I built this keyboard for my dad. He has been learning Hebrew and I knew EPBT made a Hebrew keyset. Maybe the only MX-style keyset. It’s a two-tone beige keycap set, that if its spot at the bottom of Thocstock’s keycap list is to believed, is a bit long in the tooth at this point in time. The modifiers were particularly ugly but the alphas were the important part - the only part with hebrew characters.

The alphas were a cream color, the lighter color of the two brown-beiges and with dye-sub legends in pink and purple. Luckily I had a keyset that I disliked for the complientary reason - NicePBT Elderberry. This is a keyset I bought by accident (I don’t like pink). But it had nice purple modifiers! Boom, that was that and we have a nice franken-keyset. Happy dad, and happy me (although I am certain he is not as happy as I am).

Onto the Bakaneko65. Coming from a Bakaneko60, I knew what I was dealing with. It’s got some new stuff. The zinc weight is a nice touch, even if it still doesn’t feel all that heavy when built. I can’t compare apples to apples, as I used different switches, but I felt this one to be slightly less hollow-feeling to the point where I didn’t use Polyfil, whereas I do on the 60.

With the Boba U4Ts, this sounds very nice. I did the tape mod because I had done it on the 60 and liked the results. By no means do I think it needs any modding actually though. I recently removed the tape mod from the Bakaneko60. It doesn’t change the sound that much on these boards. It more just makes it louder. I left it on, but it’s the easiest mod to reverse so if my dad complains of it being loud, out comes the tape. No sweat.

Overall, I think it’s a good deal. You get a enthusiast grade sound and typing feel. I don’t think it’s that different from the 60 percent version, and the choice can safely be made based on preference of layout/form-factor.