Product test
Keycap Kevin: a silicone butt on a keyboard feels… wrong
by Kevin Hofer
Traitors Sakura Kuro review: cool keycaps, steep price
16.12.2021
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
The Sakura Kuro keycaps from Traitors meet all my expectations in terms of workmanship, appearance and sound. The only downside is their price.
Cherry blossoms
The set includes six keycaps made of PBT. Polybutylene terephthalate is a hard, durable, heat-resistant plastic. It doesn’t absorb much grease, so it’s also resistant to fingerprints, making it a well-suited material for keycaps. My set is still completely free of fingerprints, even after a month of use.
Traitors manufactures the Sakura Kuro set using the sublimation technique. In this process, the dyes are evaporated into the PBT plastic – i.e. sublimated. Compared to other printing processes, the resulting imprints are very durable. The cherry blossoms on this set shouldn’t fade over time.
Japanese cherry blossoms inspired this keycap set. The design is printed on all five sides of each keycap. In the spring, cherry blossoms bloom in delicate pink. The keycaps reproduce this colour very nicely. Thanks to the base colour of the keycaps, matt black, the other colours really come into their own. The star of the show is the space bar. On the right, there are cherry blossoms on a tree; these blossoms fan out towards the left, as if carried by the wind.
The other keycaps in the set are covered in cherry blossoms and traditional Japanese symbols written in white. You’ll find a torii, the gate at the entrance of a shrine, as well as a sensu, the traditional Japanese fan.
Not compatible with all sets
The set of six keycaps is made in the OEM profile. Compared to the Cherry profile of my KBD67 Lite keyboard, certain rows are slightly taller. But because I use the Traitors keycaps as navigation keys, and these are on the outer right side of my keyboard, this doesn’t really bother me.
The five small keycaps are 1u each, the spacebar 6.25u. So, be sure to check if the space bar is compatible with your keyboard before buying this set.
According to Traitors, the walls of the keycaps are 1.5 millimetres thick. Using my callipers, I measure between 1.44 and 1.58 millimetres. Thickness affects the sound that keycaps produce. Rule of thumb: the thicker the keycap, the deeper the sound. I like the sound these keycaps make – the space bar in particular makes me happy with every click.
The surface of the keycaps is a bit raw, which provides good grip when typing.
Cool keycaps for an unfortunately steep price
I’m a big fan of the Sakura Kuro keycap set. Everything – from design to workmanship and sound to packaging – is right. However, at just over 38 francs (as of 10.12.2021), the Sakura Kuro are on the expensive side. After all, you only get six keycaps.
If you want to spruce up your existing keyboard in a unique way, and the high cost isn’t a deal breaker, I recommend this set. Otherwise, you’re better off skipping this one.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
