I would like to take a moment to let you know just how much I personally appreciate all that you contribute. Each and every month you educate me on some aspect of cymbals.

Thank you so much.

Thanks. I appreciate that, and its my pleasure to do it.

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/cymbalarticle/PICT0006.JPG[/img]

[color=black][font=times new roman][size=+1]The was the scene at the Zildjian foundry at the beginning. This was taken in 1929 when Aram was in the process of teaching Avedis III the family trade. Avedis said it took him about 3 months to learn how to make a cymbal, which makes him a fast learner. Just to give you an idea as to how difficult it is to properly train for such a job, the time required for a newly hired employee to learn the art was no less than 7 years. Those who were hired for this position were expert metal workers formerly employed in various other industries. All had to be let go, because not even one of them was able to make the grade.[/size][/font][/color]

Back in the 70's I used to write to drum companies for catalogs. I remember getting a letter back from Lennie DiMuzio with some of the Zildjian info. I'm quite sure I still have that.

This is just from memory: There was a story somewhere about how Avedis, when he moved to the USA, didn't think that he was going to be the heir to the Zildjian cymbal company, and was in the candy making business in Quincy. Then, when he switched over to cymbals, kept many of the employees from his candy making business. The line "formerly employed in various other industries" in the above story reminded me of that.

Avedis III was taking a big risk by leaving his candy making business behind to start making cymbals. Reportedly he was doing quite well with it. So droping a profitable business like that in order to start making cymbals was a bit disconcerting. But Aram convinced him that with the rising popularity of jazz, that there would be a continuing demand for more cymbals. But back in Turkey they "starved making those things". The foundry in Constantinople wasn't even in continuous use there. They waited until they got some cymbal orders and then they hired some temporary workers to come in and help them out. Then they filled the orders they had and then closed it back down again. Back in those days they made cymbals almost exclusively for orchestral players, so you can see how demand was spotty. I'm sure all this was on Avedis' mind as he went ahead and took the plunge.

It's kind of a bummer - can you imagine how good that candy must have been?

If only things had been different... we can only dream about what may have been...

Avedis Zildjian... genuine Turkish taffy... made in the USA...

Drumaholic is the man. A true man.

Thank you so much always.Kiss

You,re all wrong!!!...Billy Martin made the A,sflowers2

[color=black][font=times new roman][size=+1]These are scenes taken from the Zildjian foundry in the 1930's depicting the cymbal manufacturing process.[/size][/font][/color]

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/mellewis/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20P1010286.JPG[/img]

[color=black][font=times new roman][size=+1]Avedis Varteresian and two helpers do the initial hammering. Literature of the period claims that as many as 7 hammering sessions were employed. This counts as the first of the seven hammerings[/size][/font][/color]

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/mellewis/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20P1010282.JPG[/img]

[color=black][font=times new roman][size=+1]This is Avedis Varteresian heating up the billets prior to feeding them into the mill.[/size][/font][/color]

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/mellewis/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20P1010273.JPG[/img]

[color=black][font=times new roman][size=+1]Trimming the edges to perfectly circular shape. The bells were hammered in just prior to this. This counts as the second of the seven hammerings.[/size][/font][/color]

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/mellewis/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20P1010278.JPG[/img]

[color=black][font=times new roman][size=+1]Avedis Varteresian carefully hammering a cymbal. This work demands intense concentration, strength, and lots of endurance. In addition to that, the artisan's sense of "feel" for the cymbal that he's forming is critcal. This is developed only after years of experience.[/size][/font][/color]

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/mellewis/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20P1010279.JPG[/img]

[color=black][font=times new roman][size=+1]The lathing.[/size][/font][/color]

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/mellewis/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20P1010291.JPG[/img]

[color=black][font=times new roman][size=+1]And finally the application of the signature. Then its off to ageing vault for at least 2 months and maybe as much as a year or more to allow the crystaline structure of the bronze to settle into its final state.[/size][/font][/color]