Introduction

Awekeys is a relatively new brand that specializes in making metal keycaps, which in itself is a recent development in the world of enthusiast keyboards. The vast majority of stock keycaps tend be to made of ABS or PBT plastic, and this continues to be the case for most aftermarket replacement keycap sets. There are of course artisan keycaps, typically made out of clear resin, but those tend to be more one-off designs with various themes. If you are familiar with keycap group buys, you will be well aware of how many people spend hundreds of dollars on keycap sets before waiting for months, if not years at times, to receive them. A lot of brands have seen the lucrative market here and have come out with readily available sets for purchase, while some others such as Awekeys have decided to differentiate their offerings by going with different materials altogether. Metal and ceramic keycaps are becoming more available now, with the former in particular offering durability and a different experience to type on compared to plastic ones. Awekeys decided now was as good a time as any to put out multiple different metal keycap sets for release, going the Kickstarter route as usual in such situations.


There are three different themes up for backing on the Awekeys kickstarter, each with different options and/or colors too. When a representative from the brand first reached out, the plan was to only have the "Moon Landing" series up for crowdfunding, with the "Retro 80s" and "Hello Silver" seemingly a new addition. Seen above are three keycaps from the Moon Landing series, one each from the three colors available. These are novelty keycaps that are separate from base kits, and thus are add-ons you would get if you were interested. If all these terms sound confusing to you, then let's get started with this quick look article that goes over the "Brightside of Moon" color option in more detail. Thanks to Awekeys for providing a sample to TechPowerUp for a closer examination.

Packaging

I was quite impressed by the packaging for these keycaps, especially how they come in a sturdy cardboard box that has reinforced corner covers and a plastic sheet all around for added protection. The box itself is squarish and off-white with the brand logo, a simplified render of keycaps, and a confirmation that these are metal keycaps on the front. A cutout near the bottom gives a sneak peek at the keycaps inside too, with the back side confirming the use of recycled materials and an English typo to complete the bingo card for those familiar with these small Asian brands. Opening the box reveals a metal keycap puller in gold finish and a thick foam sheet over two more foam sheets that contain the various keycaps in individual compartments. Note that these layers are heavier than you might expect, and also that the keycap puller tool unscrews to reveal an MX stem insert you will likely use for reasons covered below.