Serene Industries has finally pulled the veil off its long-anticipated Icebreaker keyboard, featuring a 65% design with the main chassis and keycaps constructed entirely from Aluminium. The main body is CNC-machined using a solid block of 6061 Aluminium, shaped in a rather unconventional wedge design. Now available at their online store, the Icebreaker will set you back $1,600, but most of this cost is due to the intricate design process and aesthetics.
Custom mechanical keyboards nowadays, especially ones made of Aluminum, cost around $100-$200. They're generally pretty sturdy and sound impressive. What makes the Icebreaker stand out among other luxurious keyboards is its unorthodox design and Aluminum keycaps, which cost $415. Serene Industries explains that the keycaps had to undergo about 800 micro-perforations to allow for visible legends and RGB light functionality. Moreover, the minimalistic design embellishes the overall look, lending it a slight retro feel.
The keyboard is available in clear and black colors, though the latter costs significantly more at $2,100. The PCB comes in a few variations: hot-swap (wired), hall-effect (wired), wired (presumably non-hotswap), and wireless. The switch plate, which sits atop the PCB and ensures the switches are appropriately aligned, is offered in aluminum, polycarbonate, and FR4.
The Icebreaker sports a dual dampening system to absorb unwanted noise and vibrations and a 4,000 mAh battery that should last a few months. In addition, it has proper VIA support, and you may also use the firm's own Serene Industries Configurator tool for customization. However, we weren't able to find any details about it.
Despite its 65% layout, the added wrist rest and EC11 rotatory knob increase its overall footprint landing it in full-sized keyboard territory, length-wise. While their website doesn't detail the exact switches used, it is reported that the Icebreaker employs full-height MX switches.
Being an extremely niche product, we doubt many will be interested in dishing out over one and a half grand for just a peripheral. While it practically does the same job as other custom mechanical Aluminium keyboards, the eccentric design philosophy can make it a worthwhile collectible for hobbyists.
