Axe Identification - Howdens True Set Quality

[Upnorthwoodcraft]

I recently picked up this embossed "Howdens True Set Quality" axe and (like the other axe I posted), I couldn't find any info on it so I'm hoping someone can help.

 

[Steve Tall]

D.H. Howden & Co. Limited: Importers and Jobbers of Hardware, Cutlery, Sporting Goods and Auto Accessories
(title of 1928 catalog)

Was based in Canada at London, Ontario.

"In 1987, Sodisco purchased London, Ont.-based D.H. Howden & Co. The combined entity successfully pursued the entire Canadian market and was for years considered the country’s major hardware wholesaler for independents. Both the Sodisco business out of Victoriaville and the London-based Howden business were considered profitable in those days... When the Augers sold Sodisco-Howden to Unigesco, a food and grocery company, the new owners put a lot of costs onto the hardware wholesaler, and over time this practice reduced the ability of Sodisco-Howden to grow... When Sodisco-Howden was sold to CanWel Building Materials in 2004, it reportedly had sales of about $500 million...TIM-BR MART Group bought the business from CanWel at the end of 2010, inheriting what was by then an infrastructure considered by many to be too big for the level of sales the company was generating."
quoted from http://www.naylornetwork.com/lbm-nwl/articles/index-v4.asp?aid=297544&issueID=32146

Who made their axes for them is anyone's guess. Here's another example (or is it the same head?):

 

[Upnorthwoodcraft]

D.H. Howden & Co. Limited: Importers and Jobbers of Hardware, Cutlery, Sporting Goods and Auto Accessories
(title of 1928 catalog)

Was based in Canada at London, Ontario.

"In 1987, Sodisco purchased London, Ont.-based D.H. Howden & Co. The combined entity successfully pursued the entire Canadian market and was for years considered the country’s major hardware wholesaler for independents. Both the Sodisco business out of Victoriaville and the London-based Howden business were considered profitable in those days... When the Augers sold Sodisco-Howden to Unigesco, a food and grocery company, the new owners put a lot of costs onto the hardware wholesaler, and over time this practice reduced the ability of Sodisco-Howden to grow... When Sodisco-Howden was sold to CanWel Building Materials in 2004, it reportedly had sales of about $500 million...TIM-BR MART Group bought the business from CanWel at the end of 2010, inheriting what was by then an infrastructure considered by many to be too big for the level of sales the company was generating."
quoted from http://www.naylornetwork.com/lbm-nwl/articles/index-v4.asp?aid=297544&issueID=32146

Who made their axes for them is anyone's guess. Here's another example:

Thanks!

 

[Steve Tall]

A mention of D.H. Howden & Co from 1904 (at bottom of list):

 

[300Six]

Good on you Steve. Weren't very many large scale axe makers in Canada 50-100 years ago and even fewer that offered embossing with brands or logos. Walters Axe of Quebec didn't seem to want to be bothered with that stuff. Welland-Vale Axe Manufacturing in s. Ontario, if I recall, manufactured 'branded' axes for the Marshall-Wells hardware chain and those featured similar types of embossing. That's the direction I'd be looking in.