Serene Industries’ Cleaver Keyboard is unlike any other that we’ve seen, as it has been machined from a single block of 6061 aluminum. This is the same high-quality, durable alloy often used in aerospace and premium tech.
Why’s it $850 USD? The CNC-milling process is pricey because it needs to be super precise and wastes a lot of material. The keycaps are aluminum, each with 1,204 tiny holes (400 microns wide) to let LED backlighting shine through, which makes building them really complex and expensive.
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It has hot-swappable Hall effect switches that use magnets for smoother, more adjustable typing compared to regular mechanical switches. These cost more than standard MX switches. The keyboard also has per-switch RGB lighting and a silicone cover that acts as non-slip feet, protects against dust and splashes, and quiets typing noise, all adding to the cost of making it.
Based on Serene’s Icebreaker keyboard, the Cleaver is slimmer (17.5 mm) and lighter but keeps a tough, blocky look. Designed by the Paris-based studio Waiting for Ideas, it balances style and usefulness with a small 365 mm x 110 mm size. You can swap out keycaps to make it your own, and the silicone dampening makes typing sound and feel better.
The Cleaver is available for pre-order, with production starting two weeks after its launch (around May 7, 2025). Making small batches for a select group of fans and collectors makes each one pricier than mass-made keyboards.
