It all began with an Armenian immigrant named Avedis Zildjian in Constantinople.
He perfected his art and gained popularity as his reputation spread far and wide. Avedis created an alloy that made a sound that pleased the Sultan and was ultimately renamed Zildjian (from the Persian word for bell or cymbal).
The secret of making this alloy remains a family secret to this day. However, it is believed that this alloy is composed of 80% copper, 20% tin, and traces of silver.
Where are Zildjian cymbals made?
Zildjian produces cymbals in Norwell, Massachusetts. The factory has been in the exact location since it opened in 1969. It makes a few different lines of cymbals, including the A and K series.
When Zildjian moved to the United States in 1929, and then again when Avedis III moved the Zildjian factory to Quincy, Massachusetts, for Zildjian’s 350th anniversary, Zildjian continued its legacy by interacting with the culture of the country and re-inventing itself.
Is Zildjian Turkish?
Zildjian is a cymbal manufacturer that has been in business since 1623 (and is the oldest family-owned company in the United States). The company was founded by Avedis Zildjian I, an Armenian alchemist who fled to Turkey to escape persecution in Armenia.
He discovered a secret formula for making an alloy of copper and tin into a metal that would sing. He perfected this unique alloy and cast it into cymbals of different shapes, thicknesses, and sizes.
This alloy was unique, making sounds like no other instruments previously known. These new sounding cymbals were adopted by the Ottoman Court and spread throughout Europe when the Janissaries returned from their military campaigns.
When did Zildjian stop making cymbals in Turkey?
One part of the Zildjian family was building a massive brand in the U.S., while one part of the family remained in Turkey.
Those in Turkey continued making cymbals until 1978 when Mikael Zildjian died.
In the 1930s, two Zildjian brothers had a falling out. One of them, Avedis Zildjian IV, moved to the United States and started what would become the largest cymbal-manufacturing company in the world.
The other brother, Mikael Zildjian, started his own cymbal business in Turkey. While Avedis was focused on building a brand that would eventually be sold to conglomerate KHS Music, Mikael kept making cymbals in the same tradition as their ancestors.
See also: Zildjian cymbals best to worst
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When were Zildjian cymbals made in Canada?
The (Avedis) Zildjian company started making K Zildjian cymbals in a factory in Medutic, Canada, in 1977. They brought a few cymbal smiths from Istanbul to Canada at the time.
It is easy to recognize Zildjian cymbals made in Canada due to the stamp that says “made in Canada.”
The K Zildjian stamp from Canada was a copy of the stamp from cymbals made in Istanbul.
The underside of the Canada K has a medium-sized letter K with a font that uses serifs.
