J-02 LE / Early SKCM Cream (Undamped) / HP Vectra CS

Case: J-02 LE (White with a Copper weight and pen rail)

Switches: Full set of 53 Alps SKCM Cream, Early 4-tab design from a single Canon AP210.  Filled in with Salmons under the -, +, [, ]. and \ keys.

Plate: 1.2mm Delrin (POM)

PCB: Waffling60 by 4pplet

Keycaps: HP Vectra CS dye sub pbt

Concieved as an ultra-modern take on vintage case designs, the J-02 is instantly recognizable from its significant forehead, mid-case brass weight, and brass pen rail.  For the purposes of building custom Alps keyboards, the J-02 is also notable for having significant extra internal case volume.  The result is a far better Alps sound than one would anticipate achieving in a metal 60% keyboard.

The extra-dark beige tone of the Vectra keycaps does not match well with many medium-tone case colors, while white and black are excellent.  The J-02 LE, with its reddish copper accents is a particularly great match due to the striking red legends on the keycaps.  The result is a striking aesthetic unlikely to be found on another board.

The SKCM Creams in this build are from a very early Canon typewriter, and feature a different tactile leaf design than the more common, later Creams.  Slightly less tactile than later Creams, these switches are still considerably more tactile than the better known Orange and Salmon alps.  With a lighter spring and a more rounded tactility than those variants, these Creams are a nice middle ground between the lighter Orange and Salmon tactiles, and the heavier, rounder Browns.