Thread: Razor ID Help! W & H Rontons Superior Razor (Pictures attached)

One of these days I'd like to get one of the AGAIN SUPERIOR razors. The three Stenton-stamped razors I have are from before he got the whole family involved.

In an era when work conditions were generally terrible, Stenton was famous for being an abusive boss. He started as a kind of foreman working for the Sanderson brothers. Around 1829 he went to work for Wostenholm, but he only stayed there for 2 years before lighting off for New York City with his family.

If he was actually responsible for them, I'd guess most of the mystery-stamps (Ascher, Ronton, E.L. & Co) were produced around the time he got canned from Wostenholm. I have to stress though, this is pure speculation on my part.

The word superior showed up in a lot of marketing at the time. Sort of like 'Advanced', 'Pro', or 'HD' does now. But the Devil Stenton seems to have been excessively fond of it.

The records for him are really scattershot. Tweedale's account has him merely working as a warehouse manager for Naylor & Sanderson from 1820 to 1829, but I have 'Stenton' stamped razors with the G(crown)R stamp on them, which is a pretty clear indication he was at least branding razors with his name during the 1820's. Apparently, he helped launch Wostenholm's American business -- which is really a big deal. That was one of the most successful Sheffield businesses of the 1800's.