The mechanical keyboard hobby is very creative. People are constantly experimenting, whether it’s to achieve zero stabilizer rattle or the most flex possible without going with a plate-less build. Almost every mechanical keyboard company has recently released a gasket-mounted board, which is great for newcomers but boring in my eyes. Today, we have the Wilba.Tech Salvation, a leaf spring 60% mechanical keyboard kit for $350.
Specifications
- Current Price: $350 NovelKeys
- Leaf Spring
- 60% Layout
- Default plate: FR4
- Wired Only
- 2.6 Lbs
Wilba.Tech Salvation- What Is It?
The Wilba.Tech Salvation is a unique mechanical keyboard kit with a leaf spring mounting system. The leaf spring mounting style allows the board to bounce rather than flex as a gasket-mount does.
Before I talk about the typing experience, we have much to cover since this is a kit and not a fully assembled keyboard.
The Wilba.Tech Salvation arrives in a transportable case similar to the Jris65 and the NovelKeys NK87. While these cases are bulky, it adds extra insurance that your board will remain unharmed as you travel from Long Island, New York, to Lower Manhattan.
When unzipped, you get the Salvation’s aluminum case, screws, FR4 plate, either an Avocado PCB if you opt for the hotswap version or the WT60-D WEIRDFLEX PCB, which is solderable. Also included are silicone feet, FR4 leaf springs, and poron foam pads.
The Salvation’s case is top-tier, featuring an anodized aluminum finish and a cerakoted brass internal weight. However, I wish the weight was wider, as the board is a bit pingy.
The included PCB and switch plate are of fantastic quality. FR4 plates are generally black, but the Salvation is nickel-plated and by far the best-looking plate I have ever used in any keyboard. The Avocado PCB is adorable - I don’t understand the correlation between this board’s design and an avocado-themed PCB, but I love it.
The USB-C connector is on the case's left side, which isn’t my ideal location. I like when the USB-C connector is in the middle of the board. Moving on, the software backing this board is the usual VIA or QMK.
The nickel plating can be found on the board’s leaf springs, but arrive in one piece so they need to be broken apart. This part is inexcusable - the leaf springs were very hard to remove and I cut my thumb when removing. Is it a bit cut? No, but building a keyboard shouldn’t result in bloodshed. Honestly, I’m more frustrated with how hard the leaf springs were to remove than the cut.
Once removed, your leaf springs might be sharp on the edges, so I recommend filing them down with a nail file or fine-grit sandpaper.
When it came time to assemble the board, I was a bit confused and had to watch a step-by-step guide on YouTube. However, once I got the idea, it was pretty simple. The Salvation requires stand-offs similar to the inside of a PC case to mount the leaf springs; this feature was unbearably frustrating. The stand-offs would come loose whenever I tried to screw the PCB and plate in. Ultimately, I decided to superglue the stand-offs to the leaf springs and that fixed the problem.
Once the board was assembled, I noticed the PCB and plate wiggled within the case a bit. However, I confirmed with NovelKeys and they said this is normal. Honestly, I don’t notice the wiggling when typing, so it’s whatever.
The end result of the build features Drop DCX black-on-white keycaps, Keychron screw-in stabilizers and Zeal Pearlios. I’m not going to add up the price of this configuration, but I sincerely hope you’re planning on using the parts you have lying around with this build, as it costs $350 on its own.
Wilba.Tech Salvation - Performance
Because the WIlba.Tech Salvation is a barebones kit; your typing experience may differ from mine, especially if you’re using clicky switches. Obviously.
I am going to be direct and say that the typing experience wasn’t anything to write home about. While bottoming out is less harsh than a tray mount, there isn’t much flex or bounce when typing normally. I think the FR4 leaf springs are a bit too dense to be leaf springs. If you deliberately press down, you'll find that there's quite a bit of movement here.
If you read our review of the Angry Miao AFA, you’ll see that the leaf springs are more like metal prongs that are bendable but rigid enough to provide structure. I can’t fault the leaf spring mount, because it works, but I firmly believe the material is wrong.
With that said, I respect Wilba.Tech for trying something different. There are so many new boards on group buy that I get excited for but end up being another gasket mount.
Typing on the Salvation is lightweight and has a somewhat gentle sound profile. There's no sharpness or pinging. Though the firmness of the springs prevents much noticeable bouncing, there's enough give that bottoming out doesn't feel harsh or fatiguing. Overall, the typing experience is quite nice.
Final Thoughts
I can’t say the Wilba.Tech Salvation is a bang for your buck, especially when you remember the fact that it’s a barebones kit. However, the finish is superior, and I sincerely respect its unique leaf spring design. Is the Salvation my favorite board? No, but as a mechanical keyboard enthusiast, I appreciate its unique mounting style and top-tier finish.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
