KESTRELKestrel Instruments · Porto · Pre-orders open
Every keystroke, considered.
Kestrel One is a 75% gasket-mount keyboard with a CNC-machined aluminium case. Six people in Porto make it, one layer at a time. Scroll and we'll take it apart for you.
Reassembled
Five layers.
One sound.
Every part earns its place, and every part is tuned to the one next to it. Go on, listen.
Hear how they sound togetherWe are six people in a workshop in Porto. Kestrel One is the first keyboard we have made, so we made it slowly.
A kestrel hovers almost perfectly still while the wind moves around it. That is the feeling we wanted under your hands: a board that stays put and lets the keys do the moving.
So the case is heavy. The plate is flexible. The switches are lubed before they leave us. Nothing is loud unless you ask it to be.
- 6people
- 5layers
- 1keyboard
Considered, part by part.
-
A
Gasket mount
The plate floats on poron gaskets instead of bolting to the case. Each key gets a soft landing, and the sound loses its hard edges. The plate is flex-cut, so the middle of the board gives a little more than the sides.
Poron gaskets · flex-cut plate · FR4 or brass
-
B
Kestrel Linear
Our own linear switch. 45 g to actuate, 3.8 mm to bottom out, a long-pole stem, and lubed at the factory so they are smooth from the first press.
45 g · 3.8 mm travel · long-pole stem · factory-lubed
-
C
Three ways to connect
Plug in USB-C, use the 2.4 GHz dongle, or pair over Bluetooth 5.3 with up to three devices and switch between them. Wired and 2.4 GHz both poll at 1000 Hz.
USB-C · 2.4 GHz · Bluetooth 5.3 ×3 · 1000 Hz
-
D
A battery that stays out of the way
4000 mAh. About 200 hours with the lighting off, about 40 with it on. Which is, roughly, a month of work days without a cable, or a week if you like your keys to glow.
4000 mAh · ~200 h lighting off · ~40 h lighting on
-
E
Hot-swap, and open all the way down
Pull a switch and press in another, 3-pin or 5-pin, no soldering. The firmware is open source and QMK/VIA compatible, and there is a browser configurator if you would rather not open a terminal.
3- and 5-pin hot-swap · QMK/VIA · browser configurator
-
F
A knob, top right
A rotary knob sits where your right hand already wants to go. Volume by default. Remap it to scrub a timeline, zoom a canvas or nudge a value; it is only a keycode.
Rotary encoder · pressable · remappable in VIA
- Screw-in stabilizersHand-tuned and clipped, so the space bar and Enter don't rattle.
- Works with everythingmacOS, Windows, Linux, iPadOS and Android. Keycaps for both Mac and Windows layouts come in the box.
- Per-key RGB, south-facingLEDs sit below the switch, facing you, so legends stay clear and the glow stays out of your eyes.
Put your ear to it.
Type on the keys below, on your own keyboard, or press play. Switch the plate to hear what brass changes. Turn the sound up a little first.
Sound is synthesised live in your browser to compare plates. It is a sketch of the board, not a recording of it.
Three colors, named for the sky.
Anodized aluminium, double-shot PBT keycaps, legends in Bone on Slate for Dusk and reversed for Bone. Pick one and the 3D model up top follows.
The datasheet, in full.
- Body
- Layout
- 75%, 84 keys, rotary knob top-right
- Mount
- Gasket mount, poron gaskets, flex-cut plate
- Case
- CNC-machined 6063 aluminium, bead-blasted and anodized; brass weight on the Founders Edition
- Plate
- FR4 (standard) or brass (Founders Edition)
- Weight
- 1.9 kg (standard), 2.4 kg (Founders Edition)
- Dimensions
- 325 × 135 × 32 mm, 6.5° typing angle
- Colorways
- Dusk (slate), Bone (warm white), Signal (rust)
- Typing
- Switches
- Kestrel Linear: 45 g actuation, 3.8 mm total travel, factory-lubed, long-pole stem
- Keycaps
- Double-shot PBT, “KT” sculpted profile, legends in Bone on Slate
- Stabilizers
- Screw-in, hand-tuned and clipped
- PCB
- Hot-swap (3- and 5-pin), south-facing per-key RGB
- Connection
- Connectivity
- USB-C wired, 2.4 GHz dongle, Bluetooth 5.3 (three devices)
- Polling rate
- 1000 Hz wired and 2.4 GHz
- Battery
- 4000 mAh; about 200 hours with lighting off, about 40 hours with lighting on
- Software
- Open-source firmware (QMK/VIA compatible) and a browser configurator
- Works with
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iPadOS and Android; keycaps for both Mac and Windows layouts are included
Order slip no. 001.
Pre-orders ship in 6–8 weeks, worldwide, and shipping is free over $200. Two-year warranty on everything, and a 30-day no-questions return.
- 6–8 weeksPre-orders ship worldwide
- Free over $200Shipping, everywhere we ship
- 2 yearsWarranty on everything
- 30 daysNo-questions return
Things people ask us.
Something missing? Write to hello@kestrel.example and one of the six of us will answer.
When will my Kestrel One ship?
Pre-orders ship in 6–8 weeks, worldwide. Shipping is free over $200, which covers both keyboards.
What is different about the Founders Edition?
It adds a brass weight and a brass plate, so it weighs 2.4 kg instead of 1.9 kg and sounds a little brighter. Each one is numbered, and we are making 500 of them. It costs $299.
Does it work with my computer, tablet or phone?
Yes. macOS, Windows, Linux, iPadOS and Android all work. Keycaps for both Mac and Windows layouts are included, so swap them whenever you like.
Can I change the switches?
The PCB is hot-swap and takes both 3-pin and 5-pin switches, so no soldering. A pack of 90 Kestrel Linear is $39 if you want spares, or a second set for a different board.
How does it connect, and how long does the battery last?
USB-C wired, a 2.4 GHz dongle, or Bluetooth 5.3 with three paired devices. Wired and 2.4 GHz poll at 1000 Hz. The 4000 mAh battery lasts about 200 hours with lighting off and about 40 hours with it on.
Is the firmware open? Can I remap the knob?
The firmware is open source and QMK/VIA compatible. There is also a browser configurator, so you can remap keys, layers and the knob without installing anything.
What if I don't like it?
Send it back within 30 days, no questions. Everything we make also has a two-year warranty.
Who makes it?
Kestrel Instruments is a six-person keyboard workshop in Porto, and Kestrel One is the first keyboard we have made.