In the Beginning, a Brief History
As a musical instrument, the purpose and use of cymbals have varied substantially over the course of history. The instruments themselves, although not used in the modern musical contexts we think of today, have generally been around since the discovery of bronze, which is acknowledged to have been roughly around 3000 B.C. Whether used by beggars to seek benefactors, for weddings and celebrations, or to signal bees back to their hives, or to scare the enemy with a racket of sound while running down a hill towards them, cymbals have existed for millennia throughout human history.
Cymbals as we know them today, however, were born from the innovation of an Armenian alchemist, Avedis I, in early 17th-century Constantinople while seeking a cheaper alternative to gold. In his findings, a precise ratio of tin to copper with traces of silver (known as B20 Bronze) yielded an alloy that, when struck, produced a resonant musical tone. Paul Francis, Zildjian’s Director of Research and Design, posits that Avedis I’s cymbals were “thinner, prettier than others,” of their time and that he “created cymbals of spectacular clarity and power.” (Francis, cited H. Diener-Stokes 2012) As a result of this innovation in cymbal making, Avedis I was gifted the title Avedis “Zildjian” in 1618 and was granted permission to open a foundry and cymbal factory in Samatya; it was then, by 1623, that the 400-year-old company Zildjian was truly born via its “K Zildjian” factory.
Despite the success of the family business in European trading markets, it wasn’t until 1929 in Quincy, Massachusetts, that Avedis Zildjian III brought the family recipe to America, where they machine-produced their cymbals. With this development, and the evolving landscape of music in early 20th-century America, demand for Zildjian cymbals skyrocketed; this opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time for Avedis and the Jazz drummers of that era. Cymbals, up until that point, were seldom used in music, even in the context of an orchestra. Cymbals before Avedis III never had distinctions between “crash” or “ride,” but with the close relationship to artists, and with his supply to the demand of Jazz music, the cymbal could evolve. Without Avedis III, independent cymbal-smithing would never have existed.
Despite the Zildjian’s American factory dominating the global market, many drummers of the Jazz age collectively agreed (and continue to agree) upon the beauty and complexity of the Turkish “K Zildjian” factory cymbals for their more nuanced and defined sound. (Now vintage) K’s of the Time were the harder to come by option in the 20th century, given that they had to be imported from Turkey. When choosing cymbals for a drum kit, the Ks have cemented themselves as rare and expensive gems that many cymbal makers are requested to make “clones” of today.
The Birth of a Cymbal
Cymbal-Smithing as an Independent Sole Trader
Following in the traditions of the Turkish cymbal makers from the early 20th century, recent years have seen a rise in an artisanal, bespoke approach to cymbal-smithing, in which an individual will hand-hammer and lathe a cymbal (usually a pre-cast pre-bell-stamped “blank” disc of bronze that they order in bulk) and take creative care to shape the malleable alloy into a unique percussion instrument: brands such as Dave Collingwood Cymbals, Reverie Drum Co, Kupo builds, Funch, Nicky Moon custom cymbals, Craig Lauritson Custom Cymbals, and countless others have opened their businesses with the express intent of combining artistry and creativity with the physicality of contorting raw materials; they have asserted themselves as artisan cymbal makers that offer individual craftsmanship of the age-old cymbal-smithing technique.
The relevant Professional Qualifications “required” for Independent Cymbal-Smithing
As with any business, an entrepreneur wanting to become an independent cymbal-smith must begin with an adequate business plan that predicts and prevents legal, financial, Health and safety issues within the operation of the business. After choosing the desired business structure (most commonly Sole Trader or Partnership as an independent), UK law requires registration with the HMRC for Self-Assessment tax returns if profits are to exceed £1000 in a single tax year. As predicted in the business plan costs, the entrepreneur will need to purchase the relevant machinery and tools to modify the instruments in their raw form. Cymbal smiths will equip themselves with (a) Lathing machine(s)and their blades, various cymbal (ball-pein) hammers, an anvil to hold the cymbal steady on, sanding equipment, drills and electric metal saws, health and safety goggles, gloves, ear defenders, and an ample floor space to experiment with coaxing the sound out of bronze alloys.
