This is probably a naive question...but humor me..There are enough broken/cracked/unusable old K's around to melt a few down and analyze the molecular elements in the "secret" alloy...right? Then, once that's determined, more fresh alloy can be made and a blank can be cast. After that, bring in a known great example of an old K in and replicate the thickness variances and hammering/lathing patterns using computer-aided/robotic/analytic tools.Even if there is some kind of priority alloy....I mean...I don't understand how it could ever be policed, so-to-speak. Seems like a hard-to-prove point whether or not a secret alloy is being copied...and even when everything is combined in the proper amounts, there's still going to be variances from batch to batch, anyway...right? How could anyone ever patent an alloy, as such?I'm sure that, even if this were to happen, there would still be that secret "something" that would differentiate the real ones from the clones.....maybe?It just doesn't seem like there are any new cymbals that are really like the old K's and a lot of drummers want them...so why isn't manufacturing answering the call?

I don't believe that anyone touched on the fact that all old K's don't sound the same. Playing an Old stamp, as an example, you will hear a very different sounding bell and sticking than a '70s New stamp. There is not just one Old K sound to emulate.

There is not just one Old K sound to emulate.

And orcould see as I do K Istanbuls in a basket of six deplora...wait... Type I, II, II, IV, Intermediates, New Stamp- Sound categories character )shape and build) or the general 3 cats Old, Inter, New, __ all Thanks to Williams Research Institute