 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: dneff
Date: 2000-09-20 15:40
We are new to clarinets. My son was able to pick one up, that has "Old Kraftsman" etched in it, at a garage sale. He is now starting to take lessons. I can find no one who knows this make or model and maker. We are needing to know if we should bother with future repairs as they are needed. It is wooden and in playable condition. We only needed to replace the corks. Can someone help with any info?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-09-20 16:26
I have seen an Old Cr. some time back, have no real knowledge of maker or country, but believe it might be French made, prob. one of many copies of the Buffet as by Martin Freres [Brothers], Thibouville-Cabart, etc who imported wood cl's into the US in the 40-70's as intermediate quality=priced horns. If not cracked, it prob. is worthwhile to invest some $100, but ask a local, knowledgable repairer and/or clarinetist for an opinion. {Mark, does Langwill list horn-names under the makers?} Don
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Author: dneff
Date: 2000-09-21 16:06
Thank you Don,
I was also reading your reply to Clarke about the student clarinet they have. You are very helpful. Can you tell me what the "Langwill" info is? Is it something I can research?
Diana
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-09-21 16:32
An explanation of The New Langwill Index is at <a href=http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=27536>http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=27536</a>. I have a copy, and will try to remember to see if it's in there. Somehow I doubt it'll have much if anything at all.
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Author: dneff
Date: 2000-09-21 16:42
Thanks Mark,
I will look at the library for the NLI. I have also found a number on the upper section of the clarinet. 3000. The barrel, lower section and bell all have the emblem of a craftsman with the words "Old Kraftsman" under it. The metal looks to be nickle over brass, which, to my lay mind, means lesser quality. The addition of a Goldentone #3 mouthpiece might be a hint too?
Diana
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-09-21 16:46
Nickel is normally plated over copper, which is plated on the base metal - so you might be looking at the copper layer.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-09-21 16:51
The Goldentone #3 was a very popular Selmer mouthpiece that clarinettists purchased to go on a wide variety of clarinets. It gives no clue as to the maker or age of the clarinet itself. By the way it is a very common practice for clarinet players to replace the mouthpieces that come with the clarinets.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-09-21 17:55
Didn't this turn into a very interesting Thread!! Thanks, Diana, many of us enjoy helping, and learning in the process. Yes, the GT 3 mp is a common Selmer [or Brilhart?] inexpensive one and gives no hint of maker. I'll ask some of my knowledgable cl f[r]iends [small joke] at comm. band tonite about Old Cr. Otherwise its "e Pluribus Unum" [one from many] little-known French makers, IMHO. Don
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Author: dneff
Date: 2000-09-21 19:16
Glad you all find it as interesting to help as I find it to get answers. Thanks for asking around. Why are you guessing French? I would have thought that the "K" in Kraftsman would point toward a German craftsmanship.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-09-21 19:24
Point well taken, certainly many Boehm clarinets are/were made in Germany [hopefully by some of my ancestry!!]. I believe I have seen some of the student model Buffets say "Made in Ger.", and I just dont know of Oehler system cl's being made in France. Small world any more! Don
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-09-21 22:08
It could also be American made for that matter unless it says otherwise on the horn itself. Lots of company choose "different" spellings for product names just to be distinctive or impressive. So spelling isn't a reliable clue to country of origin.
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Author: dneff
Date: 2000-09-22 03:36
It is actually called "Old Kraftsman". I appreciate your looking it up, Mark. Did you try under "O" for old?
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Author: dneff
Date: 2000-09-22 12:17
Sooo, that means its either nuthin' or its sumthin'. :O)
Thanks for saving me the trip to the library. I will find a music shop around town to have it assessed. Will let you know if I find anything out.
Have the best day ever!
Diana
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Author: Esbeez
Date: 2025-08-03 03:48
I just picked up an Old Kraftsman at a used store today. It seems like a truly excellent value for the price. I looked at nearly two dozen there, including Buffets and some other other French-made like a vintage Noblet from 1926. The Old Kraftsman was one of the last that I examined. When I picked up just one half of this clarinet I was immediately enamored, "Wow! This one really feels amazing." The wooden composition, quietly smooth action of the keys, and the inexplicably comfortable feeling in the hands made a great first impression. It was only $20 more than the plastic Vitos so I just had to try it. What. a. winner! Truly wow. Very smooth, rich, clean sound that could seemlessly fit into a more professional setting... no breathy static interference at all and minimal clicking noise in the keys' action. P.S. this one does have brand new pads and cork.
I bought it without caring about whatever research yada yada yada. When it sounds that great with such a low price, the brand reputation and country of origin shouldn't matter much.
Got it home and decided to look more closely. "MADE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA" etched right under the thumbrest... 3 or 4 letters had flattened into the wood illegibly from use over many, many years.
Given its origin this brand must have been produced some time between 1918/1919 to 1992. Most likely after the wars so my guess is from the 50s - 80s.
This is truly a wonderful find from a country of perfectionistic craftsfolk. Certainly not as world renowned as the French but seriously, the Czech/Slovaks make excellent quality goods. This Old Kraftsman is the best I've ever found and the price was unbelievably cheap, considering what it is. Bestest best best best.
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Author: Esbeez
Date: 2025-08-03 10:36
After some more research into Czechoslovakian woodwinds I have the intuition that this brand was perhaps more likely to have been produced in the 1920s to the late 30s. The town of Kraslice in western Bohemia, Czechia has been renowned for instrument production for centuries and continues to this day with brands from Amati and RZ Clarinets. RZ clarinets seem to be truly elite, with beautiful full-body engravings, although I've never played one. Even via the biggest Czech search engine and Czech websites, detailed information that I could find about Kraslice instrument production is all dated after WW2 and nothing included Old Kraftsman. Which leads me to think that this particular brand was made sometime during the Interwar Period in the 20s-30s.... unless of course it was actually made in present-day Slovakia... but that's another rabbit hole for tomorrow... lol...
The one I found has a serial number in the 5,000s... not many posts for this brand online but I managed to find an ebay listing with a serial number in 15,000s... quality can vary greatly depending on the time frame of course... but everything combined makes it seem as though they were not produced for very long... likely just 10-20 years between the two world wars.
I emailed RZ clarinets asking for any information their network may have about Old Kraftsman... I'll update if they have anything to confirm or add to my relatively informed assumptions.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2025-08-03 20:32
As well as the larger manufacturers working around Kraslice there were a number of small workshops. Mostly these did contract work for the large makers, but some of them made their own instruments. Because of the small production quantities these will often not show up in tomes such as Langwills. The level of knowledge and expertise of instrument making in that region was such that some of these instruments from unknown makers are of surprisingly good quality.
Tony F.
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