good job

whoops double post :(

Just a list of the top of my head for mechanicals.

Filco
Poker
Leopold
Das
Ducky
Steelseries

Just a couple of the more popular brands.

the CM storm trigger is also a great board

i've had the noppoo with reds since january as my first mechanical keyboard and i've loved it. i mainly got it cause i needed to get more mousepad room since it's only 12.4 inches wide. would definitely recommend if you're looking for a small keyboard.

To add to the keyboard discussion: for mechanical keyboards, which switches do you guys use/prefer?

I got my leopold here: http://elitekeyboards.com/
@7 I prefer Browns. I like the feel, and it's a good middle-ground between Blues and Reds

I use the Quickfire, they have good equipment.

Try clears or ergo clears. Browns feel really mushy after using clears.

Dell keyboard is pretty nice for $20

Mechanicals
Unicomp keyboards- Buckling spring keyswitch, really nice. $100-
Topre realforce- Topre switch, probably the nicest keyswitch in the world. $200+

Steelseries 6gv2 is what I use, blacks and reds available for $100, often on sale for $80-90ish

http://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-6Gv2-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard/dp/B008OQTGBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380008094&sr=8-1&keywords=steelseries+6gv2

Stickied this and the Mouse/Mousepad thread. Good stuff.

Adding on some other similar keyboards (mostly different sizes):
- Noppoo Choc Mid (black/blue/red) http://www.amazon.com/Noppoo-Mechanical-Keyboard-switches-Character/dp/B00A3PPJKS $89.99 RIGHT NOW, $125.99 full price
- CM Storm QuickFire Stealth, blue/brown/green/red. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C2MBG02/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2WMBMRQ0KNDAM&coliid=IUY9CL2BXJDRC $94.99
- CM Storm QuickFire Rapid, you missed the new green switches. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VDKLLM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2WMBMRQ0KNDAM&coliid=ID5ELNEPJIC7T 114.99 full price.
- CM Storm QuickFire KT; like the Rapid, but with a lot more keys. Has blue/brown/green/red with various LED option. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A378L10/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2WMBMRQ0KNDAM&coliid=I2E3MZD6FIA1PM $99.99
- CM Storm QuickFire XT; largest version of the Rapid, has blue/brown/green/red. $136.00

I'm gonna experiment, but I ordered some o-rings to minimize bottoming out. This is, I guess, the most recommended one for them. http://www.amazon.com/008-Buna-N-O-Ring-Durometer-Round/dp/B0051XWXCE/ref=pd_sim_pc_1

ThermalTake Meka-G1 <3, lovely to click on, has nice "Fn+" combos (fn+f5 to volume up, fn+f2 to stop music, etc).
It's MEKAanichal

link please?

Are there any larger stores where I could test the difference between switches? I know vaguely how they differ but I'd like to try the different kinds to see what'd be best for me.

Thanks for this. It'd be nice if you labelled in the sub-heading which ones are ridiculous spaceship keyboards and which are simplistic looking ones.

I think the general advice given here is get a cheap keyboard (<$20) and save up for a mechanical, rather than getting anything in between

Because I really wanted blue switches and my budget was >90 euros, I had to go with the Razer Black Widow Tournament Edition. I really like it, it feels similar to the Quickfire Storm in my opinion. Too bad that The Netherlands (Europe? except for UK) doesn't have a very wide selection of blue switch keyboards that don't involve crazy shipping rates/taxes. This was the only one I could get for that price.

filco majestouch with brown switches. spilt a can of red bull on it at LAN and it works exactly the same.

It's a good keyboard too!

Does anyone have expierence/knowledge/etc. about quality of KBT Pure Pro? http://kbtrace.com/

These are pretty much the only "very" small (smaller than tenkeyless) mechanical keyboards with EU and german QWERTZ layout that I could find. Price is around 100 euros...
They even have arrowkeys on the bottom right side...

Thinking about getting one. They have all cherry mx switches and different backlight colors.

Thanks for stickying! But the Choc Mini has been 89/99 for a few months now so I just assumed that was its new price.
Also thank you for all the links -- it helps a lot.

I will be able to do a few more keyboards then I have to be gone until around 9 EST -- sorry!

I got a Corsair K60 ($110) on a whim (and because I'd been pleasantly surprised by the Corsair mouse I have) and I've absolutely fallen in love with it.

Probably not for everyone. It's absolutely massive and has Cherry Reds which make typing... interesting, but it's incredibly easy to clean (switches/keys are raised off the flat base. no crumb pits) and sturdy as hell. Might be worth a look for people with big desks and a propensity for dropping their keyboard.

I use a razer arctosa,it's pretty nice.
http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-arctosa
P.S. Couldn't find it cheaper on amazon

Keycool 84 with blues. Fantastic board.

Logitech G105 <3

Should I get a CoolerMaster CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid or the CoolerMaster CM Storm QuickFire Pro

I can't decide and want someone to pick for me.

How big is your desk? If you have enough free space, go for the full board, but if space is even close to an issue, get the tkl.

Great list, but I'm a little confused why the "whats a budget" section doesn't have a single ducky board. They make some quality stuff.

Or Filco too for that matter. The "What's a budget?" section should be keyboards above 80$, as once get there the build materials' quality and overall build quality get much higher than the 60$ CM keyboards. Should also update prices too.