Oddly enough, the hobby of mechanical keyboards is something that some people take very seriously whether that be with their opinions on trends or value in what they buy.

I like to consider myself an easy going person. I do what I do because I like to.

I like penguins. I’ve always liked penguins.

I like keyboards.

This is a penguin-themed keyboard.

Named after the species, meet the Adélie.

This model is very obviously an extension of my original keyboard design, the 45-ATS. The layout is very similar but offers one more column of keys which gives the original layout the addition of the right bracket key, quotation key, and forward slash.

The goal with this board was to add complexity to the assembly and aesthetic while also making a layout that is more welcoming to people that might want to try a smaller keyboard layout (notice the missing number row).

It’s not uncommon for density and weight to be something people relate to quality when it comes to electronics. An example of this is newer phones sporting more glass than plastic for body panels. Plastic, hollow feeling electronics are often regarded as cheap and the bare minimum. The shiny bits here are PVD-coated brass, adding much heft to the overall assembly.

This external design is quite unique in relative to other boards that were being offered. Many designers often add aesthetic features to the rear of the keyboard where the USB port is, I wanted to bring that attention to the sides of the board where the user can see it while at their desk. This was done by adding accent brass weights on each side which results in a sleek pinstripe effect from the user’s perspective and a stunning mirror effect when viewed away from the desk.

Internally, there are tracks cut along the top and bottom for gasket to lie. Rubber gaskets suspend the internal assembly Isolating the reverberation generated from typing resulting in a more muted sound profile.