[COLOR="DarkRed"]They could very well be matched factory hats of the same weight. I have a couple of sets from the '50's that were like that, one set was a set of flanged hats, the other just regular profile. Both 14's. Am curious, what are the weights of yours, specifically ?[/COLOR]

They are 1.96 lbs each (880g/each), and again 13".

In fact, here is what I bought and what I paid. Be brutally honest if you think I didn't make out so well!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180380351094&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Price you paid seems very good to me, 13's from that period nowhere near as common as 14's. More importantly though, how do you like the sound???

Regards

DonS

That was my thought too.

I wouldn't be surprised if they were a pair because back then they weren't as hip to all these different weights... making rides and crashes and pings etc... they just made cymbals and it was up to the drummer to decide what it was.

I would just lightly tap them and whatever was the lower one would go on top, as lower is thinner. And experiment with the other on top too.

Usually, by stick marks, wear, tarnish etc... it's pretty obvious which one is the top and which spent it's time on the bottom never getting hit.

13"'s are cool!

Many thanks guys for the comments and the tips. Now the internet forever has a discussion to refer to on this particular question.

As far as sound, OK...weird story, but I haven't heard them live and may not for some time. I live in Italy and I am collecting a set at my brother's in USA with the idea that he will bring it here as he is in the military and supposed to be sent over in 6 months or so.

I have to admit that while I have played only vintage guitars from the beginning since in the 80s there were only Charvels and Kramers with stupid tape job finishes, I have never been able to hear the difference in cymbals new vs old. I can in drums, again, because in the the 80s, the worst period for music equipment in history everything was "thunder drums".

I can hear good vs bad, and I know what I like (generally Zildjian) but unlike with drums, guitars and amplifiers, I don't seem to have the palate to know what makes old so special---or maybe better put, why new is not as good, even if they are machine turned and so forth. I am sure I am in the wrong here and over time will learn to discern old from new cymbals.

But for the time being I still have a decent reason for buying old cymbals. I buy old because I detest those huge ink stamps on the new cymbals!

Regarding size, I chose 13" because I was in London trying out Zildjians and realized that as a non drummer I felt I had more control on the 13s than the 14s.

My brother made a recording of the hats vs his 15" new beat Paistes (he got at a thrift shop for thrift shop price). To be honest I couldn't hear anything different between the ching, but I could hear that his had more wash on the edges, like Ringo's on, for example, Long Tall Sally.

Thanks again for your input, it saved me a perhaps awkward discussion with the ebay seller where I would have been the one in the wrong, it appears.