I looked at it really similarly when I started in this hobby. Honestly, GMK just does everything right. Everything about their quality is 10% better than everyone else. The attention to detail is great. They aren't perfect though. With that consistent high bar in quality they also come with the best colors and the coolest novelties. No one else is spending the time to make intricate double shot molds for novelties for sets like Kaiju or Mictlan. No one else has the same breadth of colors in double shot keycaps either. The knock-offs are all poorly dye-subbed keycaps where the color fades halfway down the side of the keycap and the colors aren't close to begin with. Are there other great brands? Heck yeah. You can find decent double shot ABS and PBT keycaps on Amazon. Other brands are doing intricate things with dye-subbing that GMK can't touch. Drop and PBTFans are also doing some really cool double shot keycaps. Honestly though, pick your keycaps based on your budget and what speaks to you. Keyboards are about personalizing things, so you should pick up keycaps because you're stoked about them, and not because of a brand name. Answer from RockSolidJ on reddit.com
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GMK
gmk.net › shop › en
GMK Products Official Webstore | Premium Keycaps, Keyboards & More
Meeting the status quo with your keycaps was so yesterday. We specialize in creating high-quality keycaps for mechanical keyboards that let you customize your keyboard to your specific taste. Your Caps, Your Choice.
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NovelKeys LLC
novelkeys.com › collections › gmk
GMK – NovelKeys LLC
Experience an elevated standard in typing and gaming with our premium selection of custom keyboards as well as GMK ABS Double Shot and our own PBT dyesub keycaps. We stock switches from Cherry, Gateron, TTC, KTT, and more. We also offer artisans and deskpads.
Discussions

Why do people buy GMK keycaps
I looked at it really similarly when I started in this hobby. Honestly, GMK just does everything right. Everything about their quality is 10% better than everyone else. The attention to detail is great. They aren't perfect though. With that consistent high bar in quality they also come with the best colors and the coolest novelties. No one else is spending the time to make intricate double shot molds for novelties for sets like Kaiju or Mictlan. No one else has the same breadth of colors in double shot keycaps either. The knock-offs are all poorly dye-subbed keycaps where the color fades halfway down the side of the keycap and the colors aren't close to begin with. Are there other great brands? Heck yeah. You can find decent double shot ABS and PBT keycaps on Amazon. Other brands are doing intricate things with dye-subbing that GMK can't touch. Drop and PBTFans are also doing some really cool double shot keycaps. Honestly though, pick your keycaps based on your budget and what speaks to you. Keyboards are about personalizing things, so you should pick up keycaps because you're stoked about them, and not because of a brand name. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/MechanicalKeyboards
89
3
February 27, 2024
What is it with GMK keycaps?
First off welcome to the hobby (leave now if you value your wallet!) Gmk makes some of if not the highest quality keycaps. They are very thick doubleshot keycaps, which means 15+ years of constant use and the legends will still be clear. They have fantastic colorways that other manufacturers can have trouble re-creating. Lastly, abs is a high quality plastic that is easier to color and get clean doubleshot legends. The only downside is that it shines after use. Most people who can't stand shiny caps just get pbt. The other reason they are so expensive is that gmk is a big electrical manufacturer that also makes keycaps on a large scale. The groupbuys you see here are small batches that they custom do for our hobby. So since it's a kind of one off for them they cost more. Are Gmk keycaps necessary for a board? Hell no, plenty of other more affordable keycaps. But they are quality which is why they cost a premium. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/MechanicalKeyboards
18
20
November 21, 2021
Why do people buy GMK keycaps : MechanicalKeyboards
🌐 r/MechanicalKeyboards
I finally got my GMK Pharaoh keycaps after 3 years of waiting. : MechanicalKeyboards
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Amazon
amazon.com › stores › DROP › page › CB72C174-B95C-4FDD-A2DC-FB28CB73E734
Amazon.com: DROP: GMK Keycaps
The golden standard for keycap quality, German-made GMK sets aren’t always easy to get. Skip the 24-month wait times—shop our selection of in-stock, ready-to-ship GMK keycap sets right here.
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Omnitype®
omnitype.com › collections › gmk
GMK Keycaps
Made in Germany, GMK keycaps are the highest quality double-shot ABS keycaps you can buy. With beautiful colors and crisp legends, they are sure to make your fingers and eyes very happy!
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/mechanicalkeyboards › why do people buy gmk keycaps
r/MechanicalKeyboards on Reddit: Why do people buy GMK keycaps
February 27, 2024 -

