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- Each keycap box will include one random sticker from our collection of 13 different art.
- Orders of 12 keycaps or more will come with a complimentary The Dense snowfall winter limited edition.
- All product photos are genuine, not 3D renders, and our keycaps are handmade with resin casting, wooden & paper, and multilayer colouring, not 3D printed.
The marvel of Mù Căng Chải’s Terraced Fields
In the heart of the highlands of Northwest Vietnam, Mù Căng Chải stands as a living legend with its terraced fields etched deep into the mountainsides, creating a vast and majestic ink-wash painting that is both grand and gentle. These fields symbolise the human spirit of patience, diligence, and wisdom in conquering nature and heritage, bearing witness to a long and rich history. The terraced fields, formed over thousands of years, are intertwined with the history and culture of the Hmong people, who are the majority in this region.
The history and significance of Mù Căng Chải’s terraced fields
The terraced fields of Mù Căng Chải originated in the Neolithic era when the Hmong settled and began cultivating the land. Initially, these terraced plots were small land sculpted into the mountain slopes. Over time, the Hmong continuously improved and expanded the area of the terraced fields to meet the food demands of their families.
Constructed on steep mountain slopes, creating these beautiful vistas required immense effort and time. The Hmong had to dig the earth, make retaining walls, and establish complex irrigation systems to create perfectly shaped and sized terraces.
The terraced fields in Mù Căng Chải are a creation of nature and man and a vibrant symbol of Hmong culture. These fields have become an indispensable part of the life and soul of the Hmong people.
Artifact series – Recreating the wonder
With its latest product line, the Artifact Series themed on Terraced Fields, Jelly Key has embarked on a new chapter in its art creation journey. These keycaps are not just ordinary buttons but miniature art pieces, a tribute to the timeless beauty of Mù Căng Chải.
In previous Artifact collections, Jelly Key used wood as the primary material to create the intricate details inside the keycaps. You might wonder if we could replicate the beauty of this landscape with layered wood as in our past collections!!! We have tried various methods across different keycap sizes, and finally, we succeeded. However, using wood to shape the design only partially satisfied our artistic vision and inner creative demands. Our artisans decided to make a change to create something novel and meet our requirements for this collection.
Paper is an entirely new material, and we had to start from scratch to research and develop its use to meet our set criteria. After months of relentless work and experimentation, we achieved results that exceeded our expectations. Join us in discovering how our artisans craft the unique keycap details in this new collection.
Creating unique Jelly Key keycaps – The intricate paper & wood dyeing process
Our artisans underwent an extraordinarily meticulous and elaborate paper dyeing process to create the unique Jelly Key keycaps. We use a type of paper with high thickness and durability that is completely water-insoluble.
Step 1: The first task was laser-cutting thin wood sheets (or paper for certain layers). The cutting process wasn’t lengthy; luckily, the laser cutting machine handled this part well. The challenge here was to accurately align the laser-cut parts and determine the amount of material being used. This was particularly challenging with the spacebar, where, after cutting, up to 200 pieces needed to be removed from the frame. Removing these pieces after cutting was quite tricky because they were tiny and weren’t completely cut by the laser beam… believe me, you wouldn’t want to try it.
Step 2: Ultrasonic cleaning was done after removing the pieces from the frame. Each keycap had to be cleaned individually because grouping multiple keycaps at once would make it difficult to sort them out. Each layer had different shapes and varying numbers of puzzle pieces; I emphasise that there were up to 18 layers.
Step 3: Thorough drying in a dust-free environment was crucial, affecting subsequent steps.
Step 4: The dyeing process followed. There were more than ten different colours in a single 6.25u spacebar, totalling 200 pieces. We had to individually sort the pieces by colour and layer for each keycap. Therefore, working with small batches made the dyeing process manageable. Additionally, the dyeing times for paper and wood differed significantly. You wouldn’t want to see a piece of paper dissolve in water and have to cut a new one to replace it; trust me on this one. Afterwards, the previous steps were repeated for each layer.
