Kraftsman / Ola Kraftsman

August 2025 Correction:

Thanks to Sarah for this wonderful correction to my story about the Ola Kraftsman clarinet.

Greetings! I'm so happy to have found your page with historical information and even play tests of the instruments... very exciting to see someone so dedicated to sharing their knowledge and experience with instruments that can sometimes be lost into the present times.   [Blush. Thanks for the kind words.]

I was especially delighted to see that you have included Ola Kraftsman in your assessments, however, I was disappointed that you listed the brand under the French page. Information on this manufacturer seems largely lost to history but I recently found one that still plays beautifully and seems to provide a subtle ergonomic difference that makes it especially comfortable in the hands. The country of origin on mine is etched below the thumb rest and while some letters are worn beyond legibility, it is still clear that it was made in Czechoslovakia. When reading your page about Czech/Slovak clarinets I did not see Ola Kraftsman listed there. Rightly so, the Kohlert family is the star feature of antiques from Czechoslovakia. The Sons inherited the business from their father, V. Kohlert, around the turn of the 20th Century. Instruments from V. Kohlert are much older than anything including reference to the sons. Some variation of names were used for a short time before the sons committed to V. Kohlert's Sons. The vast majority of their instruments are labeled either "V. Kohlert's Sons Graslitz" or "V. Kohlert's Sons Kraslice," but those are all manufactured in the same factories. In the mid-40s Amati was born not as a distinct manufacturer but rather as a cooperative entity encompassing the pre-existing infrastructure, while the Soviets cemented their control over Central Europe. By the late-40s Amati had become a state-owned umbrella of all instrument production in Kraslice, who rebranded the instruments under different names when they included reference to any particular person or family. Also in the late 40s German-named families were expatriated, even if that nomenclature existed from the Austro-Hungarian empire that ruled prior to Germany. Families who lived in the region for centuries were relocated simply because of names, so the Kohlert Brothers were relocated into Germany. From what I've gathered, the eldest brother was the primary craftsman while another was a businessman and another a musician. The eldest brother reportedly died in about 1949, prior to the family's enforced relocation. The other brothers continued the business in Germany under the family name shortened to simply Kohlert. From what I understand the quality of the Kohlert instruments is less reliable than those produced with the proper factories and full workforce previously utilized in Kraslice/Graslitz...

Looooong story getting closer to the end... I have a theory about Ola Kraftsman. Ola is a nickname that is etymologically linked to the name Olaf, which is traditionally given to the heir of an ancestral legacy. Considering the instrument's origin in Czechoslovakia and some similar design to V. Kohlert's Sons I believe the instrument could have been produced by the eldest son of V.Kohlert, the one who truly learned the production process rather than focusing on the business end or musical expression. The connection bridge between the joints on the Ola is nearly identical to that of the V. Kohlert's Sons, but surely they weren't the only ones using that triangular design. So many questions abound with Ola Kraftsman but it is truly a well-made instrument at the caliber of those produced in Kraslice. It seems impossible to determine the absolute truth, however, it does seem logical that sometime amidst the growing animosity toward Germans, the Kohlerts may have attempted to distance themselves from the name. Or rather the eldest brother whose skill upheld the success of the family business may have wanted to craft a seperate line of his own, for an individual legacy to honor his place as the heir to his father's craftsmanship while also obscuring a relation to German ancestry. Information about his death is also obscure but if he died in resistance to relocation and Soviet control then his legacy would have likely been erased from record as much as possible.

Thank you for your consideration of history and largely unknown brands. It is a fascinating topic that few consider at the depth that you do. Many brush off a great instrument simply because of the name so thank you again for your efforts to breathe life into lost history.

~Sarah