Let me just preface this just saying that I am not trying to be ignorant, just wondering why people buy these keycaps. This is because they cost 150-200 dollars, and if you buy their group buy ones, then it can take up to 18 months to come. In that much time I am not even sure if I would be passionate about keyboards anymore. I know that the print is sharper but can't you buy a clone for like 5-10x less. Also, for that money you can buy much higher quality keycaps, like the cerakeys that I am using right now. So why do people buy GMK keycaps

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CannonKeys
cannonkeys.com › collections › gmk-keycaps
GMK Keycaps – CannonKeys
CannonKeys is a proud official GMK Premier Vendor. GMK is a premium keycap manufacturer based in Germany. They are known for their high quality doubleshot ABS plastic keycaps, and are considered by many to be at the top of their category.
Find elsewhere
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Instagram
instagram.com › gmk_keycaps
GMK Keycaps (@gmk_keycaps) • Instagram photos and videos
22K Followers, 142 Following, 321 Posts - GMK Keycaps (@gmk_keycaps) on Instagram: "The home of original GMK keycaps, keyboards and accessories"
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GMK Keycap
gmkkeycap.com
GMK Keycap ⚡️ Flagship GMK Keycaps Store
GMK is a German Manufacturer of high-quality keycaps, and their sets are some of the most popular on the market. What is so special about GMK? First and foremost, their sets are designed to be interchangeable – so you can mix and match them ...
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Mechanical Keyboards
mechanicalkeyboards.com › collections › gmk-keycaps
GMK Keycaps
GMK keycaps are renowned within the industry and with hobbyists alike for their-quality ABS keycap sets. These keycap sets are highly sought after for their durability, comfortable Cherry profile and crisp legends.
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Divinikey
divinikey.com › home › gmk black & gold keycaps
GMK Black & Gold ABS Keycaps – Divinikey
GMK Black & Gold Keycaps
GMK Black & Gold Keycaps - evokes luxury without overstepping into guady with its black base and elegant, metallic gold legends and accents.  See below to see flow variation characteristics of the set Inspiration: Black and gold is a simple but classic combination evoking luxury and elegance. Thus this timeless colourway serves as the basis of this keycap set which utilises GMK’s new metallic ABS material. Golden accents are included for high-end flair; whilst for the high rollers, novelty keycaps themed around Art Deco and Casino Royale are included for extra style points. GMK Black and Gold
Price   $160.00
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Awekeys
awekeys.com › collections › gmk-keycap
GMK Keycaps, Best GMK Keycaps sets for gaming – Awekeys
GMK keycaps are high-quality, durable mechanical keyboard keycaps that are considered the top choice by many keyboard enthusiasts. GMK keycaps adopt a double-shot molding process and are made of high-quality ABS or PBT plastic.
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eBay
ebay.com › electronics › computers/tablets & networking › keyboards, mice & pointers › keyboards & keypads
GMK Keycaps - 20+ Sets | eBay
GMK Keycaps - 20+ Sets
GMK Parcel. GMK Panels. GMK Dots Light R2. GMK Dracula. GMK Demon Sword. GMK Electric. GMK Maestro + Novelties. GMK Civilizations.
Price   $60.00
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Drop
drop.com › vote › Best-of-GMK-keycaps
Best of GMK keycaps Poll | Drop
Vote on your favorite Best of GMK keycaps. Discover the best mechanical keyboards from the Mechanical Keyboards enthusiast community and get them for the...
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Drop
drop.com › all-communities › drops › Ready-to-Ship-GMK-Keycaps
Ready-to-Ship GMK Keycaps | Recommended Products | Drop
Join our community of passionate people to find and follow your interests in high quality mechanical keyboard & audiophile products. Discover innovative products, made possible by the collective wisdom of our users.
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FiiO
apos.audio › home › gmk keycaps
GMK Keycaps
Explore Apos Audio's GMK Keycaps collection, featuring premium doubleshot ABS keycap sets in Cherry profile. With a variety of designs—from minimalist monochromes to vibrant themed sets—these keycaps offer both aesthetic appeal and durability ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/mechanicalkeyboards › what is it with gmk keycaps?
r/MechanicalKeyboards on Reddit: What is it with GMK keycaps?
November 21, 2021 -

Hi, I'm kind of new to custom keyboards and I'm a bit confused to why GMK keycaps cost so much and why so many people buy them. I heard one of the reasons was the Cherry profile? Still don't know why that particular profile is so popular. Also, they're made out of ABS plastic so that really REAlly confuses me. Would much appreciate it if someone explained it, thanks.

Top answer
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First off welcome to the hobby (leave now if you value your wallet!) Gmk makes some of if not the highest quality keycaps. They are very thick doubleshot keycaps, which means 15+ years of constant use and the legends will still be clear. They have fantastic colorways that other manufacturers can have trouble re-creating. Lastly, abs is a high quality plastic that is easier to color and get clean doubleshot legends. The only downside is that it shines after use. Most people who can't stand shiny caps just get pbt. The other reason they are so expensive is that gmk is a big electrical manufacturer that also makes keycaps on a large scale. The groupbuys you see here are small batches that they custom do for our hobby. So since it's a kind of one off for them they cost more. Are Gmk keycaps necessary for a board? Hell no, plenty of other more affordable keycaps. But they are quality which is why they cost a premium.
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For me, perfect legends and color are preferable to avoiding shine any day of the week. Can't stand even slightly off dye-sub and no manu is completely free from it happening (CRP probably is closest and they have basically no color variation so it's a trade-off). Some color combos actually look really good shiny - I use GMK VoC and the shine makes it look old school as hell in the best way. Don't think every GMK set looks good with shine, though, and I pick and choose based on which I think will. GMK just makes very good ABS sets and there's not really a ton of high-quality ABS manus out there. Domikey is up and coming and I'm glad other options are on the way, because I have no brand loyalty specifically to GMK, just to keycaps above a certain quality. In the ABS world, that's been GMK all the way for a long while now. I do use PBT on silent boards, though, because for some reason the feel of PBT just feels right with silent switches for me. They're not my daily drivers so I don't have to look at any dye-sub issues daily. Haven't bought a set since lead times have gotten insane but Villanelle may change that, it will look stupid good shiny.
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Oblotzky Industries
oblotzky.industries
Oblotzky Industries
GMK CYL Splash · DCS Superweld · GMK MTNU Foundation · GMK CYL Foundation R2 · Keycult No. 2/TKL · GMK CYL Oblivion V3.1 · GMK CYL Botanical 2 · GMK CYL Klassiker · GMK CYL Serika 2 · GMK CYL Extended 2048 · GMK CYL Dualshot 2 · GMK CYL Metropolis R2 ·
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GMK
gmk.net › shop › en › keycaps
Shop GMK Keycap Sets | Mechanical Keyboard Accessories
GMK keycaps are high-quality custom keycaps designed for mechanical keyboards, letting you personalize your setup with premium keycap sets that match your style.GMK keycaps are high-quality custom keycaps designed for mechanical keyboards, letting ...
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Kinetic Labs
kineticlabs.com › blog › gmk-vs-pbt-keycaps
GMK vs PBT Keycaps: What’s the difference? | Kinetic Labs Blog
August 8, 2022 - PBT, ABS, POM — the vocabulary of mechanical keyboards is in a state of constant growth and flux, but two important ones for you to know about are GMK and PBT. PBT keycaps get their name from the material they’re made of: Polybutylene Terephthalate. If that seems like a mouthful, GMK keycaps get their name from Manfred Gunter, Jurgen Meinhardt, and Wolfgang Kredler.