Perhaps if I had a hundred cymbals or more it might be an issue. But, I have 6 sets of hats, 5 of 6 crashes, 4 splashes, and around 25 rides and crash rides. All I have to do is look at one of my cymbals to know what it is, when I got it and what sounds good with what.They all look different. There's no way I could confuse them. I don't buy cymbals that are not going to be played. My son and I also have 5 sets of drums plus a set of electronics, lots of stands and pedals and 9 snare drums. How many drums do you have that would require labeling them?

When it come's to cymbals.The one's i play live a new and newer one's all the same make Zild. all the same size..H-h 14",crash's 16,17,18,19,20.. rides 20,22..Now when it come's to the one's i used in the studio each set,type, and size are in case's and are marked on the outside of the case.. along with a note about type of music that would fit the cymbal's in each case...set's are h-h's, crashs,rides ete.I have spent alot of time and years doing this i have over 400 cymbals....Mikey

With 400 cymbals you would need a system. I only have a tenth of that.

Yeah, I could see needing a system if you had 50+ cymbals, if only for speed of navigating through them. With 100+ cymbals, I think you need a system to not confuse them. With 400+ cymbals, you're definitely going to need a system to keep all of your psychiatric drugs sorted. :D

Unless you have two cymbals with identical weights you don't need to write it on the cymbal anywhere. You just reweigh a cymbal to verify your id. If (and only if) you have two cymbals of the same diameter and type (eg china vs ride is easy to tell apart, as are fully lathed from partially lathed, as are two different fully lathed rides with different stamps) with identical weights you just need to mark one of them.

I would have to run a little test on the inks I have here, and chances are they might not be the same brands in other countries. I first encountered a very persistent water based black ink on Dream cymbals where one of the ink logos was done in that. It is persistent to many solvents yet washes off easily with a tiny bit of soap and water. If you Google water based silkscreen ink

you get plenty of hits.

The other option is to use water based typing correction fluid. Ancient technology! We call it "twink" (after the brand name) here in New Zealand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correction_fluid

All you need is a small spot underneath somewhere. Not near your signatures or anything else you want to preserve! One spot distinguishes two otherwise identical cymbals with the same weight.

Happy hunting.

I also have a system for the drum's and set's i have..Last count of set's that i keeping is just over 100 set's..Snare's just over 500 of them...Mikey

I use clear recycling garbage bags.I write all necessary info on the bag and then trim to size.Cymbal companies store and ship then this way ,and according to the big 3,there is nothing wrong with indeffinate storage in this manner.Just my 2 cents.

Steve B

Im constantly buying vintage zildjians. I use a Sharpie inside the bell to manifest when I got it,weight,where I got it & the price I paid for it.If I ever wanna resale them I just remove the markings with nail polish remover................TAKE THAT BACK! I just purchased an old Appolo kit that had an 18" crash & 14" HH's. all Zildjian K. Istanbul's. I ain't gonna put a mark on them for obvious reasons.

You really don't need to use something as harsh as nail polish remover. Just take an erasable white board marker and write directly on top of the sharpie writing. Then, wipe it away. It's basic chemistry.

Never thought of that.Thanks 4 that heads-up.