My journey into the realms of mechanical keyboard customization has been well documented here at iMore – but now I've gone a step into what some might call the absurd. A custom resin escape key.
The world of keyboard customization is fascinating and far too addictive for a compulsive person like me. Since modding my Keychron Q1, I added a custom cable, an expensive addition on which I'll go into more detail at another time. Now, with my new escape key, I've found myself within the halls of the true enthusiast; where things aren't there to make the typing experience better, but only to enhance the look of the keyboard. Custom keycaps can make a keyboard more fun to use, yes, but come on. How often do you use your escape key?
Custom resin keycaps
Keycaps for your mechanical keyboard can get ridiculously expensive; I should know, I spent far too much on my base set of keycaps from the top-of-the-range brand GMK. Custom artisan keycaps take the customization a step further, allowing you to add some of the most ridiculous and beautifully designed keycaps to your keyboard for that extra bit of jazz.
When I stumbled upon the incredible Pokémon keycaps from S-Craft Studio, I immediately wanted one. The only problem, like most things in the mechanical keyboard world, was that they were sold out as part of a group buy (basically a Kickstarter project) and selling for silly prices on eBay. So instead, I turned to the wonderful world of Etsy; and I couldn’t be happier.
I’m a huge Kermit the Frog fan, and I mean HUGE. I’ve got Kermit the Frog memorabilia everywhere around the house, a Kermit tattoo, and even named my dog after everyone’s favorite Muppet. Some would say it’s obsessive; I would say it’s glorious.
After looking for resin keycaps on Etsy, I found Melodic Artisan and noticed a custom resin keycap option. Melodic Artisan was fantastic. After sending a quick message with my idea to replicate the opening scene from The Muppets Movie, the company replied and asked for more reference pictures. After chatting about the idea and making sure it was possible, I paid and promptly forgot about my order – until today, when a small box arrived.
A Rainbow Connection
I’m now the proud owner of an escape key with a tiny Kermit the frog playing the banjo on a log, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m not going to lie, when I bought this custom keycap for £35 shipped, I was pretty worried about how it would turn out.
£35 ($45) for a tiny keycap of resin seems insane, but it's actually incredibly reasonable compared to other options for a custom order, and Melodic Artisan has done an excellent job at bringing my idea to life. The craftsmanship is seriously impressive. My iPhone 14 Pro macro photos don’t do the size justice but believe me, the fact that someone has made a Kermit this size and then captured it in resin alongside a swamp is mindblowing to me.
After delving into the world of custom artisan keycaps, I’m a little concerned about where my addictive personality takes my mechanical keyboard hobby next. I’ve already started to ask myself whether or not multiple novelty keycaps are overkill or not. One thing is for sure, I’ve added more Kermit paraphernalia to my life, and that can only be a good thing. Right?
