"We tell you what our keycaps are made of. We also tell you what they're NOT made of."
Here's something that drives me absolutely insane about the keycap industry:
Most brands won't tell you their actual material specs. They'll say "premium PBT" or "high-quality double-shot" and leave it at that. No specific gravity. No mention of which factory. No transparency about what "double-shot" actually means in their manufacturing process.
It's like a restaurant listing "premium beef" on the menu without telling you if it's wagyu or ground chuck. You deserve to know what you're putting on your keyboard — the thing your fingers touch for 6+ hours a day.
So here's everything. The good, the bad, and the "yeah we're working on it."
Our Materials
PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate)
This is our primary material. Here's what that actually means:
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Polybutylene Terephthalate |
| Specific gravity | ~1.31 g/cm³ (denser than ABS at ~1.04) |
| Shrinkage rate | 1.5–2.5% (higher than ABS — harder to mold precisely) |
| Heat resistance | ~150°C melting point (way higher than ABS at ~105°C) |
| Surface feel | Slightly textured, matte finish |
| Wear resistance | Excellent — develops a patina, not a shine |
Why PBT over ABS?
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is what most cheap keycaps use. It's softer, easier to mold, and cheaper to produce. The problem? ABS develops an oily shine after months of use. The surface literally wears down from your fingers rubbing against it. Your spacebar starts looking like a mirror. It's gross.
PBT doesn't do that. It's harder, more heat-resistant, and maintains its texture over years of use. The trade-off is that it's more expensive and harder to manufacture (higher shrinkage rate means tighter tolerances during molding), which is why PBT sets cost more.
Our PBT spec: We use a standard PBT compound with a specific gravity of ~1.31. We do NOT use PBT-PC blend for our standard sets (more on that below for shine-through sets). The surface finish is semi-matte with a light texture for grip during extended gaming sessions.
PC (Polycarbonate) — Shine-Through Sets Only
For our shine-through sets (like Phantom), the legend material needs to be translucent. PBT isn't great at that. So we use PC (polycarbonate) for the legend insert:
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Transparency | High — allows 85%+ light transmission |
| Impact resistance | Extremely high (better than PBT) |
| Wear resistance | Good, but softer than PBT |
| Heat resistance | ~147°C |
How double-shot works with PBT + PC:
- First shot: PC is injected to form the legend
- Mold rotates
- Second shot: PBT is injected around the legend, fusing with it
The result? A keycap where the legend is literally a different piece of plastic fused inside — not printed, not laser-etched, not UV-coated. It can't wear off because there's nothing to wear off. The light shines through the PC legend while the PBT body stays opaque and durable.
The Transparency Promise
Here's what we commit to:
- Material specs published for every product. You'll always know what you're buying.
- Honest limitations listed on every product page. No surprises.
- Manufacturing updates shared openly. When we switch factories, change materials, or encounter production issues — you'll hear about it first on Discord.
- No fake "premium" marketing. We won't call PBT "luxury-grade artisan polymer." It's plastic. Good plastic, but still plastic.
- Customer photos, not renders. Every product image on our site is either a real photo or clearly labeled as a render/mockup. No AI-generated "product shots."
Questions about materials or compatibility? tinyplant@foxmail.com or jump in the Discord. Happy to geek out about polymer science.
— WASDWORKS