John Stead (1856-1919) was born in Horsforth, Yorkshire, and became involved in the manufacture of hackle pins for the textile trade.  He moved to Hathersage, Derbyshire (a centre for wire and pin manufacture), and in 1901 launched his own enterprise at Victoria Mill.  Initially, the workforce included only John Stead and his son Alfred (1880-1954) and daughter Nellie (later Mrs Quemby).  John’s second son, John Arthur Stead (1883-1961), later joined the business.  In 1912, Stead’s moved to Sheffield and was located at Manor Works, Cricket Inn Road.  In 1913, Stead’s became a private limited company with £8,000 capital.  John Stead, Shirtcliffe House, Church Lane (Woodhouse), died on 30 December 1919, leaving £3,961.

John Stead & Co Ltd manufactured (or factored) several products.  Besides gramophone needles and tools (such as twist drills and files), it also marketed ‘FIRTH-BREARLEY’ stainless table cutlery, straight razors (marked ‘THE MANOR), and safety razors (marked ‘STEAD’).  ‘STEADFAST’ was stamped on other cutlery and tools.  Stead’s was reported to be busy even in the 1930s with a workforce of 300 (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 31 January 1931).  Alfred managed the firm.  Like another Hathersage safety-razor maker, George H. Lawrence, he was a Methodist and was well known as a preacher (Buxton, 2005).

In the 1940s, Stead’s diversified into screwdrivers and hacksaw blades.  In 1951, the firm published a house history, which noted that the workforce was nearly 400.  In 1953, chairman Alfred Stead retired to Bournemouth and died on a visit to friends in Ruskington, Lincolnshire, on 3 October 1954, aged 74.  He left £22,191.  Two years later, Stead’s was absorbed by Sheffield steel and toolmakers Darwins and became part of that company’s tool division.  John A. Stead died at his home in Worksop in January 1961, aged 77.  He had travelled widely overseas on behalf of Darwins and was another prominent Methodist.