Introduction
To me, the Glare TKL exists as a testament not only to its uncompromising vision, but also as a story of collaboration and camaraderie within the community—designed by Glare and manufactured by Geonworks.
The designer, Glare, is an old-head within the hobby, having engaged with the hobby much earlier than most of us due to his Korean background. He is a seasoned artisan, with his dedication and passion most evident in his dedication to crafting designs reminiscent of the classic ‘Kustom’, following the trends and whatnot of old Korean work. Early on in his journey, however, he encountered an array of hurdles in translating his thoughts and visions into tangible products. To say that he was struggling is an understatement, given how difficult it was to even manufacture boards in the region for him.
Enter Geon, somewhat of a newcomer to the hobby. Inspired by Glare’s work, he extended a helping hand and offered to manufacture a one-off for him. However, he didn’t really know that much about keyboards, with his knowledge being fairly limited. So in return, Glare taught him a few things to aid him, helping him learn about keyboards—not only in design, but how to put them together as well.
Assisted by Glare, we have him to thank in regards to most of the projects that they’ve released, with the beloved F1-8x being the first official collaboration that they’ve sold. Funnily enough, it was only something that they expected to sell a handful of, around 20-50 units max. Nonetheless, history has shown us that wasn’t the case, as they’d later come to find 900 orders placed on the first day.
From that day on, Geonworks was born. And since then, Glare has left his previous job and now is the head of the keyboard division of Geonworks, with their friendship as strong as ever.
Specifications:
Mount : Top mount
Plate options: Standard / Split
Weight (Built) : 4.3kg (Brass Weight) , 4.16kg (SS weight)
Materials:
Top & Bottom cases: A6063-T6
Weight options: C360 Brass , STS316L Stainless Steel
Plate options: A5052-H32 , POM , PC , FR-4
A Keyboard for Everyone is a Keyboard for No one.
Even at a glance, you can see the Korean influence on the Glare with the proportions being akin to most boards in that region, with thin side bezels and a thick top and bottom. However, the front height of the Glare TKL cannot be without mention. Truth to be told, after typing on two Glare TKLs, with my first being a blue-gray variant, and my current one having a raw finish, I can wholeheartedly say that it’s actually rather comfortable.
This is a byproduct of the high front-height which makes the user type with their hands raised up more than usual, inadvertently correcting writing posture – at least, it did for me, as I’ve converted to hover typing now, which is a whole lot more comfortable personally. I’d honestly recommend others to try that out as it’s made my wrists feel a lot less strained over long periods of typing.
To get back on topic, however, I can say after looking over both of my units, that the Glare TKL’s anodisation is spot-on, and the subtle design-cues are indicative of the board’s uncompromising aesthetic, being that of a modernized Korean TKL; with the HG sides, front and back, the pointed WKL edges, and looks minimal and simplistic without much fanfare.
A few detractors might say that Geonwork’s keyboards – as a byproduct of their minimal design – lack personality and taste, being no different aesthetically from more budget options. I’d like to disagree, and let me tell you why.
The Glare TKL is a lesson in no compromises. It doesn’t hold back on anything. The angle is 11 degrees, it expects you to hover-type, and to write with proper form, and will be fatiguing to use if you don’t. It’s simple, yet the nuances are there to state otherwise, with its influences clear on its case. The board doesn’t care for any flashy branding and the like, it knows that it’s great – and won’t try to convince you. And all of that is its personality; an unrelenting, uncompromising design of what the designer loves.
It’s as the subheading states, and it’s something that I believe. Keyboards that are centered for a more general market are liked, rather than loved. They’re for everyone, and thus, they’re for no one in particular.
The Glare TKL is suited for a specific audience, and it knows that. It won’t cater to anyone, and it’s confident in what it is.
The Experience
Following along with the old-school aesthetic that the Glare exemplifies, the keyboard has a rather firm typing experience to it – a byproduct of its top-mount… mounting. Though with different plates such as POM or PC, it can have a little bit of flex with it, the fact of the matter remains that it’ll still be stiff. Personally, I found that I preferred the sound of the Aluminium plate over the various plastic others, though over longer periods of time, I’ve grown to enjoy a more softer feel – hence my current PC plate, at the sacrifice of the change of pitch for various switches.
To test out how comfortable it is, I had various builds to try out over the course of a couple of months:
Config 1
- MX Blacks on Aluminium
Config 2
- Akko Snow Blue on POM
Config 3
- Panghu V3 on FR4
Config 4
- MX Browns on POM
Config 5 (Current)
- MX Blacks on PC
I’ve used it in a variety of activities; such as gaming, MMORPGs, writing, essays (such as these), Uni-work, and all in all, I can happily state that the entire experience was rather comfortable despite what detractors might say about top-mount and the higher-than-normal typing angle. To put it into perspective, I wasn’t just using it for a few moments a day, most often than not, I was glued to my desk working on something while using the Glare TKL – and not a second amidst those hours did I feel the normal aches and pains associated with long periods of work, a byproduct of how it forces the user to hover-type with proper form.
As for disassembling and assembling it, the process was incredibly easy with high-quality hex screws to avoid stripping, with the interior case simple and easily shown. It has made things such as trying out new builds less of a pain to do, even if I still abhor desoldering. The PCB, made by Hiney, was also a pleasure to use – very few problems, issues, and the like on them. It was just solid out of the box, something that I’m sure we can all appreciate.
The reason, however, I’ve waited to do this review as long as I have is because of a specific add-on to it, the Brass Bottom. I wasn’t really expecting anything from it, barring the weight, but I was curious to see how much it’d affect – along with just going along with the meme of it. Over all, it doesn’t change that much, but rather make it the slightest bit louder compared to the regular bottom. So far, however, I’ve only tested this on Config 5, being that of MX Blacks on PC. Some people may be put off by it because of how loud the Glare TKL already is, but with the addition of the PC plate, which tempers and reels it back in a little, I’ve found that amongst all the other features, it’s comfortable, producing a softer sound signature to it.
I’ve grown to dislike MX Blacks on Alu for a reason, and that was because of how sharp and high-pitched it generally was. Sure, it sounded good for a little while, but after long periods of time, it’s something that I’d rather avoid nowadays.
Overall, it’s Korean in feel, sound, and design: preferring a stiffer typing experience, though modernized with new innovations.
Summary
The Glare TKL. It’s not for everybody, but I genuinely believe that it’s an amazing and iconic keyboard; from the modernized Korean design, along with the weight and the personality that it oozes despite the rather simple aesthetics that it carries.
Wholeheartedly, I think that this trumps the F1-8X and the various other boards that I’ve tried out. It’s one of the best keyboards that I’ve had. It’s special, and I think that those at Geonworks know this as well; hence why the Glare65 is in production, and the Glare60 is a concept (for now).
I’m both curious, and excited, to see what they cook up in the future, but for now, the Glare TKL isn’t going anywhere. It’s staying on my desk. To say it once more, a keyboard for everyone is a keyboard for no one, and so with the deliberate design choices and decisions, I can happily say that it’s for me.
Geonworks Glare TKL page: https://geon.works/pages/glare-tkl