Review: The Key Dot Company Portico keyboard kit

  I’ve had this keyboard for approximately 7 months now. I was able to order the Terminal green colorway when it had open availability in the summer of 2021. My initial interest came from the price, $135 for the barebones kit, and the general features it offered at that price. Having now used it as my primary keyboard since, with numerous configurations and situations, I feel I’ve had an excellent range of experience with it to give a detailed review of my experiences as a user.

Firstly, I want to go over the features of the kit. It included what you would need, aside from keycaps and key switches, to produce a working keyboard. The case is a translucent green polycarbonate in a very intense green color, akin to the green monochrome screens that were so prevalent with computers during the late 1970s to mid-1980s, hence the name. The PCB is clean with south facing hot-swap sockets. The hot-swap sockets themselves are Kaihl and they do support 5-pin switches, so no clipping of legs is necessary. The PCB is glossy white giving a high reflectivity for the backlight and for the switch sockets. There are 15 rear mounted LEDs on the bottom of the PCB which give backlighting to the desk surface and follow the same RGB profile as the top of the board giving a fluid experience between the two. The RGB is not individually addressable, but does offer multiple animations, solid colors, or to eschew lighting entirely all through the keyboard itself. The PCB has a center mounted USB type C port which is not on a daughter board but soldered and secured to the main PCB.

The board layout is ANSI in a 65% form factor. In stock configuration the rightmost column is Home, Page Up, Page Down, and End along with the arrow key cluster in its standard inverted T-shape. Rather than having no gap and three 1U modifier keys to the right of the spacebar it drops one key and offers two standard 1.25U modifiers and a 0.5U gap between them and the arrow keys. Having now used both of those options for 65% (the other with three modifiers on my Royal Kludge RK68 RGB) I feel that both offer a compromise for different kinds of usability. Whilst having the additional modifier key is very handy, it also means that having non-standard modifier keys can make keycap sets more difficult to find. It’s ultimately down to user choice and I find I am able to adapt to either. That said, I do change the modifier on my Portico from Control to AltGr because some additional inputs for non-English layouts utilize the AltGr modifier, such as German where @ is AltGr+W for instance. Keep that in mind if you do use AltGr and use it with any keyboard that, in stock configuration, doesn’t offer a right Alt key.

Having said that, I feel that is a good segue to one of my favorite features of the board and that’s its configurability using the VIA software. Using VIA I can program layers, change layouts, create macros, and save them all to my computer to reflash to the board later if I wish. This isn’t my first keyboard with VIA but as far as configuration software goes it is my preferred for configuring my keyboards. The Portico supports up to 4 layers (numbered 0-3) and by default only uses the 0th and 1st layers with 2nd and 3rd layers empty. It was through VIA that I made slight modifications to my layout, such as adding my right Alt back and changing some of the lighting configuration locations. For those who prefer QMK, which I have no experience with using, the Portico is VIA only. Relatedly, VIA is not necessary to use or configure the RGB lighting on the keyboard as it is all adjusted through the board itself via the secondary function layer. There is no software or drivers to run the keyboard. It’s purely plug and play. For many users, VIA may not even be necessary to install if the default layout is to their liking.

Continuing with the features, the board is gasket-mounted with a built-in plate. Under the board is an optional translucent silicone dampener that adds weight, dampens, and slightly diffuses the rear lighting. I find it really helps to soften the sound as without it there would just be the hollow space behind the board with the polycarbonate case, offering a very light but plasticky sound. The aforementioned plate is made of FR-4, a glass infused epoxy laminate. I find it has decent flexibility but is stiffer than a polycarbonate plate but offers more give than aluminum or brass. Coupled with the rather compressed gasket mounting it offers some flex, but not nearly as much as some other boards have offered as of late. Between the board and the plate, which is also glossy white, is an optional layer of felt used as additional dampening. It’s well cut and fitted for the board, and I have had no issues with fraying or stray fibers.

The included stabilizers are by C³ Equalz, just like TKC’s fruit switches (such as their Tangerines and Kiwis). They are screw-in, and PCB mounted. They, like the rest of the board, are not assembled in the package and need to be assembled. There is no lubrication included and that will need to be done by the user. I used dielectric grease and have found they are well-secured and do not rattle even after 7 months of use. Even after multiple trips, and a large number of switch swaps the keyboard is still sturdy and secure, with no issues with wear that I’ve found. Even the four small feet are largely unchanged from first use. Even with no metal housing or plates there is very little flexibility of the board. I also haven’t noticed any reduction in RGB lighting in this time despite always using the lighting at full brightness.

