You should look into Paiste. Their cymbals are well crafted, sound fanastic, very musical and if played with proper technique you can smash them and they will still last a very long time.

Unless you alter your playing technique, thin cymbals are going to break on you no matter who makes them. As far as Paistes being able to be "smashed" and lasting......I think not. Cymbals aren't supposed to be "smashed" when you play them, there is a technique to playing them with musicality. "Smashing" them is going to just end up in breakage.....especially Paiste 2002s....the B8 alloy is more brittle than B20 and is LESS resilient than Zildijians, Sabians, Istanbuls, or Paiste 602s.

I'm not trying to sound like a musical snob here, just trying to help you understand that there's more to playing percussion than just bashing away.

Thinner cymbals have a more musical/washy sound by nature, but with that they are more fragile and take a different technique to play them so they won't break. Try going with lighter sticks and using your wrists in your playing more rather than coming down with your whole arm.

I prefer thin cymbals because they speak more quickly and it doesn't take as much force to play them. If you can adjust your technique to them, I think you'll find them to be more versatile ... there's really only one way to play a Z.

I haven't cracked a cymbal in almost 35 years of playing, which isn't to say I baby them. We play "Tie Your Mother Down."

If you're going to use thinner cymbals, think about larger sizes. And/or medium-thin weights.

my recollection is Roger used very large Zildjian K cymbals as crashes and rides ... sometimes.

... and al9000, if you ever want to trade your Blakrome for a 60s Slingy (20,12,13,14f,16f,matching snare), just pm me.

Smash was probably the wrong choice of word, but I did say it depends on your technique. I've played paiste for years and consider myself a heavy hitter and have never had any problems with them (I play the giant beat series). I have been through quite a few zildjians though. But my technique might not have been what it is now when I used them. However, this is just from my experience. I say paiste because I find they have great wash to them, are very musical and seem quite durable (in my experience).