6 Best Artisan Keycaps

After all those hours researching, purchasing, customizing, and lubricating a new high-end mechanical keyboard, it's easy to feel like there's just something missing. Some finishing touch that would help your new keyboard really pop, something to make it stand out from the crowd. Enter artisan keycaps.

For a few years now, handmade, custom keycaps meant only to replace one or two keycaps on your keyboard have become all the rage in the mechanical keyboard world. And these days, you can find artisan keycaps depicting just about anything, from your favorite characters to entire minuscule fantasy worlds packed into an escape key or space bar. So, let's take a look at some of the best ones currently on the market!

Note: Before purchasing a keycap, be sure to check the size and style of the keycap to ensure that it's going to fit on the key and key stem that you're planning to place it on. Most manufacturers will list which key stems and key sizes a keycap is intended for on the purchase page.

Dwarf Factory Petite Meal

Dwarf Factory is known for making some of the craziest artisan keycaps out there, and the Petite Meal line is definitely one of their most unique. Each of the four keycaps in this line depicts a tiny-yet-delectable keycap version of a fast-food favorite. The keycaps depicted are the Jr. Cheeseburger, Teeny Fries, Soda Pisa, and Shiftdog (sized to replace a shift key). And, like most Dwarf Factory keycaps, they look fantastic. The details really pop on each individual item, and you can even clearly make out each layer on the Jr. Cheeseburger.

It's a bit out of the ordinary, but sometimes that's what makes something feel truly special. This set is Cherry MX and MX clone compatible and is crafted by hand out of resin.

Related: Mechanical vs. Membrane Keyboards: What’s the Difference?

Dwarf Factory Mystic Dragon V2

Now for something a little more in line with Dwarf Factory's usual offerings: the Mystic Dragon V2. This 2.25u keycap (Enter key size) comes in eight individually stunning colorways, each depicting a different color of a dragon resting in front of a crystal-laden monument. This one is handmade out of resin and compatible with Cherry MX and MX clones like their other keycaps.

The real beauty is seen in the side view, where the full depth of the wooden platform can be seen as it fades into the subtly colored resin at the bottom of the keycap. So if you're looking for something a little more whimsical, it's hard to go wrong with the Mystic Dragon V2.