Naked Das Keyboard

Last summer, I picked up a used Das Keyboard Model S Professional for Mac ($49 on eBay), which shipped equipped with Cherry MX Blue switches. (Side note, I have no idea how old this board is, but the PCB has a 2009 date on it...) The Blue switches never connected with me, and it’s been collecting dust for a while. But I like the board generally - it’s got a handy built-in USB hub, the key layout is Mac-standard by default (don’t have to remap anything in software), etc. So, I’m going to swap it to Kailh Box Navy switches (Novel Keys or KBDfans). Why? This:

I don’t have the switches yet (they’re ordered, but haven’t shipped; the Navy switch in the above video is left over from another swap), but figured I’d get ahead of the game and strip out the Blues.

I found this tear-down guide, which was handy. With the cheap tools I got (delivered on Friday), especially the thin plastic pointed 5" long spudger(?), I was able to gently pry up the “hooks” and, contrary to that guide, was able to get the whole thing apart without breaking a single one. Victory!

All the practice desoldering has paid off, all but one or two switches glided out smoothly:

According to an impromptu test with the stopwatch on an iPad, it takes me about 3 ½ minutes to desolder and remove 6 switches. That connects, I spent about an hour all told, removing over 100 switches.

This board still sells for $119 even though it’s at least a 12 year old design, and not super amazing (at least, not if you ship Chyrosran22 reviews). But there are nice quality tweaks throughout. The back of the board has each switch position labeled, for instance:

Anyway. I have the board and I kinda like it, so I’m going to swap in the Navy switches and see if end up liking it even more. Stay tuned.

Other Das Keyboard resources (found after I’d gotten mine pulled apart):

• Screwing with the Das Keyboard
• DAS Keyboard Is To Your iMac What The Apple Extended Keyboard II Was To Your Macintosh SE (this suggests that the Mac version dates to 2012; the PCB in this board has a 2009 date silk screened, but it also has legends for “WIN” keys that don’t match up with the Mac version’s Command (⌘) and Option (⌥) keys (swapped from a Windows board, where Windows is where Option/Alt is on a Mac, and Alt is where the Mac has Command).
• Clicky Keyboards. (This confirms the Professional S was released in 2012.)
• Das Keyboard review. (Cool animation of an MX style keyswitch.)