Considering the nature of independent cymbal smithing, however, formal qualifications aren’t required to create such a musical instrument; learning is either accomplished via apprenticeship or self-teaching. However, the learning process comes at great personal cost: through talking to Nick Margarite on his cymbal podcast, Dave Collingwood professes that in starting with no prior experience or skills, he has “gone from the edges of insanity and back … trying to figure it all out.” (Collingwood, D, 2025)
Although it is possible to forge and cast one’s own alloys of B20, B8, B12 or B10 bronze (referring to the rough percentage of tin present in the alloy) such areas of metalwork require qualifications of either apprenticeship or diploma level in Metalworking, Blacksmithing, and or Welding to safely handle and cast the molten bronze itself; hence why many independant cymbal-smiths instead source bulk-bought cymbal “blanks,” from either Turkey, China, Italy, or Brazil.
Key Knowledge, Skills, and Personal Attributes
As a cymbal maker, developing a rehearsed technique of hammering and lathing is imperative to creating a substantial instrument. This requires one to be able to learn and develop nuance and consistency in their technique of shaping different bronze alloys with simple tools to create one. As a physical force is exerted on the metal that is being used, it takes time to develop a good feeling for how much of that force is necessary to exert when hammering or lathing the cymbal (a process in which a blade literally shaves off its outer layer of oxidised bronze crust). This is especially important when considering that “you can lathe off a couple hundred grams, but you can’t put it back on,” meaning that once completed, the actions carried out cannot be undone (Collingwood, D. (2025b). Furthermore, a cymbal needs to rest between these stages of production, so as not to over-exert pressure on it, forcing it to crack.
In addition, hammering a cymbal inclines the metal to warp in that direction and induce tension, pulling the cymbal towards the direction of the higher quantity of hammering. On Craig Lauritson’s website, he designates that “Top Hammering increases tension” and “Bottom Hammering loosens tension.” (Lauritsen, C. (n.d.).) Knowing also the possibility for a ride cymbal to have a taller profile, and a slight lip inwards at its outer-most edge for more stick definition and a brighter sound helps distinguish its purpose. However, many of these aspects of cymbal smithing are discovered via experimentation, and oftentimes, techniques that work for one will not work for another.
More than this, your brand image must radiate not only a welcoming and inviting atmosphere, but also one of competence and care for the needs of the target audience. This, too, would include being compliant with order specifications and returns that tweak certain aspects of a cymbal already made. Not to mention that one must also be able to reach their target market by advertising their cymbals effectively to such markets, whether it be by attending cymbal-making conventions, drum conventions, or displaying a good social media presence to showcase their products.
Daily Duties and Responsibilities
In simple terms, the typical day-to-day work of a cymbal smith necessitates many hours spent hammering and lathing discs of different bronze alloys. Equally, patience is crucial when waiting for the metal to rest before entering the next stage of creation.
The contexts for which this might be necessary include cymbal commissions (with sound specs), a new concept product, “cloning” an existing cymbal (giving a cymbal to the smith and asking for a sonorally identical model), or modifying an existing cymbal. Equally, a custom-made cymbal can often be sent back to the maker, with the request that the sound is “tinkered with” to the consumer’s individual needs, requiring humility when rectifying the perceived issue to the best of their ability.
Other responsibilities would include ordering batches of cymbal blanks, replying to email orders, filing taxes, and regular social media upkeep to promote their products.
The Main Financial and Legal Issues concerning Cymbal-making
As with sustaining any business, the main concerns are breaking even and making a profit with the products that you sell. This requires a cymbal maker to adequately price their cymbals to cover the cost of tools, machines and cymbal blanks used to make them. Precisely tracking orders via invoices sent to customers (for tax purposes) is one way that you can keep a valid record of costs and profits. Many cymbal makers today also price their cymbals slightly higher than mass-produced cymbals, in the knowledge that the hours spent on a bespoke product hold more value to a customer than a mass-produced item.
Furthermore, filling out tax returns can be a difficult thing to keep track of itself, but with the help of apps such as Xero, Xpatfile, or Taxfix, an individual is able to keep on top of this facet of the business.
