K is for Kerope.
Kerope was Avedis Zildjian II’s brother (also known as Avedis II). But why was Kerope important?
Kerope took over the company in 1865—still in Constantinople—, following the death of Avedis II. During this time Kerope created the original K Zildjian, with multiple sizes and thicknesses which—in a way— are still used today.
The “old K’s” were made until the late 60’s, first back in Turkey and then, following the opening of the Avedis Zildjian Co. in Boston, MA in 1929; the production started to shift to the US.
In the early 70’s the K’s moved production to the Azco factory, in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada (which, as many of you know, then became Sabian. But let’s leave that story for another day). This brought a whole generation of Canadian K’s, which were produced until the early 80’s, when production went back to Massachusetts. This was because Ks demanded more oversight and then the Armand vs Robert Zildjian thing happened. So after that, K’s are made in the US no matter what.
A Canadian K from the 70's
The Kerope line
With so many changes, the K line evolved over time, with multiple sizes, models (FX, chinas), thickness, hammering techniques, etc. Eventually, there was a need to go back to the beginning. And that’s how the Kerope line came about, “The Kerope line draws from Zildjian's rich history and cymbal-making expertise to bring forth the most authentic vintage K recreation to date. These handcrafted cymbals look as they sound - dark and complex.”
Kerope Line
These days, the Kerope line is very hard to find. It is out of stock in most places (including zildjian.com), and can only be found in second hand marketplaces.
Do you own an old K? Or a new Kerope? What’s your experience?
