The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard
Channel: ireakhavok
Date: 2022-05-29

This a review and build for the UHK v2. Mods for the UHK v2.  the best 60% keyboard I have ever tried, the best split keyboard, and the best modular keyboard.

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Intro: (0:00)
Cost: (1:28)
Usability: (2:26)
Aesthetics: (6:38)
Modding the UHK: (7:26)
Sound Test: (9:00)
Final Thoughts: (10:12)


This is the Ultimate hacking keyboard, and I waited 14 months, and paid more than 600 dollars to get it with every accessory. Even with just the week or so I have spent using only this keyboard, I can definitively say that it is the best 60% keyboard I have ever tried, the best split keyboard, and the best modular keyboard that money can buy, however it isn’t perfect for a number of reasons, and Today I’m going to go through why you should be looking at the UHK. 

This is a keyboard that is equipped with many features and is durable, but most importantly, is open-source, and repairable. The UHK V2 has backlighting, hot swap sockets, several color options, feet for tenting, mouse and scroll functions, a sturdy case with no visible branding, and a detachable braided USB cable.

For relatively small fees you can pick up replacement parts like spare cases or cables, but more importantly the steel guides, screws, rubber feet, and even the magnets can also be separately ordered. 
Keep in mind that there is international shipping, so buying this keyboard piece by piece might not be a good way to go. 

 Not only does this keyboard have a mostly standard layout and can convert from a split layout to joined, but it also has several modules that add more keys or mouse functions. 

The overall quality of the keyboard is outstanding, especially how sturdy it feels joined or split, despite it’s extremely small and thin form factor. There are small attentions to detail, like the fact that you don’t have to have the springy cable in joined form, the angles of the wrist rest allow for your thumb to easily hit the module keys without interference, multiple types of track balls and cluster keycaps, and a USB - C cable with adapter. 

Coming from the realm of custom keyboards, I was concerned with how it would feel and sound, so I did the safest thing I could, and get some silent switches, which turned out to be quieter than my deskmat. 
However, I regret this now as I didn’t realize that they were Kailh Box switches, and are generally not a good switch to lubricate.

I gladly bought the red version of the case, and am very happy with the overall design, color and footprint. Images and videos don’t really showcase how small it actually is, as I thought it would be larger. It would be nice to see different options for the case or plate, like brass or nickel plating. 

The double-shot PBT keycaps are well made, have a rough surface, and backlit legends. The font is nice, uniform, and sculpted to match the intended finger. There are some keys where the light doesn’t spread, which can’t be helped. 

Stabilizers rattled but were serviceable. I took off all the keycaps and switches, and easily figured out how to dismantle the case. 

There are two screws on the bottom of the board that hold the plastic top and bottom together with snap hooks and grooves around the edges. Be careful with the left half as the LED badge doesn’t screw down and dangles. Using some packing foam from buying an extra case, I took the steel plate and cutout a plate foam for both halves, and then also placed a paper-thin sheet of foam underneath each half of the PCB. I was sure to keep clear of the guide rods, connectors, and standoffs, as achieving a fraction of dampening isn’t worth damaging your board in any way. I also took the time to lube and clip the stabilizers which made the largest difference in how the board felt and sounded. 

Thank you for watching. See you in the next one. 

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