Beam Spring Keyboard.
2nd June 2026
What is a Beam Spring Keyboard? Before the Model F keyboard was the Beam Spring keyboard, a keyboard that was designed to be like the IBM Selectric electric typewriters but made to work with IBM’s mainframe terminals. Originals regularly sell for over $1,000 to $2,000 but now you can get one in various “normal” modern layouts and various color options for a fraction of that cost. The new beam spring keyboards are also compatible with MX keycaps (see below for details).
Note that this doesn’t tell you what it is, merely what it was used for.
There is, of course, a YouTube video.
If you’re eager to pay over $400 for a keyboard, here’s your chance.