Monacokeys from Munich sells XDA White on Black. Only in German though.
But you could hit 'em up on discord and ask if they are able to source you an US layout or point you to a shop that has those in stock.
Drop is one of the rare shops that don't run group buys, but have in stock items instead. Mostly. No need for fomo unless stated otherwise on the product page.
Also, they have at least one buy-one-get-one-free sale per year. Because of that, you have a good chance of getting one second hand for less than a new one.
Regarding kitting you have to watch out for modifiers in the correct size for the correct row, but most keyboards are fairly standard with the exception being the bottom row. Check Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Space and Fn/Win for correct size.
i think you might overestimate the building part.
If you get a barebones board with a hotwap PCB you have to screw in stabilizers for all keys larger than 2u (=2 keys) - Shift, Enter, Backspace and Space. Since you can't be arsed, screw lubing them. Just screw them in, takes 3 minutes.
Then, place all the switches on Plate and PCB and since they're hotswap you just press them in.
Then place like 8 gaskets or screws, drop on your PCB-Plate-Switch-Sandwitch, screw together top and bottom with 4 more screws.
When you're done, mount the caps, also just pop them in place.
That's it. I reckon it's about as much work as a 10$ Lego set.
But going prebuilt is far easier of course: Unpack, plug in, done. If you get a hotswap you can change switches later on if you fancy.
tbh, i think we reached a point where there are so many switches available, that cherrys are almost the worst price/performance product imho.
ˆthis. very much. It's a match made in heaven.
this is only true before eight.
i gotta say: Puddings are somewhat nice, but always too gamer.
I reckon, "Pudding refined" with milky white bottom and Cherry style legends would look nice on most keebs.
By design, mechs are quite a bit taller, because the switches are taller.
Unless you're a "floating" typist, I would recommend a palmrest.
I'd love one, but my colleagues...
PBT will also shine at some point. Whether it's sooner or later depends on how you type and how greasy or sweaty your fingers are. PBT can't do magic, it's just a, usually softer, plastic.
If you're looking for cheap caps, try aliexpress or taobao.
Humble40 with MW Art Nouveau
Out of curiousity: 3U space with 3U or 2U wires?
I kinda hate 3u bars for three reasons:
3U bars are a half nightmare and need to be standardized. I much prefer 2.25/2.75 for those reasons, although it looks like shyte compared to nice and symmetrical 3U.