This is a special icy (frosted polycarbonate) version of my popular Norbaforce Mark II aftermarket housing for Realforce TKL keyboards.

Availability

This is a pre-order currently in production, shipping early 2022. View our pre-order status page for more specific ETAs., slated to ship this winter.

Design and features

These boards have been upgraded from the original prototype (shown in the photo with the wreath background) to use a stainless steel rear cover plate with a textured white powder coat, which enormously improves the acoustics and rigidity of the board.

In a further upgrade over previous offerings of this same design, breakout PCBs are included to support both the 87U and R2 family of Realforce housings, and a 100% natural merino wool felt acoustic dampener is also included. Each Norbaforce will also ship with an individually numbered product credential folio, signed by the designer (me), printed, foil stamped, and bound right here in California to simulate the feel and appearance of a vintage passport.

Beyond the additional included accessories mentioned above, the only difference between the Mark III and the prior Mark IIs is that this design includes small pockets on the risers to make it possible to remove and then re-attach the risers without having to remove the rubber bumpers that go beneath the risers, making it easier to switch between angled and flat modes.

Finish

The finish on these is hand-sanded to a fine frost with blast media, which preserves the ice-like translucency of the material. See my video below explaining how frosting levels work, and how I include the tools to adjust yours on your own if you would like.

Notes

This housing fits both the older 87U and newer R2 family of Realforce keyboards (not included) from the high-end Japanese keyboard maker Topre. The Norbaforce fits the TKL size of Realforces, which Topre calls "mid size" keyboards.