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Our story
Two centuries of boldness and innovation, for the love of music
Beyond the chronology of events, beyond the successes and the renown, the story of the Buffet Crampon brand is first and foremost that of a dazzling trajectory. Born in 1825 at the Passage du Grand Cerf in Paris and established since 1850 in Mantes-la-Ville, the manufacture embodies the art of movement like no other, forever inventing, adapting and opening new horizons for wind instruments and those who love them.
A virtuoso soul. Uncompromising standards. A unique sonic signature. A breath of eternity. Nothing less was needed to earn Buffet Crampon its noble standing and a place apart in the world of music.
In 2025, the brand celebrates its 200th anniversary, a milestone that testifies to a remarkable longevity and a singular destiny, at the crossroads of art, craftsmanship and French savoir-faire.
Above all, these 200 years of history tell of the passion, the ambition and the duty of transmission that have driven this prestigious house from the very first day. In constant dialogue with the world and with the greatest artists, Buffet Crampon has always known how to reconcile tradition and modernity, savoir-faire and creativity, heritage and innovation, crafting instruments that set the standard.
An iconic and radiant brand, a human-scale company present around the world, Buffet Crampon is today one of France's Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Companies), honoured for the excellence of its artisanal and industrial expertise.
And because the future is already calling, it will take but a single breath to multiply our emotions tenfold.
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1825
The French instrument maker Denis Buffet-Auger (1783-1841) set up his workshop in the very heart of Paris, in the 2nd arrondissement, at 18 Passage du Grand Cerf. He quickly made a name for himself in the musical world by crafting excellent 13-key clarinets. In 1836, Jean-Louis Buffet, son of Denis, married Zoé Crampon and created the famous Buffet Crampon brand. -
1841
The production of Buffet Crampon oboes has been documented since this date. Indeed, as early as the mid-19th century, the brand's Parisian workshops (and, from 1850, those of Mantes-la-Ville) were already making oboes in ebony or grenadilla that were highly prized by the musicians of the day, alongside their famous clarinets. -
1843
In collaboration with the virtuoso clarinettist Hyacinthe Klosé, Louis Auguste Buffet adapted to the clarinet the system of keys and movable rings that Theobald Boehm had devised for the flute. This "Boehm" system became the standard in France and in most countries, with the notable exception of Germany and Austria, which remained faithful to the "Oehler system". -
1850
The year 1850 marked a decisive and structural turning point for the company. Jean-Louis Buffet joined forces with his brother Louis Buffet and with Ferdinand Tournier to give the business a new dimension. Together they officially founded the company Buffet Crampon et Cie and made the strategic decision to set up their new workshops in Mantes-la-Ville, a region renowned for its craftsmen and wood turners. It was in this dynamic of expansion that the series production of their famous clarinet, fitted with the revolutionary Boehm system, truly took off. -
1866
In 1866, under the visionary leadership of Pierre Goumas, the company crossed a historic technological threshold by installing a steam engine at the heart of the Mantes-la-Ville workshops. Determined to modernise the tooling, Goumas ushered instrument making into the industrial age. This cutting-edge mechanisation offered the perfect opportunity to diversify production: taking advantage of the expiry of Adolphe Sax's patent into the public domain, Buffet Crampon immediately began making its first saxophones. The company thus made this revolutionary invention its own barely twenty years after its creation by the brilliant Belgian instrument maker, marking the start of a long tradition of excellence in both brass and woodwinds. -
1889
The year 1889 established Buffet Crampon on the international stage. At the famous Universal Exhibition in Paris, the very one that saw the inauguration of the Eiffel Tower, the brand caused a sensation and won prestigious awards that crowned its savoir-faire and its ability to marry tradition with mechanical innovation. Buoyed by this immense recognition in Europe, Buffet Crampon took a major new strategic step by beginning to export its instruments to the United States. It was the start of a genuine love story with American musicians, who would swiftly make the brand their absolute reference. -
1955
Robert Carrée, who had joined the company as an apprentice in 1921 and was a gifted acoustician, created the R13 model in 1955, the flagship clarinet in the United States. That same year, the company also began producing the Dynaction series of saxophones, which would evolve into the Super Dynaction models (1957) and the highly regarded S series (1973). Buffet Crampon also became the leading supplier of student instruments in Europe, marketing saxophones of French and Italian manufacture under its Evette & Schaeffer brand. -
1967
The composer Toru Hora (1932-2020) founded the Japanese subsidiary of Buffet Crampon. Toru Hora received classical piano training and attended the Juilliard School. He joined the Buffet Crampon company in 1964 and founded and chaired the Buffet Japan branch three years later. Much of his work in Japan consisted of introducing wind instruments to the market and providing high-level training to each of the dealers. The name was officially changed in 2011 to Buffet Crampon Japan. -
1975
"The brand celebrated its 150th anniversary.
