Model F Labs LLC is an American company, operating online as modelfkeyboards.com, that sells reproductions of IBM Model F and beam-spring mechanical keyboards.[1][2] Its Terms and Conditions declare that all sales are final, require buyers to accept cosmetic defects as standard, and furnish the limited warranty only after delivery or by mail-in request rather than before the sale.[3] Several of those terms conflict with mandatory European Union consumer protections that apply to distance sales and that cannot be waived to a buyer's detriment.[4]
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | |
| Legal Structure | Private |
| Industry | Technology |
| Also known as | |
| Official website | https://www.modelfkeyboards.com |
The project was started by Joe Strandberg, known in keyboard communities as Ellipse,[5] to recreate the buckling-spring keyboards IBM produced in the early 1980s.[6][1]
Consumer-impact summary
- The company's own Terms and Conditions state that all sales are final and require buyers to agree to accept cosmetic defects as standard, not as non-conforming.[3]
- Warranty terms are not presented before purchase. They are furnished only on request before the sale, or with the product after delivery.[3]
- The Terms and Conditions concede that finishes and surfaces wear down with use, sometimes exposing the bare metal underneath.[3]
- The homepage shows an order deadline set to the end of the month and presented as urgency to buyers.[7]
- For buyers in the EU, the no-returns policy and the absence of an upfront two-year guarantee conflict with the Consumer Rights Directive and the Sale of Goods Directive.[8][9]
Background
Model F Labs produces small batches of keyboards modeled on IBM's capacitive buckling-spring designs, including the 62-key F62, the 77-key F77, and larger F104 and F122 layouts, alongside beam-spring reproductions.[2] At launch the reproductions sold for about $325 before keycaps, with keycap sets around $35.[6] The classic F62 and F77 use zinc metal cases, with later and larger models built from aluminum, following the solid-metal construction of IBM's 4704 banking-terminal keyboards.[10]
The operation runs as a hybrid of an enthusiast group buy and a retail storefront. Earlier rounds were made to order with long production waits, while later rounds are sold from in-stock inventory.[2] Model F Labs has said that production will eventually end, with no firm date, and that products remain available until stock runs out.[7]
Controversies
Order-deadline urgency
The Model F Labs homepage displays an order deadline set to the end of the month, urging customers to have their orders in by that date. Presenting a month-end cutoff as urgency is a dark pattern that draws on FOMO.[7] The company has paired this with statements that production will eventually cease without a specific end date, while continuing to sell from existing stock.[7]
Finish wear and the company's response
Model F Labs' Terms and Conditions state that buyers agree to accept cosmetic defects, listing chips, scuffs, and lost or missing paint as allowed examples, and that keyboard finishes and surfaces will wear down over time with usage, "sometimes exposing the bare metal material".[3] The same terms state that such cosmetic defects are not considered "non-conforming".[3]
Rather than treating wear as a defect to be remedied, the Terms and Conditions tell buyers that each keyboard is powder-coated or anodized and direct them to buy their own touch-up paint, naming ordinary paint-store touch-up paint or Birchwood Casey Aluminum Touch Up to "improve any issues".[3]
On the Deskthority keyboard enthusiast forum, several users reported that the powder-coated finish on their F62 and F77 cases wore through within a few months of use, exposing the bare zinc underneath, a timeline they considered inconsistent with the company's promotion of the keyboards as long-lasting.[11][12] In the same threads, members said Strandberg defended the wear as normal and within the Terms and Conditions, and that he offered full case replacements in some instances, which the participants attributed to community pressure rather than a change in policy.[13][14]
Group-buy conduct and forum disputes
Model F Labs presents itself as a small enthusiast group buy while its own homepage reports thousands of orders and millions of dollars in sales.[7] On Deskthority, some members argued that the operation functions as a retail business and criticized its refusal to share certain production details with contributors who had helped develop the designs.[15] Members also said Strandberg promoted Model F Labs products in community group-buy threads rather than the sub-forum set aside for keyboard manufacturers, and asked moderators to move the discussion; as of February 20, 2025 the posters said that had not happened.[16] Separately, members reacted critically to a proposal by Strandberg to buy the Deskthority forum with help from community funding, which some saw as a risk to independent criticism of the company on the platform.[17]
EU consumer-law
Model F Labs ships to customers in the European Union, which subjects those sales to EU distance-selling and consumer-guarantee rules. Several of the company's terms conflict with those rules, with forum members raising concerns around EU-compliance.[18]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The IBM Model F keyboard returns from a 30-year hiatus". ExtremeTech. 2017-06-09. Archived from the original on 2025-05-26. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Brand New Model F and Beam Spring Keyboard Choices (store)". Model F Labs. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 "Terms and Conditions". Model F Labs. Retrieved 2026-06-01. Archived at megalodon.jp.
- ↑ "Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 21 (Mandatory nature)". EUR-Lex. Archived from the original on 2026-05-18. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "About the Project". Model F Labs. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Keyboard Enthusiast Sells Brand-New IBM Model F". PCMag. 2017-07-05. Archived from the original on 2025-05-26. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Model F Keyboards homepage". Model F Labs. Retrieved 2026-06-01. Archived at megalodon.jp.
- ↑ "Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 9 (Right of withdrawal)". EUR-Lex. Archived from the original on 2026-06-01. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 10 (Liability of the seller)". EUR-Lex. Archived from the original on 2026-05-18. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Questions and Answers". Model F Labs. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Forum reports of finish wear on Model F reproductions". Deskthority forum post. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Forum photo of finish wear on an F62". Deskthority forum post. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Forum discussion of the company response to wear reports". Deskthority forum post. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Forum discussion of case-replacement offers". Deskthority forum post. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Forum discussion of the company group-buy status and production transparency". Deskthority forum post. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Forum discussion of product promotion in the group-buy sub-forum". Deskthority forum post. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Social-media post regarding a proposal to buy the Deskthority forum". Facebook (Model F Keyboards). Archived from the original on 2026-04-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
- ↑ "Forum discussion of EU consumer-law compliance". Deskthority forum post. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-01.