How Paiste developed their own version of the B20 alloy for the Formula 602 series in 1957

Robert Paiste founded the Swiss factory across the lake from where Metallwerke Dornach was located by accident (Paiste had not started using B20 alloy at that time), little did he know they were the only foundry and mill that produced B20 bronze in all of Switzerland and possibly all of western Europe!

Robert Paiste initially worked with Swissmetal and developed a process of rolling B20 thin enough for B20 cymbal production.

Metallwerke Dornach supplied B20 alloy for the Swiss mint, Swiss coins were made out of B20 bronze.

Paiste does not have a foundry, they have traditionally used an outside supplier to provide their alloys with the first production stage completed.

For the B20 alloy they are delivered to Paiste as circular “blanks”.

The B20 “blanks” were supplied by Swissmetal from 1957 to 1994, they were originally called "Metallwerke Dornach AG".

The Formula 602 and Sound creation lines were discontinued around 1994 (or earlier) because Swissmetal stopped making B20 blanks, it is understood that Swissmetal went through substantial financial difficulties during this time, it’s assumed it wasn’t cost effective for them at that point as Paiste would have been a small customer.

"Wieland works" in Vöhringen Germany now supply all of Paiste's alloys but specifically; they supply the B20 blanks for the “classic 602’s” and "modern essentials 602’s".


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https://www.cymbal.wiki/wiki/Paiste