Machina opens Tiga 2 interest check with motorsport-inspired materials
Pepita fabric, more Alcantara colors, Capri Leather and denim lead Round 2. Machina is exploring a bespoke Atelier tier and matching mats, with a limited in-stock sale planned before a mid-to-late November group buy.
Announcement date: October 26, 2026
Machina has opened the interest check for Tiga 2, the second round of its material-focused custom keyboard. The new direction draws on motorsport interiors, combining redesigned backpieces with Pepita fabric, fresh Alcantara colors, Capri Leather and denim.
The studio plans a limited in-stock sale before a main group buy targeted for mid-to-late November 2026. Final prices and exact sale dates have not been announced. For now, the IC is collecting preferences rather than taking orders.
What is Tiga, and who is Machina?
Machina is a custom keyboard studio founded in 2022, with its keyboards designed in Sydney, Australia. Designer Ra66it introduced the original Tiga interest check in September 2024 as the studio’s third design, inspired by the HHKB Professional HG. The name is the Malay word for three, echoing the project’s three-piece, three-material approach.
CMF stands for color, material and finish. On the original Tiga, an aluminum top case met a metal bottom with a fabric covering, while a separate backpiece offered another surface and texture. Its product listing also documented silicone-pin/Tadpole mounting. That background explains the emphasis on materials in Round 2; it does not confirm every original hardware specification for the new run.
From racing interiors to the desk
Tiga 2 takes that material contrast toward motorsport culture. Machina describes genuine Pepita fabric as a reference to classic racing interiors and is expanding its authentic Alcantara color palette. Capri Leather and textured denim add further tactile options.
The Noir illustration makes the approach tangible: a patterned fabric underside sits beside the dark, sculpted metal case. Instead of relying on a case color alone, the design combines a soft covering, a metal surface and the shape of the backpiece to give each configuration its identity.
- Soft-material preferences in the IC include Alcantara, Pepita fabric, sustainable fabric, denim and Capri Leather.
- Bottom-case preferences include brass, copper, raw stainless steel, PVD stainless steel and aluminum.
- Backpiece preferences include aluminum, walnut, parawood, PVD stainless steel and polished stainless steel.
Atelier, personalized backpieces and matching mats
Machina is gauging interest in an Atelier tier: a proposed one-of-one bespoke Tiga developed directly with the studio. The form makes clear that custom R&D and individual design time would put it in a premium category, but no price or lead time is given. It is a concept under consideration, rather than an available commission slot.
The studio is also exploring separately sold personalized engraving for anodized or e-coated aluminum backpieces. Companion desk and keyboard mats would carry the keyboard’s material language onto the desk, using matching materials such as Alcantara, Pepita or leather. These options are still part of the interest check.
The planned sale, quantities and pricing
Machina says review units are finished and ready to ship, while the limited retail allocation was manufactured outside its normal volume tiers. That is its stated reason for the planned in-stock premium.
For Round 2 overall, the studio reports a 40–50% increase in PCB production costs and an approximately 30% rise in brass and copper material costs. These are Machina’s own reported input-cost changes, not announced retail price increases. It has added an aluminum bottom option to the IC as a possible lower-cost entry point and says demand estimates will help it negotiate manufacturing volume tiers.
The form also asks about direct sales with taxes and customs duties included versus regional vendors. That remains a fulfillment proposal; final regional availability, shipping charges and tax treatment have not been confirmed.
| Item | Current information |
|---|---|
| Current stage | Interest check; not an order form |
| Limited in-stock variants | Acier, Titanium, Atlas and Gaia |
| Planned in-stock allocation | Approximately 15 units of each listed variant |
| In-stock timing | Before the main group buy; exact date/time not announced |
| Main group buy | Targeted for mid-to-late November 2026, following the in-stock sale |
| GB configurations | All standard colorways and configurations, according to Machina’s plan |
| Retail prices | Not announced; R2 expected to be slightly higher than R1 |
| In-stock vs. GB pricing | In-stock units expected to carry a slight premium over GB pricing |
| GB closing date / delivery estimate | Not announced |
These are the studio’s current plans. Interest-check choices, estimated allocations and proposed custom options are subject to change.
What happens next?
The IC asks buyers to choose their preferred versions, bottom-case and backpiece materials, soft coverings and customization options. The practical next milestone is a dated in-stock announcement, followed by finalized group-buy prices and configurations. Until then, the appeal of Tiga 2 is the wider material palette and the possibility of a more personal build.