Them’s the Breaks

Lately I’m seeing a lot of online ads for broken cymbals. I admit that I too have some broken cymbals (I didn’t break them), and when buying each one, I had to make some serious decisions, namely, is it actually worth anything? And, if so, how much? And why? The value of a broken cymbal depends on the type of cymbal, the type of break, the extent of the damage, and prognosis for the future.

What Can Break
Well, all of it. Cracks can appear at the edge, along the tone grooves, at the edge of the bell, and around the mounting hole. And cymbals can simply fall apart.

Edge Cracks
When we think of a crack, we usually think of a break perpendicular to the edge of the cymbal. We’ve always been told to drill a hole in it, which can slow things down for a while, but such breaks are often terminal.

Split
Cymbals can also crack along a lathing line. This happens mainly to crash cymbals, thin cymbals, cymbals that have had a lot of hard use, and cymbals that have been clamped down too tightly. Left untreated, the cymbal will continue to degrade until it hangs in shreds.

Bridge
Cymbals that can't move freely will fatigue promoting cracks at the Bridge, the area where the bow transitions into the bell. Bridge cracks compromise sound and will speed a cymbal towards its death.

Spider Cracks
Another issue caused by over-tighten is cracks around the mounting hole. A small crack or two might be OK and further deterioration may be forestalled by letting them breath.

Chunks
It’s always a surprise when it happens as there’s usually no warning.  A chunk of metal just drops out of the cymbal. Bronze is very strong but hey, it’s just metal, and fatigue can eventually weaken it to the point of simply giving up. 

Keyholes
This well-named damage occurs when a cymbal grinds away on the exposed threaded rod of a cymbal stand. It’s mainly an issue with older cymbals that lacked the protection of a cymbal sleeve. Modern cymbal stands are kinder to cymbals. Keyholing of a few millimetres is not a big deal, but why risk it when cymbal sleeves and felts are so cheap and easy to come by?

What To Do
There's no easy formula. There can be significant value in someone else's junkers, and the cost of admission can be very nice. While a crack is often the beginning of the end, it may be possible to ‘repair’ the cymbal and continue to play it with no further issues. Or the cymbal might actually be a keeper the way it is (see above).