If we can talk about the heritage story first, Perry, when was the Ronson business founded, and who by?
What were its earliest innovations? The Ronson story began in the USA in 1886, when Louis V. Aronson formed The Art Metal Company. The company patented the world’s first sulphur ignition ’safety match’ in 1897 and the first lighter, a spark-producing device called the ‘Pist-o-liter,’ in 1910 and the ‘Wonderliter,’ the first lighter to sustain a flame, in 1913. GT – When did the Ronson name start appearing on your products? Mr Aronson dropped the ‘A’ in the 1920s, and used the Ronson branding from then on. GT – When did Ronson first open a UK office? The UK subsidiary, Ronson Products Ltd, opened its offices in Battersea, South London, in 1930. GT – What have been Ronson’s innovations over the years? The list includes the first mechanical cigarette lighter; the first refillable gas lighter; the first gas lighter with an adjustable flame; the first gas can to refill lighters; and the world’s first gas valve for a lighter. GT – The Ronson Varaflame has become something of a style icon. Wh
