Kalthoff gunsmiths

This family was founded was Herman Kolthoff from Kultenhof Estate, in the Danish Duchy of Schleswig (now Kaltenhof, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany), who had several sons that went on to fame across Europe. They are best known for the Kalthoff repeater - a rapid fire repeating rifle that could deliver 20-30 rounds/minute in the 1600s. Signed examples of their guns can be found in Windsor Castle, Danish Armory Collection, Kremlin Armory Collection.

  • Peder Hermansen Kalthoff - Served Frederik III of Denmark as Head of Armory, 1600-1672
  • Matthias Hermansen Kalthoff - Gunsmith Denmark, 1608-1681
  • Caspar Hermansen Kalthoff Elder—Served Charles I of England, 1606-1664
    • Caspar Kalthoff Younger—Served Tsar Alexis I of Russia and Charles II of England
  • Henrick Hermansen Kolthoff—Founded Foundries in Sweden and Norway, 1610-1661
  • William Hermansen Kalthoff—Patented repeating gun in France

Descendants

The Kalthoff name spelling name was recorded as Kaldtoft, Kalthof, Kaltof, Kaltoft, Koldtoft according to local pronunciation and spelling habits. All of the families with these names in Scandinavia are descendants. The original seed Kalthoff in each country shared the "Hermansen" name indicating a common father, was famous for advance metallurgic skills (iron manufacturing, advance steel formula for repeating rifles, etc.), and were born within a decade of each other. Kalthoff is a single family-name.

References
  • Harold L. Peterson The Book of the Gun Paul Hamlyn Publishing Group (1962)
  • Robert M. Lee & R. L. Wilson, Art of the Gun Yellowstone Press (2002)
  • Guy M Wilson The Vauxhall Operatory. A century of inventions before the Scientific Revolution, Basiliscoe Press (2010)
  • S.E. Ellacott, Guns, Methuen (1960)
  • Gordon Campbell, The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts, Oxford University Press, (2006)
  • Arne Hoff,Ældre dansk bøssemageri, Tøjhusmuseet, 1951


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