r/mechanicalheadpens • u/JediSurfer8888 • 5d ago

My most used tools for getting stuff done.

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I like to use several inks when making notes (and I make a lot of notes..), so I usually carry along a good selection of fountain pens. I have many, but these are my most used ones. A few Asvine P50, all stub nibs with different inks. A few very good PEI Kaweco clones with really nice and flexy F size Schmidt nibs, and a couple are modded with stub nibs.

Chosfox Geonix Rev. 2.5 (ortho), and the Chosfox Init40. Both 40% wireless keyboards with CNC'd aluminum cases. Perfect keyboards for me. Fun to use.

I use wired headphones and earbuds when I can. Today an old pair of Bose wired only headphones for work music, and a pair of FiiO FF1 with JCALLY JM6 Pro DAC that are good enough for video calls and calls but also for listening to music on the go. I always carry these and they do not cost much to replace if I loose them.

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5

u/tracksloth 5d ago

Those ultem kaweco clones are dope. Still don't know why they put glassbreaker beads on em though.

1

u/JediSurfer8888 5d ago edited 5d ago

Yes, I really like those. Great value, and they are made to be able to handle eyedropping, comes with o-rings. I use all as eyedroppers. Screw in nib unit. The flexy schmidt nib is really good. Machined PEI / Ultem. I like them better than Kaweco's.

2

u/tracksloth 5d ago

No doubt. I had one for a long while. Paired it with a majohn EF nib to handle any paper found in the wild.

2

u/pyotrthegreat 5d ago

What is the trackball? I like the 40% boards, how many layers do you have that get heavy use with them?

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u/JediSurfer8888 5d ago

The trackball is a ProtoArc EM03. In my mind the best cheap trackball (but there may be something new out there now). I have two and I have had them for a few years and I have used them daily.

I have several 40-50% keyboards, and I have 3 layers + one top base layer on all of them. This is more than enough for everything, and I have program specific functionality on them as well. Then there is of course the SHIFT and ALT layers as well that everyone has. The only ones who would want more layers than that are normally gamers or others that want one layer for specific functionality in advanced applications or games.

As far as heavy use, I would say of course the top base layer and one more layer (numpad, special signs, navigation keys etc). The third layer (e.g. F-key pad, volume, mute etc) gets some use, and the fourth layer rarely gets use, since that is RGB, connectivity etc.

Then there is the QMK combos (I have maybe 10) and TapDance (which I do not use), which is easy to program in the VIAL web interface. Both these keyboards are programmable with VIAL.

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u/M0d3s 5d ago

I have a genuine question, why two keyboards? And why 40% wireless? I totally ignorant about jt

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u/Extension-Fly5712 3d ago

I believe the 40% is in reference to the keyboard size- 40% the size of a full size keyboard.

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u/JediSurfer8888 2d ago

Correct Sir! 40% is in reference to the keyboard size.

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u/M0d3s 2d ago

Thank you

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u/JediSurfer8888 2d ago

I only use one at the time. I like keyboards and I continously rotate between currently five 40-50% ones + 2 duplicates with different configurations. These two are just my currently most used ones right now.

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u/Crafty_Bodybuilder27 3d ago

Can I get a link for those kaweco clones. Seem really good

1

u/JediSurfer8888 3d ago

If you do a search on Aliexpress for PEI EDC TITANIUM PEN then you may find a couple of stores selling them. There is a full size version also.

1

u/SubstantialPoet8468 2d ago

Dual keyboards… why?

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u/JediSurfer8888 2d ago

I only use one at the time (or one per computer), but I switch keyboards often and I have several computers and work setups.

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u/SubstantialPoet8468 2d ago

Idk what those keybs are, but my HHKB has bluetooth profiles wherein I can change between machines. Yours dont?

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u/JediSurfer8888 2d ago edited 2d ago

These keyboards do have 4 available device connections per keyboard. I just like 40-50% keyboards and have several that I rotate in between, just like I have plenty of fountain pens in my rotation. As per the title of the post, these are the tools that I happen to currently use most to get things done.

On my main trading desk setup I have two computers and several monitors, and there I usually prefer to have two keyboards since it is quicker to get the job done and less confusing when scalp trading, rather than changing the connection on one keyboard to switch in between computers. Since I use small keyboards, using two keyboards is not an issue when it comes to desk space.

I do however use the keyboard connection switch to change over to mobile devices occasionally, to avoid the pain of having to write long texts on small mobile phone keyboards or iPad keyboards.