My friend, Al, loaned me his fine SML, which was his first clarinet. SML stands for the maker more widely known for making oboes, Strasser, Marigaux and Lemaire. (And Lemaire probably should not to be confused with the stencil brand Le Maire. See below.)

Serial: 80x8 or 8958. The second number could either be a 0 or 9. The 8 almost looks like an S. The third number looks smaller than the other three on both sections. Other than not stamping the serial number clearly, this is a very nicely made clarinet. All 4 joints are stamped STRASSER, then below a banner, SML, PARIS, FRANCE.


The key work looks like Buffet key work except for the left pinkie keys not being pin in hole type.
The right hand rings are especially comfortable and seem a bit larger than normal. The springs are blunt, not sharp like Buffets.


Bore: 15mm at top of left keyed joint,
14.8 at the bottom of the same.
Barrel: 65.65mm



This clarinet plays nicely, and has good tone, but the intonation will be problematic.
I would rate this as a very nice instrument for a beginning to intermediate Jr High student.


Information from Jack Kissinger at woodwind.org, in the thread about French stencil clarinets:

Le Maire is probably an error on the list. It probably should be Lemaire, in which case it is not a stencil but rather the intermediate model made by SML, a woodwind company founded in Paris in 1934 by three partners, Strasser, Marigaux and Lemaire. This company is best known, nowadays, for Marigaux oboes and english horns but, for many years they also made clarinets and saxophones. SML purchased the Malerne factory in 1975. The presence of "Le Maire" on the list suggests that not all of the instruments on the list are necessarily stencils, some were merely imports. (The presence of Noblet on this list further supports this argument.) Googling will lead you to more historical information (key words to include are marigaux sml malerne factory cicetti nora post in different combinations).

More recently from Modernicus at woodwind.org.

I had the impression that Le Maire as two words was stencil brand with no
relation to Lemaire of S.M.L. Many have appeared labeled as such (Le
Maire) on ebay.

Below: Batch number under the G# key.

Strasser Marigaux & Lemaire was founded in 1934 by three partners: Charles Strasser, a businessman who was born in Switzerland; Marigaux, an instrument maker who trained at Buffet-Crampon and Lemaire. After the death of Lemaire many years ago, Strasser and Marigaux bought their partner's shares and the company became known as "Strasser-Marigaux." Marigaux died in the early 1970s, leaving Strasser the sole owner of the company. Strasser then sold SML (it continues to use these initials) to a holding company -- Strasser-Marigaux S.A.. 

Up to this point in the SML's history (around 1980):

'Strasser' was a name for student level instruments 

'Lemaire' – intermediate 

'Marigaux' – professional level instrument. 

It seams that during 1980's and 2002 company's clarinet business was drastically declining. At some point they stopped making 'Strasser' and 'Lemaire' models.

Marigaux models for 2002:

Marigaux clarinet 200, (S-200) Standard model, Bb, nickel-plated keys

Marigaux clarinet 201, (S-200) Standard model, Bb, silver-plated keys

Marigaux clarinet 300, (S-300), Professional model, Bb, nickel-plated keys

Marigaux clarinet 301, (S-301), Professional model, Bb, silver -plated keys

Marigaux 351 Clarinet "RS" Symphonie, top of the line, in the key of Bb

Marigaux 352 Clarinet "RS" Symphonie, top of the line, in the key of A

__________________________________________________________

The highest clarinet Model/Number I've worked on/seen is Marigaux 355 T.

The clarinet "ROCHER THOMAS" Made by Marigaux is semiprofessional model similar to the Marigaux S300 series models. "ROCHER THOMAS" I believe was made in the early 80's.

Marigaux (S-200) = basically a Strasser

Marigaux (S-300) = similar to Lemaire

Vytas Krass

Professional clarinet technician

Custom clarinet mouthpiece maker

Former professional clarinet player

Link to woodwind.org thread