True Temper Black Prince
True Temper Canada
St. Catharines, Ontario
1950 – 1965
True Temper Black Prince was the top-tier axe line made by True Temper Canada from 1950 to 1965 in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was the successor to the long-running Black Prince axe line originally created by the Welland Vale Manufacturing Company in the late 1800s.
True Temper Canada was the final iteration of the “Welland Vale Works” axe factory in St. Catharines, started in 1868, and the Black Prince axe nearly has as long a history.
The brand began as early as 1876, and continued for 74 years – even after the Welland Vale Manufacturing Company was purchased by the American Fork & Hoe Company in 1930.
It wasn’t until 1950 that all the Canadian holdings of what was then True Temper in the US were reorganized into True Temper Canada. At this time, the Black Prince axe brand became the True Temper Black Prince.
As the premium axe line, the True Temper Black Prince used a better quality steel than the standard True Temper Lion, and received more attention at the factory towards fit and finish.
The True Temper Black Prince was maintained until a strike in 1965 led to the St. Catharines factory being shut down for good, ending the 99-year-old axe brand.
Welland Vale Stamps on True Temper Axes
The fact that True Temper kept the name Black Prince (and Lion, the standard tier) shows they didn’t want to lose the recognition that comes from having a 74-year-old brand.
However, there was also a desire to make sure these “new” True Temper axes were still seen as Canadian – and to ensure they didn’t lose the trust and recognition of the Welland Vale name as well.
So, for the first couple of years, all axes made by True Temper Canada had an additional “Welland Vale” stamp. These can typically be found on the poll on single-bit axes.
Some of the old sources say the Welland Vale stamp was only used for the first 2 years – but given how many show up, I believe it was likely a little longer than that.
Stamp Variations
There are two standard stamps for the True Temper Black Prince: the text-only version (shown earlier in this article) and the later version, which also includes the weight of the axe.
The weight-marked ones never include the additional “Welland Vale” stamp and so are obviously later models – believed to be from the 60s, although exact timing is not confirmed.
Models of the True Temper Black Prince
The line-up of axes shifted slightly under True Temper Black Prince compared to the earlier Black Prince Brand, but both brands were primarily focused on full-size single-bit chopping/felling axes. Although smaller boys’ axes were also available.
There were also True Temper Black Prince hatchets and broad hatchets, which interestingly never existed under the original Welland Vale Black Prince brand.
Government & Company Contracts
True Temper Black Prince axes were used by various government agencies and private companies, and can be found with additional stamps. However, it seems the “standard” tier axe – the True Temper Lion was a more popular choice – probably because it was cheaper.
BC GOVT Stamp
The Government of British Columbia in particular, seemed to prefer the True Temper Black Prince over other brands for their Forest Service. The example above has the original Forest Service paint on the handle.
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Email: museum@axeandtool.com
Sources
- “Axe Makers of North America” by Allan Klenman (second edition), 1990
- Yesteryearstools.com – Welland Vale Co.
- Archive.org – Wood, Valence & Co. 1896
- Facebook Axe Junkies – Exploring Axe History