Step 5: Drying again, but the difficulty level increased this time. The dyeing process made the material quite sensitive. Applying too much pressure during drying would leave marks on the paper and wood pieces. Overall, this step required extreme caution. Any mistake meant starting over.
Step 6: Arrange each piece, stick them together, and trim excess if necessary. This step wasn’t highly challenging, but it demanded infinite patience. The glue had to be used to secure the pieces. There is too little glue, and the layer being glued might fall off when working on the next layer. Too much glue could spill over, thickening the layers. The worst-case scenario was the glue spilling over the edge, damaging the entire block.
Once the layers are formed, the artisans arrange them to create the final composition on each keycap size. Beneath the paper frame, they layer thin sheets of paper in various colours to create effects for rivers, and then a resin layer is applied to encapsulate the mountainous design. After waiting 24 hours to ensure the resin has thoroughly dried, we proceeded with the keycap moulding process.
Finally, we have a complete keycap after 26 hours of allowing the resin keycap block to dry completely!!! Surface finishing of the keycap after demoulding is an essential step to ensure that the keycap has a glossy surface, allowing the intricate details inside to be clearly visible.
Our artisans always strive to deliver the highest quality artisan keycaps to you. You will have a wonderful experience using these keycaps.
The Dense snowfall winter limited edition
The “Dense snowfall winter” edition is a celebration of artisanal craftsmanship, offered exclusively as a complimentary addition with orders of 12 or more keycaps, and is not available for sale. Among all the colours used in the dyeing process, white demands the utmost skill and precision. Its susceptibility to dust accumulation and difficulty achieving a deep, opaque white on wood make it a challenging hue to master. This edition’s unique charm is further enhanced by a captivating shimmer effect reminiscent of a glittering river and the ethereal beauty of falling snow. These intricate and sophisticated techniques significantly increase the risk of damage, underscoring the meticulous care and expertise required in their creation. This is why we choose not to include this unique model in our group buy for mass distribution but rather to offer it as an exclusive gift of gratitude to our esteemed customers. For this model, I am only making seven keycaps, and they will be gifted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Artifact series – Savanna Stickers
Each keycap box will include one randomly selected sticker from our collection of 13 unique designs. You’ll receive a complete set of stickers with no duplicates if you purchase nine keycaps.
Please be aware that we have a limited supply of sticker sets available for this group buy as we handle the printing and cutting in-house. We recommend placing your order early to ensure you receive a sticker set with your purchase.
Gallery
Droplet
SA
Group-buy information
- Open time: 11/16/2023
- Close time: 11/21/2023
- Starting to Deliver after Groupbuy close: earlier than 70 working days
- We could close the GB sooner than expected. So take your chance as soon as you can.
What is in the box?
- 1 8-bit series artisan keycaps by Jelly Key.
- 01 Medal dog-tag with engraved unique series number.
- 1 random sticker.
- 01 Wooden box.
- A unique serial number is on the bottom of the keycap as well.
Sidenote
- The keycap was made entirely by hand and tool. The final product may vary from the original photos but at an acceptable aspect. We would love to ask you to tolerate any reasonable differences.
- With each artisan keycap from Jelly Key, we offer you a one-on-one replacement if there is a fault caused by our artisan team. Feel free to contact us.
Specs
- MX stem
- Profiles: SA R3, Droplet, SA R1
- Keycaps size: 3 sizes (1u / 2.25u Enter, left shift / 6.25u Spacebar)
- Design and Handcrafted by Jelly Key
Shipping
1u / 2.25u
- $9 per keycaps if you buy one.
- $12 for 2 keycaps.
- $16 for 3 keycaps.
- $20 for 4 keycaps.
- $20 for 5 keycaps.
- Free shipping for 6 keycaps or more.
6.25u
- $12 per spacebar if you buy one.
- $16 for 2 spacebar.
- $20 for 3 spacebar.
- Free shipping for 4 spacebars or more.