There is in fact a problem with "Paiste Alloy" (B15), which is the alloy used for Paiste Signature/Traditional/Sound Formula.
There's a topic on Cymbalholic on that too. This is what I wrote there:
Most of the cracked ones I've seen were heavier Sigs. Heavy crashes and rides. Owned by drummers with a gentle touch. They often break in places that are not even played. Several unfortunate owners of broken Sigs are convinced they didn't break during playing, but while resting. True or not, I don't know. But many of the Sig/SF/Trad cracks I've seen were illogical. With most cracked cymbals you can find the cause for the crack. Paiste B15 alloy however often cracks in mysterious ways.
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Of course only a minority of Paiste Sigs/Trads/Sound Formula's break, so there's no cause for a general alarm. But what I don't like about this alloy is that it doesn't necessarily break from abuse.
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Here's a typical example:
In any case, most B15 is much too soft and warps much too easily. It goes out of shape as easily as brass or nickelsilver.
I'm being sent so many warped B15 cymbals for re-hammering into proper shape again. A big part of them are hihats that don't chick properly anymore because of warps or dents. I'm not only talking about thin Paiste Trad hihats, but also about the heaviest Sigs.
I've seen thinner Paiste Sigs and Trads that were warped so badly that they looked like they had been crushed by an elephant.
When hammering B15 alloy cymbals, I don't have to use any force at all to create the wildest shapes.
http://www.cymbalholic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11637
