Early Buffet Models (1866 to 1887; s/n 0 thru appx. 7xxx)

A. Sax's patent expired in 1866 and a bunch of instrument makers jumped on the Sax bandwagon and/or tried to "improve" upon the saxophone design. The Buffet, interestingly, is extremely faithful to Sax's original design.

=====

Instrument Notes:
- Double or "split" octave key.
- Keyed range from low B to high Eb.
- No rollers or pearl keys.

Reason for model name: Jean Crampon joined the company in 1871, thus these are the first "Buffet-Crampon, Cie." horns ("Cie." essentially means "company").

=====

Techie notes:
- Double or "split" octave key.
- Horns have NO roller keys or pearls.
- Keyed range from low B to high Eb.

Early Evette & Schaeffer Models (1887 to 1927; s/n appx. 7xxx thru appx. 29424)

Reason for model name: Paul Evette and Ernest Schaeffer bought the Buffet Crampon firm in 1885 and patented their first saxophone on July 25, 1887, thus this is a new series of saxophones.

=====

Techie Notes:
- A sample of the engraving, featuring the Buffet-Crampon logo and the Evette-Schaeffer name. "Carl Fischer, New York" is only engraved on horns imported to the US.
- Keyed range of low Bb to high F on alto, C melody and Bb tenor (some low B models still available). Front F is available on some altos and Bb tenors. Keyed range to high Eb on soprano, baritone, bass and contrabass.
- No roller keys until approximately 1895.
- Double or "split" octave key continues until approximately 1916.
- C horns (melody tenor and possibly soprano models) are introduced in approximately 1920. Contrabass models probably introduced at this time.
- HN White, the manufacturer of the King saxophones, also imported these horns until approximately 1908.
- Apogee models appear to have been available at the same time as these models.
- Heavy soldered construction. Nothing is formed.
- For some reason, the bell keys on the straight soprano switch back and forth from split to one side (compare the 181xx horn and the 185xx horn). This
- Unique Eb vent key that is actually THROUGH the low D key (see circled area) on some horns after approximately 1895.
- Pearl keys appear in the mid 1920's.
- Alternate low C#, B and Bb keys are on some models. It has been hypothesized that this feature was required on all military-issue horns.

Comments from regular contributor, SAXTEK:
"The 1920 Buffet soprano is an interesting horn. Notice two things: all the right hand keys (D, E, F) can be held down with the third (D key) finger alone, leaving the first and second fingers free to engage alternate RIGHT HAND touchpieces for the low Bb and B. These right hand levers are suspended above the E and F keys. A variation of this key system was available later on Evette & Schaeffer saxes [ed. these horns were also sold with the Buffet label] and called the APOGEE system."