Rebuilding the Tomo

I previously built the Tomo with Alpacas as its internals and GMK Minimal as its skin. But really, I wanted it to be a lavender-themed board for those who are looking for one. Most of the keyboards I have built so far are either very contrast-y or very dark themed ones so I thought well, a light, more neutral, lavender one will be a nice change. Unfortunately, the original keycap set GMK Tuzi that I intended to build this board with, still hasn’t arrived yet. Yep, I ordered that set in February 2021 and 2 years, 3 months later, it still has not shipped.

I wanted to revisit this board because I wanted to take another look at it from a fresh perspective now in 2023 and also because I wanted to rebuild or rather, build it in a way that I originally intended.

The Context

To recap and to give some context, the TGR brand and moniker is very well-known to hobbyists in the community. The collaboration between Monokei and TGR is therefore much hyped and welcomed for those who are looking for a board that has this particular signature backweight. TGR is so much hyped that it has been pirated. But that is a story for another day. For those who wish to own a Tomo today, you will be glad to find plenty of them floating around in the secondhand market, after the COVID boom in 2020 and the decline of the hobby today.

Where was I? Yes, lavender. Of course, what better switch to use aside from lavender switches? Not lavender-colored switches, the switch is literally called lavender switches. These are full Nylon housing switches produced by Durocks, the same people that made the ever-popular Durock stabilizers. But really, they are manufactured by JWK, so JWK molds and all. The stem is made of POM and it has a 65g gold plated spring, with a linear actuation. Like its other JWK siblings, the price of these switches is decent, not expensive like Tealios but also not dirt cheap like yellows.

Today in 2023, the reputation of the Lavenders precedes itself. While they have fallen out of the limelight because it is afterall, a pretty aged switch, they have been and still are, very good switches. They are prelubed from the factory and sounds and feels great as is, so very friendly to the uninitiated and the lazy. With some work however, the switches tighten up ever so slightly and any scratch remaining is obliterated. On the note of its acoustic signature, I do find that while it is a deep sounding switch, being nylon and all, it is slightly higher in pitch compared to other full nylon housing switches like MX blacks or MM switches. Perhaps it’s the translucent aspect of the switch but, I cannot confirm this theory.

And as for the keycaps, again, what better ones to go for than GMK Lavender (or Rabenda in my case). These got to me earlier than Tuzi, which has a more contrast-y purple compared to Rabenda. And for a light and neutral build that I am going for, Rabenda definitely suits the Tomo much better than Tuzi.

Thoughts

The Good

The keyboard is very well built. Anodizing is perfect and the creators paid much attention to detail, down to the PCB design. I very much prefer the aesthetics of this new Tomo. It has a touch more flair than the plain old white on black with GMK Minimal. GMK Rabenda also matches well in its color tone with the Royal Purple of the Tomo. The darker accent of the Esc and Enter keys also breaks the monotony. The ability to switch between two mounting styles is also appreciated for that added customizability. The implementation is done well and little to no hiccups in switching between the two. I can definitely tell much thought have been put into it. Personally, I prefer the gummy o-ring mount compared to the top mounting style, mainly because the acoustics is less harsh. There really isn’t much bounce either, although noticeable coming from the top mount setup. The 75% layout may be a deal breaker for some, but for light productivity tasks involving video editing or Excel, I find it to be quite plenty. I still prefer the aesthetics of a TKL as opposed to a 75%. Just a personal preference.

The Bad

The price. This keyboard kit alone is SGD$690 dollars, excluding shipping. $690 can get you a lot of things in 2023 and all that for a keyboard? It sounds great, looks great but in my opinion, it is alot to ask. Sure, the design work is well thought out and done splendidly. The finishing touches are also very elegant but to me, it’s tough to justify shelling that much. I would like to see some tech like an OLED screen or premium backweight (there’s a FE version that costs way more) at that price. For what the Tomo has to offer, the price definitely puts it in the premium category and make no mistake, you are buying it to show off the TGR moniker and brand. Like how you buy a Prada or Yeezy to show off your mystique, the Tomo is built to be shown off.

“…make no mistake, you are buying (the Tomo) to show off the TGR moniker and brand.”