34-Year Keyboard Legend: FILCO's Parent Company Ceases Operations Without Notice
FILCO, globally renowned for its Majestouch series of mechanical keyboards, has officially announced the cessation of all business operations through its parent company, Diatech Corporation, marking the end of an era for the "Big F" keyboard. The Japanese manufacturer, founded in 1982, has a 34-year history with its FILCO brand. Within enthusiast communities, FILCO is known as "Big F" alongside the Korean brand Leopold.
Diatech initially engaged in the agency manufacturing of computer peripherals and acoustic products, and established the FILCO brand in the 1990s to specialize in input devices.
The Majestouch series, launched in the early 2000s, truly propelled FILCO to fame within the enthusiast community.
In an era dominated by membrane keyboards, FILCO insisted on using German Cherry MX mechanical switches, coupled with a minimalist and stable design and solid materials, quickly establishing a reputation for durability and a pleasant typing experience among professional programmers and writers.
The long keys consistently used Costar stabilizers instead of satellite stabilizers, resulting in an exceptionally crisp and responsive feel for keys like Spacebar and Shift, which enthusiasts hailed as the "purest mechanical feel."
FILCO was also a pioneer in introducing side-printed keycaps (Nijia), placing characters on the front side of the keycaps, which were both durable and understated, inspiring numerous brands to follow suit.
However, this keyboard ultimately succumbed to structural changes in the market. Chinese manufacturers have continuously invested in new areas such as magnetic switches and inductive switches in recent years, offering a combination of cost-effectiveness and innovation, posing a serious challenge to traditional brands like FILCO.
At the same time, emerging brands like Keychron and Akko have risen rapidly, capturing market share with features such as wireless connectivity, hot-swappable designs, and diverse themes, locking FILCO into a traditional image of wired, single-mode, and fixed-switch keyboards.
Diatech’s announcement also confirmed that personal privacy data related to online stores and after-sales service has been thoroughly deleted and destroyed in accordance with Japanese personal information protection laws and related regulations, eliminating the risk of leakage.