What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
"I clearly have a defective key but Joinhandmade will not replace or repair my product. Good that Massdrop is giving me my money back. I will stay away from any Joinhandmade products. If they are not even willing to give you a working product and took them months to saying just that."
I'll pass.
My initial comment was a response to someone saying it was $100 - it wasn't, it was $65 - in the same price range as this Hammer artisan spacebar.
Joiha clearly has quality control issues, and their brand name has gone down the toilet, in large part because they refuse to support their products. I own 4 Joiha keycaps, and none of them have any sort of quality issue. Having said that, I have also not purchased any Joiha keycaps in a long time, and I will not do so in the future, due to their not standing by their own products + their quality issues.
The reason Joiha's spacebar was brought up was because artisan spacebars are few and far between, and very few artisans will even bother producing them. Joiha even said they will no longer produce spacebars, since they couldn't even break even on their production of their spacebars (yes, it is damn labor intensive to make artisan spacebars). Hammer's spacebars are actually impressive because they can deliver at the same price point, without sacrificing quality, like Joiha has apparently had to do.
I happen to have both, and I have 0 issues with either. They're both incredible pieces as well. The price point makes sense, due to the difficulty of producing artisan spacebars, and the fact they cover 6.25 units of your keyboard. If you take the base price for an artisan, let's say $25 to cover 1u, you're actually getting a discount. You're entitled to your opinion, as well as your spending habits, but don't assume you know better.