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New Lord of the Rings-themed mechanical keyboards debut just in time for Amazon's Rings of Power series


Drop on Tuesday announced a pair of new mechanical keyboards aimed squarely at Tolkien-loving typing enthusiasts. Based on the Drop ENTR keyboard, these new models are themed around the Dwarf and Elf races from The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and the rest of Tolkien's legendarium.
This release also comes just before Amazon's Sept. 2 premiere of its new The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, when interest in all things Middle-earth is likely to reach a crescendo.
A closeup of the MT3 profile and Holy Panda X switches in the Elvish board.
Each board comes equipped with a full set of theme-appropriate keycaps in the MT3 profile, Drop's own Holy Panda X switches, and its Phantom Stabilizers, all organized in a tenkeyless layout and housed in an aluminum body.
Don't worry, if you look closely, you can see the Latin alphabet is there as well. You know, if you don't happen to be able to read Elvish.
Fans of Tolkien's forest-dwelling elves will likely want to opt for the green-tinted model with a stylized version of the Two Trees of Valinor located above its arrow cluster.
You might want to speak "Friend" before hitting Enter... I'll see myself out.
Those more fond of Middle-earth's bearded dwarves may instead choose the gray model with a design taken from the Doors of Durin (possibly better known as the entrance to the Mines of Moria) emblazoned on it.
Whichever you choose, you'll receive a board printed with two sets of legends: one in the familiar Latin alphabet, and one based on the language of the race that board is themed around. That means flowing Quenya script for the Elvish model and the blockier Khuzdul glyphs for its Dwarvish counterparts.
Preorders begin today, Aug. 16 for both the Dwarvish keyboard and the Elvish keyboard. Both versions are $169 until Aug. 31. Drop estimates that shipments will begin going out to buyers sometime in early October.