Revolutionising the brand's acoustic standards, the RC clarinet, named in tribute to its creator Robert Carrée, opened the way to new heights of instrument making. This technical achievement directly inspired the creation of the high-end Festival and Prestige models. Intended for the greatest international soloists, the Prestige range quickly established itself as the absolute reference, extending across the entire tessitura of the clarinet family (from the alto clarinet to the bass clarinet) and thus ensuring an unrivalled richness of timbre and accuracy of intonation in every register of the orchestra." -
1992
In 1992, Buffet Crampon revolutionised its double-reed offering by unveiling the Prestige oboe. Designed by the instrument maker René Lesieux in close synergy with the soloist Jean-Louis Capezzali, this high-end instrument was conceived to offer unprecedented flexibility and tonal stability. True to its reputation as an innovator, the French house chose to offer this model in two distinct finishes: traditional solid wood at first, then the brand-new Green LinE® composite, particularly resistant to thermal shock. A true pillar of the Buffet Crampon oboe range, the Prestige model would serve as the technical and aesthetic basis for the company's future creations, from student instruments such as the Prodige to the elite Virtuose and Légende models. -
1994
The year 1994 marked a genuine technological and environmental revolution for the world of wind instruments with the presentation of the Green LinE® range by Buffet Crampon. This avant-garde concept is based on the world's very first composite material made from reconstituted grenadilla wood. Invented by Pierre Laurence and officially registered as an international trademark, this major innovation offers a concrete response to the challenge of safeguarding tropical forests, a crucial and increasingly rare resource for makers of clarinets and oboes. By intimately combining respect for tradition with technical daring, Green LinE® overcomes the historic weaknesses of solid wood, offering exceptional structural stability, complete resistance to cracking in the face of thermal shock, and the perfect acoustic consistency sought after by the greatest soloists. -
2004
In 2004, Buffet Crampon launched the Tosca, its new line of professional clarinets. Descended from the acoustic family of the R13, it was designed by the celebrated clarinettist Michel Arrignon and developed in collaboration with the most renowned musicians of the time. Thanks to this teamwork, the instrument quickly established itself as one of the brand's flagship models. -
2016
In 2016, Buffet Crampon modernised its visual identity with the creation of its new logo. This graphic change, designed to support the brand's international development, streamlined the historic lines while retaining the house's symbolic elements. -
2021
Launch of the high-end BCXXI clarinet, whose innovative dimensions revolutionise the classic B-flat clarinet. BCXXI: two initials and a number that mark the entry into a new century and the architecture of a new acoustic paradigm. -
2024
In 2024, Buffet Crampon marked a new milestone in its double-reed range with the launch of the Hybride oboe. Developed to meet the modern demands of musicians, this instrument incorporates an innovative design combining traditional acoustic properties with new cutting-edge technologies to deliver optimal stability and sound projection. -
2025
In 2025, Buffet Crampon celebrates its 200th anniversary. Two centuries after Denis Buffet-Auger opened the very first Parisian workshop in 1825, the French house stands as the world leader in the clarinet and an absolute reference in the fine making of wind instruments. This historic anniversary offers the brand the opportunity to celebrate its exceptional heritage while reaffirming its roots and its unique savoir-faire in the service of musicians the world over.
