Awekeys Viking Antiques Metal Keycaps Review: The Coolest Keycaps I Own… With One Big Problem

Some reviews happen because a product is new. This one happened because I looked at my desk, looked at my backlog, took a sip of coffee, and decided it was finally time to talk about the keycaps I’ve been living with every single day.

These are Awekeys metal keycaps, specifically the Viking Antiques set. And I want to start with the honest truth.

I love these things.

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I love them in the way you love an object that does something beyond “function.” These don’t just type. They change the mood of a keyboard. They turn your board into a little themed artifact sitting on your desk, and if you’re the type of person who treats your setup like a personal space, not just a tool, you already know why that matters.

I was extra excited about this set because at the time I got it, me and my cousin were deep into Viking game mode. We were playing Aska, obsessed with Valheim energy, and it was snowy outside. I had my whole desktop background set to winter vibes, the room felt cold, and then these keycaps show up looking like something you’d loot from a Norse crypt. The timing was perfect.

So yeah, I was ready.

The biggest surprise: Metal keycaps + Hall Effect is actually a vibe

Every time metal keycaps come up, someone says the same thing:
They’re too heavy. They’ll mess with Hall Effect. They’ll feel weird. They’ll slow things down.

I’m telling you, in real-world daily use, I’ve not found that to be true.

In fact, I’ve ended up enjoying metal keycaps on Hall Effect boards more than I expected, and it’s for a reason that makes total sense the moment you feel it.

Hall Effect switches have that stronger push-back. That return force. It’s snappy, which is great for gaming, but it can also feel a little aggressive when you’re typing normally. Metal keycaps add weight and presence, and it counterbalances that push-back in a way that makes the whole experience feel smoother and more grounded. It’s not that the switch becomes softer. It’s that the whole motion feels more “anchored.”

And that is one of my favorite typing feelings.

The look: Viking Antiques is a full-on aesthetic

The Viking Antiques set has this stone-like, weathered metal look. When you first see it, you assume it’s textured metal.

Then you touch it and realize something interesting.

The top surface is actually smooth. The texture you think you’re seeing is a finish.

But the legends, especially the number legends, are inset. That means your fingertip catches the shape. You get tactile feedback from the cap itself, not the switch. It’s subtle, but it’s there, and it’s a totally different sensation than normal keycaps.

Do I love it? Do I hate it?

Honestly, I’m not even sure. I’m weirdly neutral on it, but I can say this: it makes the board feel more distinct. You can feel where you are on the board more easily, which can be a plus.

Now combine that with RGB and this is where metal keycaps become unfair.

RGB with metal keycaps is ridiculous in the best way

Metal keycaps do this thing where the light doesn’t just shine through like plastic. It reflects, it bleeds, it glows around the edges. It creates this floating illusion where the keycaps feel like little lit stones hovering over the board.

And if you hit it with orange lighting, it becomes borderline criminal how good it looks.

Orange turns this set into full spooky-season mode instantly. It’s warm, it’s haunted, it’s dramatic. It’s the kind of lighting that makes you stop typing just to stare at your own keyboard like an idiot. I’ve done icy blue profiles, Christmas mixes with greens and reds, but orange is the one where I always go: yeah ok, that’s the look.

They Sound Powerful!

The novelty keys are pure fun

Awekeys also sent the accent keys, and this is the stuff that makes themed sets worth it.

You’ve got:

A tree accent
A Viking ship
A Viking figure
A wolf (one of my favorites)
Birds
That whole Nordic vibe that makes your board feel like a themed build, not just a keyboard

If you like swapping profiles, changing RGB, mixing keycaps, and treating your setup like something you build and rebuild, these are the kind of keycaps that keep giving you reasons to mess with your board again.

The problem: the finish wears, and that matters at this price

Now we get to the part where the coffee sip turns into the serious sip.

Because here’s the only drawback I care about, and it’s not a small one.

After about a month of daily use, the finish starts wearing down.

And I’m actually glad I had a long runway before finishing this review because this is exactly why quick “one week” reviews can be misleading. In the first couple weeks, these look perfect. They look like a premium product. They feel premium. They sound premium.

Then time passes. You keep using them. You game, you type, you live on the board.

And you start noticing spots where that gorgeous finish isn’t staying gorgeous.

It looks like these caps might be using a coating approach to achieve the antique texture appearance rather than the metal itself being physically textured. The result is: once the coating starts wearing, it’s obvious.

And when you’re talking about $139 on sale and historically around $200, nobody wants to pay that kind of money for a premium product that shows wear that quickly.

That’s the line.

If you’re charging luxury pricing, you need luxury durability.

Are they worth it?

Here’s the most honest answer I can give.

These are probably the most expensive keycaps you can buy, and the only reason that becomes acceptable is if they give you real joy and you keep using them long term.

That’s what happened for me with Awekeys in general.

I’ve got older Awekeys sets like my copper ones that I’ve used for a long time, and they’ve held up beautifully. I put them on during Halloween season because the orange lighting through those caps just hits different. They become part of my yearly setup ritual.

So if you’re asking “worth it,” it depends on which version you’re buying.

If you want my buying advice:

If the set you’re looking at has a finish that can wear, I would personally wait until that’s improved.
If you want metal keycaps that hold up, I’d lean toward their more standard metal sets that have proven durability over time.

Because I can recommend Awekeys metal caps as a category. I’m just not going to pretend finish wear is acceptable when we’re talking premium pricing.

Pros

Extremely unique Viking theme that actually looks like a real build, not novelty for novelty’s sake
Metal keycaps + Hall Effect feels surprisingly good and balances the stronger return force
RGB looks insane on metal, especially orange lighting
Inset legends give tactile positioning and a distinct feel
Novelty accents are genuinely fun and elevate the whole setup
They fit tightly and include the tool you need (good support detail)

Cons

Finish wear showed up after about a month of daily use
Premium pricing makes any durability issue feel worse, not better
Inset legend texture will be polarizing depending on your preference
This is a luxury purchase, not a “smart value” purchase

Final Verdict

If you want keycaps that make your keyboard feel like a themed artifact and you love changing RGB profiles and building vibes, Awekeys is one of the best at that.

But with the Viking Antiques finish specifically, I can’t ignore the wear. If they fix that, it becomes an easy recommendation for the right person. Until then, I’d stick with their proven metal sets that don’t rub off over time.

Because nobody should pay luxury prices for a finish that quits early.