Atelier Wazakura Launches Keyboard For Leather Lovers

Leather lovers can now indulge their fetish in yet another way: their computer keyboard. Atelier Wazakura, a maker of Japanese accessories, has released the Honkawa 2, a keyboard made of leather. This is likely to be hand made too, since they are only predicting shipping around 10 units per month. While the frame is simply covered in leather, the keys themselves are made almost entirely of the material, with presumably the part that attaches them to the electrical switch being made of plastic or metal. The legends are actually engraved into the keys, too.

Here’s some vital statistics for this keyboard: measures 390x127x21.5mm (WDH); 103-key QUERTY (Japanese layout); keys have a 19mm pitch for the keys with 3mm travel and 50g actuation force; weight 600g; USB native interface and includes a PS/2 adapter. Finally a low volume specialty item like this costs a rather pricey US$317, or 25,200 Japanese Yen.

Keyboards take a lot of wear and tear, especially the keytops, so it remains to be seen how this keyboard will look after a month or so of hard use. So, would you get this?