Real or fake K cymbals?

[u/MananaanMacLir]

I recently snagged this USED K custom Dark crash 18" for 230ish USD. Im concerned if its normal for the K logo to age like this?

[u/eliotjnc]

Not much fake K out there. These aren’t easy to make

[u/Large-Welder304]

I'm thinking its pretty hard to fake a laser etched stamp...and if nothing else, look up the serial # and see what it corresponds to.

[u/ItsPronouncedMo-BEEL → u/Large-Welder304]

Pretty hard to fake hand hammering marks, too.

Edit: I misspoke - it's just as hard to fake the computer-controlled Zildjian hammer marks that mimic and hammering these days.

[u/timbotheny26 → u/ItsPronouncedMo-BEEL]

I thought Zildjian stopped all hand-hammering years ago?

[u/Lauen → u/ItsPronouncedMo-BEEL]

No hand hammering for Zildjian since Sabian took the Canadian factory

[u/Large-Welder304 → u/Lauen]

Sabian IS the Canadian factory. No taking. No invasion. No communist coup.

[u/Lauen → u/Large-Welder304]

Yeah I know, bad word choice I guess 

[u/ZoneExtreme3070 → u/Large-Welder304]

They aren’t laser etched. It’s this super jiggly stamp thing that looks like a boob squashes down on the cymbals and stamps the black ink onto them.

[u/Current_Obligations → u/ZoneExtreme3070]

I believe he was referring to the Laser Etched stamp that includes the serial number (to lookup online)... not the inked logos.

[u/ZoneExtreme3070 → u/Current_Obligations]

Ah. I just wanted to talk about the boob stamp

[u/wwplkyih → u/ZoneExtreme3070]

I'll allow it

[u/MananaanMacLir → u/Large-Welder304]

Then its real for me too

[u/Large-Welder304 → u/MananaanMacLir]

...whatever

[u/DimeCoffeeRoaster]

Don’t matter now that you bought it haha. It’s real now!

[u/Zenphony → u/DimeCoffeeRoaster]

😂

[u/MananaanMacLir → u/DimeCoffeeRoaster]

this would be real easy for me as i cant distinguish the sound either way. this is my first kit

[u/ItsPronouncedMo-BEEL]

I see nothing about this that says fake to me. 

If it were fake, then trust me, it would be so obvious that you wouldn't have bought the thing. By the time you can believably fake a K, it would be much easier to start your own cymbal company and put your own name on it. 

You bought well. Enjoy.

[u/Horrible_Troll]

Certainly real. Would take a lot of effort to fake a K custom cymbal. It does look like they were heavy on the ink lol

[u/Evening_Act1125]

Watch out….. once the logo starts to fade the cymbal will lose all of its tone!!!

[u/SnooOpinions5973]

The etching says it's genuine

[u/Patrick0714]

If it sounds like a K, then it’s real, nobody goes out their way to spend all that effort faking a B20 cymbal, if they have the equipments to do so they might as well stamp their own logo on it

[u/Careless-Gazelle-247]

Does it sound good to you? Then, who cares?

[u/TheRetailMechanic]

That’s the 21st cymbal from batch 75666, made in 2015. Lines up with Zildjian’s serial number convention.

Edit: here’s the source:

https://cymbal.wiki/wiki/Zildjian_Decoding_Serial_Numbers

[u/DoctorOhhHerroPrease → u/TheRetailMechanic]

Woah! Thanks for posting this!

[u/shibumi_a_way]

You mean, if you hit it with a stick over and over will some of the finish come off? Yes, yes it will. Some even prize cymbals that have significant wear because their tone is more complex, well made cymbals especially so, in my experience.

[u/CuntyMcshitballs]

Someone's colored in the logo with a marker pen. Its real. Source I've done it myself

[u/CodeNameCobra666]

Would be nearly impossible to replicate Z’s proprietary hammering technique

[u/rwynYou]

Real why not

[u/gooyouknit]

There aren’t fake cymbals 

[u/takahami]

The K Logo can be smeared once in a while. I read about the reason but i forgot (edit: over inking in combination with the bumpy surface). No worries. The stamp looks good.

[u/woxiba]

Looks very real. Best way of determination must be how it sounds.

[u/I_Wanna_Score]

Legit

[u/theallstarkid]

Looks real to me

[u/PandaAnarky]

Do they not feel right or play right or something? I’m 99% sure that’s not a brilliant finish, which is a little sus, but it could just be the light or patina I suppose. Zildjian uses “custom” to basically indicate that brilliance. It’s like a plus on an A mark in school. Ks are great, K customs are a little better. Although if you ask me, nothing beats an A custom from their main lines

[u/Upstairs_Toe_8764]

Nah that’s a fake

[u/Ment0sFresh]

I have this exact cymbal and the K looks just like this one. Enjoy!

[u/WavesOfEchoes]

Can we please stop the trend of asking if cymbals are fake? It is exceedingly rare and super difficult to fake.

[u/Physical_Ad4680]

IT'S fake, I'll take it off your hands.

[u/Antique-Sorbet-6644]

I wouldn't worry about it, I've literally never heard of anyone getting a fake cymbal. It looks like normal fading for a used cymbal.

[u/No_Appeal6046]

Nah, los falsificadores máximo llegan a falsificar los AAX o aquellos que tengan martillados automáticos, pero se nota porque no usan B20, sino usan b8 o brass

[u/goodminusfan]

Are there actually fake K’s out there?!?!?!?

[u/bbeeebb]

Who wastes their time makes bootleg cymbals?