One quirk that I have had happen at random, when using solid colors with the lighting, is that sometimes random LEDs will either turn off or change to a different color. For instance, if running them in green to match my Kiwi switches some switches will, after several hours, change to blue. Unplugging and replugging the keyboard will fix it and I’ve not had any other lighting issues, but it is a quirk I’ve noticed. It seems more common when using green colors than reds, but it’s never stuck around or been a long-standing issue. A simple power cycle corrects it and I’ve not looked further into it because of that. Most commonly it presents as random LEDs changing color, with them entirely turning off being far less frequent.

Finally, the kit comes with a coiled, black USB-C to A cable and case. The cable is decent quality but does not have braiding, instead being entirely the same rubberized shell from so many other USB cables. I have used several USB cables with it, including USB-C to C cables, and haven’t had any issues with the board not being recognized or giving anomalous behavior. The case is a black case that has an internal nylon net for holding accessories like the cable and is made of fairly rigid foam material covered in fine nylon. The zipper has two leads each with a rubberized pull. The zipper itself is a matching green to the keyboard. Centered on the top lid of the case is the TKC Portico logo which is rubber and slightly embedded into the lid. On the spine of the case is a nylon handle with a flexible rubber grip. I’ve used the case when I went on a trip and found it was quite durable in my carryon luggage and there were no issues going through security with the keyboard.

Using the board has been fantastic. I’ve used numerous switches on it, Tangerines, Kiwis, Hako Royal Clears, and many others. I’m currently back to my Gateron Ink Red V2 switches and what I’ve found is that the board sounds best with linear or tactile switches. I have used Kailh Box Navy switches with it, and it just didn’t have the sound profile that really fit. I feel the dampening made them sound rather underwhelming compared to a metal case with the resonance to properly accentuate the sound of the clickbars. However, when paired with linear switches it has a delightful sound to it. It carries a heavier tone without the hollow sound of plastic. It, by the nature of the soft materials found throughout it, is a fairly quiet keyboard. I briefly paired it with Cherry Silent Red switches and found it to be very pleasant, akin too gentle popping or tapping.

My favorite profiles with it are when pairing smooth linear switches with higher profile keycaps. In particular, I feel MT3 profile caps with their thicker ABS plastic provide a delightful thock. Right now, I’m using a new set of keycaps from Akko made of PBT and in ASA profile. They provide a fun typing experience with a subtle sound of tack-tack-tack with typing. Coupled with the smoothness of the stabilizers and lack of rattle, it’s a calming sound for me, akin to gentle rain tapping at a window. What’s so nice about having the hotswap sockets though is the ability to change up how the board feels and sounds whenever I feel the mood arise. Sometimes I want heavier, highly tactile switches and I pop in my Blueberry or Kiwi switches. Other times, such as now, I want a light and gentle typing experience and put in my lighter linear switches. Sometimes I want the low Cherry profile keycaps but other times I want something taller like the highly sculpted MT3 or these more middle of the road ASA caps. And with a fairly standard layout, aside from the shortened right shift, it’s delightfully simple to change things up with this keyboard.

As far as entry bare bones keyboard kits go, the Portico is a great option. There is fairly good documentation on TKC’s website including a build guide which includes information on how to configure the keyboard using VIA software. It’s a nicely filled kit with case and pairs well with whatever switches or caps you should want to use with it. It’s not overly complicated to assemble but it’s also not a simple premade kit either. I think it should be more than doable for most people interested in mechanical keyboards as a hobby, whether veteran or new. It doesn’t take too much time to build, around an hour or so, and is a great learning experience for those who are newer into the hobby and want to try their hands at more complicated builds but also don’t want to spend the high dollars that are needed for many other kits. However, there are now numerous entry level boards and most target the 65% layout style. The NK65 Entry Edition at $95 and KBD67 Lite at $109 both come to mind at slightly less but with some similar features. There are also some slightly more expensive such as the Keychron Q1 barebones kit or the Glorious GMMK Pro, $149 and $169 respectively, that offer more features and different materials and are more frequently in stock as well.

Ultimately, the custom mechanical keyboard market has been booming in recent years. This has become accelerated with the ongoing pandemic and dramatically increased numbers of people who are both looking for hobbies as well as who are now working from home and want a nicer keyboard to use. Regardless of reason for looking into keyboard kits, the Portico is a solid kit which offers a fun build, an educational experience for newer enthusiasts, and a price that is easier to swallow than most custom kits. When I got mine only the NK65 Entry Edition was available and had been out of stock for months. Today in late January 2022, it is now the Portico which is out of stock while the NK65 Entry, KBD67 Lite, Q1, and GMMK Pro are all in stock. If the specific features of the Portico are what you want, I think it’s fair to wait for it as it’s an excellent kit. However, if you want a keyboard now there are so many options that waiting for it simply doesn’t make sense in my view. That said, if it does return to being in stock, I can wholeheartedly recommend it as an excellent option for newcomers and custom keyboard veterans alike. Each model of kit offers a different experience and the experience offered here is one that I have had months of enjoyment with, and I see many, many more to come.