@keeb.lol
Corne is probably the top of my list for anyone that wants to get into ergo. They can be picked up from a lot of places and I think it has more users than any other ergo board, so finding support should be easy.
The Sofle is another popular board that would probably work well due to having more keys.
The Helix is a popular ortho split option.
If you're lookin' for something that is packed full of features, the Ximi from fingerpunch basically has it all.
Want to start off by saying that I really appreciate all the research you did (and relayed to us) while on your search. This helps us not just recommend a bunch of shit you've already looked at. A lot of the things you've listed as requirements somewhat disqualify a lot of the keyboards we usually see/use around these parts.
While reading through your post, the Cepstrum is what stood out to me. As far as I know, the kit only requires soldering the hotswap sockets if the full price is a lil too rich for you. It uses Kailh choc v1 switches but I don't recommend the ones that you can get bundled with it. Silvers are my go-to choc, and a lot of people in the ergo space like the purpz/pinks because they're really light.
Mabroum has made a few boards with this sorta layout. They've opened sourced them and can be found at https://github.com/AlaaSaadAbdo/battoota
Boards with surface mount diodes are most likely using 1N4148W SOD-123. I think there might be variations of the corne that don't use surface mount diodes, so make sure the one you're getting supports them.
One unfortunate thing about ergonomics is that each persons needs are different. No one can tell you what's best for you, but luckily we have a lot of good options that help you find what does work for you.
If you're fine with some soldering, there are a lot of open source splits that you could get fabricated for pretty cheap and end up with two full builds. Cantor, Piantor, Corne, Lily, Sofle, etc etc etc. The low cost of having them fabricated and built yourself can mean trying out a few different keyboards to see what works best for you.
When it comes to gaming, maybe using one keyboard for programming and a different keyboard for gaming. It could be just half of a 4 row split, a gaming focus keypad (like the Eternal) or just your current rowstagger board. I personally use a QAZ-alike I designed as a gamepad.
Tenting can be accomplished multiple ways. Some boards have Tenting Puck support. Some can have large bolts added to adjust the angle. For boards without some native tenting support, many 3d printable cases exist that provide tenting and lately I've seen a lot people use the magsafe sticker thingies to attach their keyboards to small tripods.
One reason there are so many options is because it's pretty easy (and fun} to design your own keyboard. It's not uncommon to try a few different designs/layouts to see what works best for you from each and then design a keyboard to fit your requirements. Designing your own keyboard comes with it's own set of information overload, but there are a lot of us around to help us.
If you're down with DIY and Stateside, hit me up. I've got a bunch of PCBs in a box that I can part with for stupid cheap. I'll need to take an inventory of what I have but if you're interested I'll gather up the info. I know I've got at least an MX Corne.
Link Dump:
An active counter doesn't mean things aren't being seen. I've been here and seen everything unfold.
This person isn't acting alone. They've submitted stuff that is on topic and everyone else engaged. I'm not sure what action is expected of the mods.
What about something like the mini36 by controllerworks?
Unfortunately, there aren't many options in the 60%+ range.
Cepstrum (sp?) From keebio is the most recent one I know of, but it's a split. There's the Chocolate Bar, mt-choc and Pete (of ZMK fame) is working on WarDriver - a choc minivan - but it hasn't been released yet.
edits: links and typofixes
The Eternal Keypad has a left handed configuration.
thanks for using Leebra!
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