For keyboard enthusiasts, the term “endgame” is often a bit of a joke. It’s that moment when you finally settle on the perfect layout, case, features, switches, and keycaps—enough to stop endlessly tinkering and get on with your day, whether that’s working or gaming. But let’s be honest: most of us end up chasing that elusive perfect setup, only to start over months later when something new catches our eye.
What if you could skip the compromises? Imagine having the time, patience, creativity, and budget to build your dream keyboard from scratch—down to every cable and switch—creating something truly bespoke. That’s exactly what Norbauer & Co. has achieved with their latest masterpiece: the Seneca.
The Seneca is a stunning, handcrafted keyboard featuring a plasma-oxide-finished milled aluminum chassis, a solid brass switchplate, and custom capacitive switches. It boasts the best stabilizers in the industry—also custom-made—spherical-profile keycaps with retro-inspired centered legends, no backlighting, and a completely flat typing angle. Weighing seven pounds and priced at $3,600, it’s a serious investment.
You might be wondering: Why so expensive? Who would buy a keyboard at that price? And is it even worth it? After months of typing on an early prototype, I can confidently say: yes. The Seneca is nothing short of extraordinary. The build quality is astonishing, surpassing even high-end Topre keyboards. Its switches, stabilizers, and overall feel elevate typing to a new level of precision and satisfaction. It’s a true technical achievement.
Ryan Norbauer, the mastermind behind this creation, is well-known in the keyboard community for his aftermarket housings. But the Seneca marks his first move into producing a ready-to-use, premium keyboard. His journey started in West Virginia in the 1990s, inspired by Star Trek: The Next Generation and the vision of a connected, egalitarian future. As the personal computing era dawned, Norbauer saw the computer as a symbol of hope and innovation—an idea reflected in the design philosophy of the Seneca.
His path to this point wasn’t straightforward. In his early career, Norbauer dropped out of a PhD program to code a dating website, working long hours and developing tendonitis. That experience sparked his obsession with comfortable, high-quality keyboards. Over the years, he designed custom housings for Topre keyboards—famous for their rubber dome capacitive switches—and even made his own.
In 2014, he used a modified Topre Realforce 87U housed in an aluminum case, and began designing Star Trek-inspired keycaps, which couldn’t be used on Topre boards due to mounting differences. When Cooler Master released the NovaTouch, featuring Topre switches compatible with MX keycaps, Norbauer seized the opportunity. Frustrated with the cheap plastic housing, he decided to create his own.
This led to the development of the Norbatouch, a custom housing that he machined himself and sold in small runs. As demand grew, he expanded his offerings to include housings for other Topre models, experimenting with various materials and finishes—steel, titanium, polycarbonate, copper—each time refining his aesthetic and craftsmanship.
But housings were only part of the puzzle. To truly realize his vision, Norbauer wanted a complete, ready-to-use keyboard with his unique design and premium feel. He spent years designing and testing prototypes, often starting from off-the-shelf parts, only to scrap them and refine his ideas. His goal: a keyboard with a heavy metal chassis, retro-futuristic style, and switches that mimic Topre’s snappy tactility while offering MX-style keycap compatibility.
The challenge was designing custom switches and stabilizers that delivered superior sound and feel. Norbauer and his team worked with specialized engineers to develop stabilizers that minimized rattle and noise—some using innovative, complex mechanisms that cost a fortune to produce but resulted in unmatched performance. The switches themselves feature tighter tolerances, deeper sound, and a high tactile bump, all crafted to his exacting standards.
The case, milled from solid aluminum with a plasma-oxide finish, comes in options like warm gray “travertine” or lighter “oxide,” both smooth to the touch. Brass switchplates absorb sound better than aluminum, enhancing the tactile experience. The PCB includes advanced features like galvanic isolation, and the cable uses a premium Lemo connector for added security and style.
The keycaps are chosen for their aesthetic and comfort—MTNU spherical tops with centered legends—matching Norbauer’s vintage-futuristic vibe. Each Seneca is assembled by hand in his Los Angeles garage, with meticulous attention to detail. Assembly includes hours of stabilizer tuning and fine adjustments, ensuring every keyboard meets his high standards.
Cost-wise, the Seneca is a labor of love, with high upfront and per-unit expenses. Norbauer admits he isn’t making a profit yet; the project’s R&D costs are substantial, and the small production scale keeps prices high. Still, he’s committed to pushing the boundaries of keyboard design, prioritizing quality and innovation over mass-market appeal.
He envisions the Seneca as a niche luxury—a keyboard for passionate enthusiasts who appreciate craftsmanship and technical excellence. Limited runs, like the recent batch of 50 for beta testers and another 150 “First Edition” units, help sustain the project without aiming for mass production.
Looking ahead, Norbauer plans to explore different formats—perhaps a 60% layout with Bluetooth, or using materials like forged carbon fiber—to create keyboards that sound and feel radically different. He’s also working on open-source firmware and new stabilizer designs, continually pushing the envelope.
While the Seneca might not make you a faster or better writer, it embodies the pinnacle of keyboard craftsmanship—a true labor of love and technical mastery. For those willing to invest in the best, Norbauer & Co. offers an unparalleled, handcrafted keyboard that stands out as a testament to what’s possible when passion and precision collide.
