made of silicone with a moderate hardness of approximately 50A.
Exploded view
Dimensions:
Supported Layout:
Video: