The Honkawa 2 is a huge improvement over the original, which did not feature a numeric keypad. A higher-grade of leather is used here, and the material is now finished in oil instead of the special coating that was used for the first Honkawa. Wazakura (which also makes leather mice) says that this oil finishing gives the Honkawa 2 its trademark amber colour, which will only mature with time.These hand-crafted keyboards are available in two variants: with key markings engraved onto the leather (25,200 yen or US$317), and unmarked (16,800 yen or approx. US$211). For the marked version, the engraving process used to be performed by pressing a metallic sheet over the original Honkawa keyboard. With the Honkawa 2, each and every key is instead engraved individually before assembly.
Above: the Honkawa 2 (with engraved key makings)
Because all the keys here are made out of leather, it's easy to assume that the typing experience on the Honkawa 2 would feel rather "soggy". That shouldn't be the case, however, as underneath all that leather lustre are pantograph-type key switches, which should produce a solid feel that even die-hard keyboard enthusiasts should be quite satisfied with.
Don't know what pantograph key switches are? Here's a video demonstrating the differences in sound (since obviously a video can't demonstrate for you the feel of a keyboard) between several common key switch types:
Key pitch is rated at 19mm, key stroke 3.3±0.2mm, and the whole thing's dimensions are at 380x127x21.5mm with a weight of roughly 600g. Contains 103 keys (based on a Japanese keyboard layout).The Honkawa 2 plugs in via USB (cable length: 1.5m) but a PS/2 adapter is also supplied, should you need it..Atelier Wazakura will begin to take pre-orders for the Honkawa 2 real-leather keyboard from June 1 on
its website from June 1 onwards. Limited to 10 pieces a month.
Honkawa 2 real-leather keyboard available in June, limited to 10 pieces per month
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