Promotional and Marketing of Cymbal Artistry
Marketing and promotion of the business is essential for smaller, independent cymbal makers, especially when first breaking into the market to create a sense of demand for their high-quality, bespoke products. via the use of social media, many cymbal makers can sustain a living by selling directly to the target market through social media algorithms. In the second episode of Dave Collingwood’s Cymbal Podcast, Nick Margaraite professes that Social media is “everything,” likening Instagram to “free marketing.” (Collingwood, D. (2025b)
Intellectual and Personal Challenges and how to deal with them
As with the patience required to craft the instrument by hand and let the metal “rest and expand” between long periods of time, a sense of humility with and acceptance of the finished product made is also a difficult but necessary part of the journey. In Dave Collingwood’s “The Cymbal Podcast” episode 2, he and Nick Margarite discuss the “frustration” of how, after hammering a cymbal all day, “you’re sweating, you’re tired, and you’ve just got this thing in front of you, and you just think: that is awful” (Collingwood 2025). With the added notion that in “every order there’s a couple of duds” (Collingwood, D, 2025), Margarite, on Collingwood’s podcast, shares the often felt disappointment in the lack of sonoral consistency in the cymbal blanks they buy. Similar to letting the Metal rest, leaving the workspace for an unrelated activity can help alleviate a negative perception of the current product.
Progression and Development within the Cymbal-making Industry
Although most cymbal smiths start with this service, modifying existing cymbals can provide an alternative way to satisfy customer needs and utilise the skills of a cymbal smith more effectively. Modifications include drilling small holes in the cymbal for rivets (which creates a “sizzle” like effect when the cymbal is struck), lathing off more outer bronze from an existing cymbal to change its sound (often lowering the pitch when the cymbal gets thinner), or drilling, cutting, and sanding around cracks in a cymbal to prevent further cracking.
Additionally, offering merchandise from the company can provide the target market with more ways to support the business and show their appreciation for the craftsmanship of the company’s products. Consequently, inviting artists already popular in the music industry to be sponsored by the company in return for exposition of their products in social media posts when said artist is performing also helps a business grow in popularity.
With the progression of growth in this line of work, investing in departments that can handle marketing on various social media platforms will help alleviate the stress of responsibility for the individual making the cymbals, especially as demand for their product increases. As for the process of making the cymbals, however, it is more difficult to delegate work to more cymbal smiths, as their methodology will be infinitesimally different to the way the original artisan wishes to create cymbals; unless, of course, the original owner of the business is satisfied that they can replicate their work and sound in the finished product.
In the case of Dave Collingwood, he even offers in-person courses in cymbal making that walk consumers through his process; through his website, he offers the public the choice between making a 14″ hi hat set, a 16″ or 18″ crash, or a 20″ ride blank to hammer and lathe themselves.
Bibliography
- Avakian, E. (2023). Zildjian Cymbals…The Incredible Family History. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/ooMTCho8dMc?si=c95_mCPiM08Fe8_6 [Accessed 6 Jan. 2026].
- Collingwood, D. (2025a). The Cymbal Podcast 207 – Timothy Roberts. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/hBrKpG00uJo?si=EfNldP1IOz3Q-RrX [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
- Collingwood, D. (2025b). The Cymbal Podcast Episode 2 – Nicky Moon Custom Cymbals. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/X2aggSZqVTA?si=Zz0yz8wnI6OpyG4K [Accessed 8 Jan. 2026].
- H. Diener-Stokes, C. (2012). Copper in the Arts Magazine: The Legacy of Zildjian Cymbals Signature Sound Lives On. [online] Copper.org. Available at: https://copper.org/consumers/arts/2012/november/Legacy_Zildjian_Cymbals_Signature_Sound_Lives_On.php [Accessed 6 Jan. 2026].
- Lauritsen, C. (n.d.). Hammering 101. [online] Cymbalutopia.com. Available at: https://cymbalutopia.com/www.cymbalutopia.com/Hammering_101.html [Accessed 12 Jan. 2026].
