How to shift with just two thumb keys?

It seems that most users and builders of DIY ergonomic keyboards, once they've got over the hurdle of wanting a dedicated number pad or number row, or cursors, would agree there is a sweet spot around 36 keys.  That gives each hand three rows of five plus three thumbs (often written as 3x6+3, or 33333+3).

The logic here is each finger should only have to move at most one key away from the home position. Stretching/contracting gives four columns of three (index, middle, ring and pinky fingers), and three more keys for the thumb. Then an extra inner column with a lateral movement for the nimble index finger makes 36 keys. Many like to have an extra outer  column for their pinky too (making 42 keys), either for things like tab and modifiers, stenography, or practicalities of languages like Korean or Russian.

For an English layout, I would say below 34 keys is when people get creative in what single key actions are dropped. Even at that point, not all 26 letters are guaranteed to get dedicated keys, since lots of the punctuation gets used more than the rarest letters Q and Z.

My current combo-rich 30 key layout base layer on ZMK

Getting to just 30 keys just pushes that further - and for me the shift key was the trickiest point.

But why make that effort? For me it has been an iterative process dropping the physically least comfortable keys at the cost of making my keymap slightly more complicated. More comfortable for my hands but more work for my brain? One way to keep mentally active I suppose!

32 keys good, 30 keys better?

I designed my Goldilocks32 keyboard for either 32 or 30 keys, and for the last three months or so have been using it (still without a case) as my daily driver in 30 key mode. During that time I have finished and built a related 30 key design, my Rugby Union Keyboard (so named because it has 15 keys a-side).

The build was a lot harder than I expected!

My Goldilocks keyboard, is 30 to 32 keys just right?

A month ago I wrote about my Bivvy16D and Bivouac34 keyboard designs, and since then have built both and been using them - taped to a cardboad frame to make sure I'm comfortable with the angles before making a case. My new Goldilocks32 design aims to take the best of both - the 30 to 32-key layout, better roll-over, and a navigation button from the Bivvy16D, and the gold-fingers and ribbon cable from the Bivouac34. And I'm trying tighter y-spacing too, only a subtle change but welcome all the same.

 

Goldilocks32 PCB rendered in purple-and-white

Naginata Style (薙刀式) Update

Back in August 2025, I wrote up an explanation of the kana-based Naginata Style keyboard layout for typing Japanese. Lately I have started doing touch typing practise with this, and have just updated to Naginata Style v17 from Jan 2026. Time for a brief review, including how I've tweaked it for slightly smaller keyboards.

Two tiny 10x10cm PCBs for keyboards

Did you know that the price of fabricating a PCB jumps at the magic threshold of a ten centimetres square? That seems to be especially true in the USA where hobbyists only use local firms for tiny prototypes, and otherwise import from China etc. You can currently get a set of five PCBs shipped from JLCPLC for only USD $5. As long as you're happy with tiny keyboards, that's incredibly cheap!

Bivvy16D (in red) and Bivouac34 (in green) PCBs

So, I ordered two designs in January - the Bivvy16D is a split keyboard with 15 or 16 keys and a 5-way navigation button on each half (so 30 to 32 normal keys in total), while the Bivouac34 is a monobody keyboard with a left and right PCB joined with a ribbon cable using "gold finger" edge connectors (with 32 to 34 keys in total). I want to make a tented keyboard with this.