Those are some wonderful razors! That boxed New ER 1909 is terrific!
I like to think the NEW ER is not recognized enough for its importance in the whole razor manufacturing world. The designer Julius Bueno De Mesquita was originally from England, was on scene to form GEM in the very early days, was involved in the formation of ASR, went to England in 1908 to form a British manufacturing facility, was in top executive roles at the formation of ASR Corp in 1919 as a Vice President, was there through the whole industry blade transition in the 1930s, and became ASR President in 1949. Clearly he was a dedicated and very important Razorman.
Returning to Britain in 1908 to set up a manufacuring facility, I believe it no small coincidence that he designed a razor which was manufactured in Britain - at the plant he built. Was this incentive from ASR to let him do this, or good practical thinking so there wouldn’t be any patent issues bw England and the US manufacture? Must have been some reason. He was back and forth bw the two continents continually well into the 1930s and also oversaw manufacture in Brooklyn simultaneously during the decade of the WW1 and beyond. Shared boxes/sharpeners/cases? Why the heck not? The Yankee, British made but with little obvious indication of where it was manufactured - sounds like the right one to sell back into the US. Makes sense to me.
This fella, who was referred to as “J.B.”, and also by some as the “ Dean“ of the industry, is still unrecognized as one of the very most top important figures in history regarding razor history and design. British born. Top Gun!
I learned a lot of this stuff at Razors.Page, a wonderful site by a British fella nicked as Riverrun. (A member here?) Awesome job done on all sorts of razor stuff, and particularly digging info around this man, De Mesquita.
His razor, these razors here, the 1909s, to me, represent the missing link to the entire enchilada on the Single Edge razor side. The sales transition into Europe, the guidance of design well into the 1950s, his stamp is on everything. It will have impacted Gaisman, Gillette and a multitude of others with De Mesquita standing strong through it all while others drop like flies. So, a British boy can be blamed for much of the design history of it all. Yeah J.B.!!
Image from
Razors.page
I still know nothing of the Canadian connection. Time to look!