October 13, 2021

MONOKEI x SINGA - Neko

Big cats, sparkly unikorns, zen fishes.

Elaine of SINGA has been a good friend of Kerri and I, especially in a scene where the lines between hobby and commerce are increasingly blurred. We've worked closely with her over the years (and Sam) to talk keyboard design, discuss nuggets of info about the latest developments and frequently share tips and ideas on how to better serve the community. Elaine's work through SINGA showcases a playful, yet subtle take on custom mechanical keyboards and she has frequently pushed against the envelope of keyboard design.

Neko is one such project, and we're excited to share it with you.

The MONOKEI x SINGA Neko is a gasket mount 40-ish % keyboard in a HHKB layout. The cat motif is well known by now, with SINGA's, well, Singa75 and Jaguar a part of the growing keyboard / animal kingdom ruled by Elaine. Neko was chosen as an antithesis of these designs, the third child in a family of 5, a smol ruffian ready to brighten your day even when the typing gets tough.

Smol is sometimes better.

1. Sale Format:

This sale is an unlimited group buy with the caveat of The Human Limit as always. We're confident of expanding that definition with the addition of regional vendors and have paid for production slots with the manufacturers for this design.

                  • Keyboard kit: Q3 2022
                 • Kei Caps: Q1 2022 (if purchased separately)
                  • Deskmats: Q1 2022 (if purchased separately)

The launch time may differ according to region, so keep an eye out on Discord and other social media platforms for more information for your respective regions. We're also adding Thic Thock who will cover East Asian regions and China.

2. Combinations:

Neko Standard Kit

The available colours (aluminium top and bottom pieces) for the group buy are:

Each board also comes with:

Neko SE Kit

(Available from all vendors)

• Kit Colour: Polycarbonate Top & Bottom (Frosted White)
• Plate:
Copper plate (Sandblasted)
• Bar Weight:
Copper plate (Sandblasted)
• Cat Weight:
Copper plate (Sandblasted)
 

3. Prices:

Neko Standard Kit (Solder | Hotswap)

MONOKEI: S$510 | S$525

Mekibo: US$380 | US$390

Apex Keyboards: CAD475 | CAD 485

myKeyboard: €380 | €390

Prototypist: £325 (inc VAT) | £335 (inc VAT)

DailyClack: A$515 | A$526

Thic Thock: $380 | $390

Neko SE Kit (Hotswap)

MONOKEI: S$620 | S$635

Mekibo: US$480 | US$490

Apex Keyboards: CAD585 | CAD 595

myKeyboard: €480 | €490

Prototypist: £415 (inc VAT) | £420 (inc VAT)

DailyClack: A$632 | A$648

Thic Thock: $480 | $490

4. Layout:

Solder:

Neko Solder PCB

Hotswap:

Neko Hotswap PCB

5. Addons:

We're offering the following items as addons:

This time, we're also offering some Kei Caps and deskmats to pair up with your favourite cat keyboard kit. These may be purchased separately as well.

i. Kei Caps:

SGD54 each or SGD100 for a bundle of both variants.

Aluminium caps with either Blush Pink anodisation or Classic White e-coating finishing.

A. Neko R1 (Blush Pink with White infill)

Neko Blush Pink Kei Cap

B. Neko R1 (Classic White with Blush Pink infill)

Neko Classic White Kei Cap

C. Neko R4 (Blush Pink with White infill)

D. Neko R4 (Classic White with Blush Pink infill)

ii. Deskmats:

Material: High quality fabric with a rubber base, stitched edges in white.

A. Neko Asobi

(900x400mm, 4mm thickness, SGD28)

Neko Asobi Deskmat

B. Neko Maru

(400x320mm, 4mm thickness, SGD20)

 

Neko Maru Deskmat

6. Shipping & Taxes:

Please check with your respective vendors for further information. For Singapore residents, GST will be absorbed by MONOKEI.

7. Quality Expectations:

While we strive to provide a perfect experience, no kit can be 100% flawless at our scale of production, as such the caveats are as follows: