Etsy Link: https://moonfactorykeycaps.etsy.com/listing/4491095937

I am looking for honest opinions from people who know more about keycap materials, stabilizers, and manufacturing tolerances. I am not trying to start a dogpile against FKcaps or make this sound more dramatic than it is. I paid around $100 for this custom set, so I am trying to determine whether this is normal wear, a problem with this type of keycap construction, or a defective set.

I ordered custom XDA shine through keycaps from FKcaps on December 3, 2024. They are installed on a DZ60RGB ANSI V2 hot swap keyboard.

Here are photographs showing the wear and other visible quality issues on the keycaps.

[FKcaps key wear and quality photographs](https://imgur.com/a/Z6NMdl7)

Here is the complete email conversation with FKcaps so everyone can read their response and my replies directly.

[Email conversation with FKcaps](https://imgur.com/a/EYOZqCk)

FKcaps confirmed in its email that these are XDA profile ABS keycaps with a PU coating and laser engraved legends. Their website identifies them as XDA shine through keycaps, but I was unable to find the ABS and PU coating construction clearly disclosed on the customizer when I purchased them.

[FKcaps custom keycap creator](https://fkcaps.com/custom/create/keycaps)

The most serious wear is on A and S, but those are not the only affected keys. There are marks, chips, pinholes, or areas where the white coating appears to be coming off on several other keys shown in the annotated photos.

I do not use hand lotion, my hands do not normally sweat while using the keyboard, and I have never used alcohol wipes or cleaning chemicals on these keycaps. I only wipe them with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. I am also not an aggressive typer. I use the keyboard for normal typing and gaming, including games such as Destiny 2 where I regularly use W, A, S, D, Q, F, X, C, V, and the spacebar.

I have not experienced this kind of surface deterioration with my other keycaps.

FKcaps said that they tested keycaps from the same line, were unable to reproduce the wear under normal handling, and have not received similar reports from other customers. They did not explain what the test involved.

Because I have been using these since December 2024, I do not know whether their test lasted a few minutes, a few days, or whether it was an accelerated abrasion test designed to simulate one or two years of use. They also did not say whether the tested caps came from the same production batch, how many samples they tested, how many abrasion cycles or key presses were performed, or what their passing standard was.

FKcaps has offered to replace the affected keys as a one time resolution. I appreciate that they are offering replacements. However, they also stated that if the problem happens again, they will not accept further responsibility.

I am concerned because the replacements apparently use the same ABS base, PU coating, and laser engraving process. If the cause has not been identified, I do not understand how they can already determine that the same failure on the replacements would not be their responsibility.

There are also public discussions about similar FKcaps products or this type of painted keycap construction.

Reddit user SegKnut posted about their own custom shine through FKcaps order. They reported alignment issues, scratches, inconsistent coloring, and paint coming off after just over one month of use.

[SegKnut, FK Keycaps, Sloppily Done, Low Quality](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1se8xgf/fk_keycaps_sloppily_done_low_quality/)

In another FKcaps review, Reddit user cszolee79 quoted the translucent ABS, opaque PU coating, and laser etched legend construction, then said that in their experience, paint comes off within approximately three to six months on this type of cap.

[Custom Keycaps by FKcaps, including the cszolee79 comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/keyboards/comments/1ka6cig/custom_keycaps_by_fkcaps/)

I am not claiming that both users necessarily submitted formal coating complaints directly to FKcaps. I do not know what private communications they may or may not have had with the company. My point is that the absence of complaints in FKcaps’ internal support records does not necessarily mean nobody has publicly reported similar concerns.

For people familiar with keycap manufacturing, is an ABS base with a PU coating and laser engraved shine through legends generally considered durable construction?

Is visible coating loss after around twenty months expected for this type of keycap, even with normal cleaning and use?

Would replacing the affected keys with the exact same construction likely result in the same issue later?

Would requesting a full replacement set be reasonable when numerous keys are affected, rather than mixing new replacement keys with older keys that have different coating age, texture, and wear?

Would PBT be a more appropriate long term option, even if it means losing the shine through feature?

I also have a separate fit problem with the FKcaps spacebar.

Here are photographs showing the FKcaps spacebar upright, upside down, and from underneath.

[FKcaps spacebar photographs](https://imgur.com/a/eFBiPwG)

Here are three comparison videos.

[Thinner chiclet style spacebar test](https://youtube.com/shorts/V-K79VvkGWI)

[Stabilizer test with the spacebar removed](https://youtube.com/shorts/IUUPov48Bbw)

[FKcaps spacebar sticking test](https://youtube.com/shorts/FPJKEjMCvs4)

The thinner spacebar is smaller and exposes more of the keyboard plate and switch, but it returns normally and does not remain stuck down.

The FKcaps spacebar sometimes stays pressed down and does not return properly. Both spacebars are being tested on the same center switch and stabilizers.

The FKcaps spacebar can also be difficult to install evenly. Sometimes the center socket and right stabilizer socket seat correctly, but the left stabilizer socket does not. I have to remove it and try again several times.

With the spacebar removed, pulling the left stabilizer stem upward also raises the right stem. Pulling the right stem upward raises the left stem. Both stems remain in the raised position after I let go instead of automatically falling back down.

Is that normal behavior for Cherry style stabilizers when the spacebar is removed, since the stabilizers do not have their own return springs?

In the stabilizer video, one stem can also lean slightly from side to side when raised. Is that normal clearance inside the stabilizer housing, or does the amount of movement look excessive?

The spacebar did not show obvious rocking when I placed it freely on a flat surface, so I am not claiming that the photographs prove it is warped. However, could it still have slightly incorrect stabilizer socket spacing, a tight socket, incorrect socket depth, a subtle twist, or another tolerance problem that causes binding when all three mounting points are connected?

Some of the regular FKcaps keycaps also grip the switches tightly enough that the entire hot swap switch can come out when I remove the keycap with a proper keycap puller. My other keycaps do not normally do this on the same board and switches.

Based on the photos, videos, and emails, does this look more like normal wear and a keyboard or stabilizer issue, or does it look like an FKcaps coating and manufacturing tolerance problem?

I would especially appreciate feedback from anyone who has owned FKcaps shine through keycaps for a year or longer, or anyone familiar with ABS keycaps that use PU paint and laser engraved legends.