Unusual. That’s the word I would use to describe this project. Well, many things I build are unusual, but this one was different. I was aware of people who build their own mechanical keyboards for computers, but not quite aware how big this scene of enthusiasts is.

This all started when a friend from university approached me and asked if I could make him a custom wrist rest for his keyboard. Not only had Olli created his own mechanical keyboard called “Neito”, it was so special, that he sold them around the globe.

As a professional maker and creator, I expected nothing less than very detailed drawings from him so I could make the wrist rest as exact as possible, fitting the body of the keyboard like a natural extension.

He asked for black and white, but those are colors which are rarely found in skateboard plys. Fortunately I had one used Palace deck with five black plys and two natural wood colored ones. However, that wasn’t black enough for Olli, so he asked me if I could take a torch to the nicely sanded and nearly finished product. While I was a bit confused, I will never be a maker that fears the unknown. So I put my safety goggles back on and scorched the outside frame of the wrist rest with my propane torch.

After the first piece was done, Olli was kind enough to share my work with the community of people who bought his keyboard and might be in need of a uniquely colored wrist rest. I am glad I got to build more than one, as they all looked stunning, and apparently they fulfilled their purpose as well.