What does the medallion say about your can?
You may have noticed a brass medallion on each Haws watering can, but did you know there are small but identifiable tweaks to the medallion that chart a history of constant evolution?
Today's Haws medallion, seen on all cans from 2020 onwards
The Stourbridge era medallion, found on cans from 1953 to 1976
One of the oldest Haws medallions featuring Bishop's Stortford produced from 1925 to 1953
The original Haws logo appeared on both the company’s medallions and printed material from the earliest days of the business through to 1986. On metal cans, the wording around the outer edge of the stamped medallion changed as Haws moved from one factory to another. As a result, the medallion can often help to date an older can.
- 1886–1925: Clapton Works, London
- 1925–1953: Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire
- 1953–1976: Stourbridge, West Midlands
- 1976–1983: Walsall, West Midlands
Following the acquisition of Haws by Eclipse Sprayers in 1982, the company logo and medallion were redesigned in 1986. We are not yet certain which medallion was used between 1983 and 1986, although it is likely that the existing Walsall version was used during this period.
The new 1986 logo introduced the familiar one-stem, two-leaf and three-berry design. It first appeared on cans as an adhesive foil medallion, with a red background and gold lettering and decoration. This medallion was used on both metal and blow-moulded cans, and was applied to the breast of the can.
In 1995, a new medallion was introduced for the metal range. Haws returned to a stamped brass badge, now carrying the leaf-and-berry motif together with the words ‘Made in England’.
Blow-moulded cans continued to use the red-and-gold foil medallion until 2002, when it was replaced by an adhesive gold medallion based on the same design as the stamped brass version used on the metal cans.
In 2019 the branding and logo was updated again by Together Design, which brought back some of the fine detail of the original logo and updated it for the present day. The medallion was put into production and by the end of 2020 all cans were produced with the new design.
The Cradley medallions
The Cradley one-gallon and one-and-a-half-gallon plastic cans followed a slightly different path. These cans were originally launched during the TALA-owned era of Haws in the 1970s, although we have not yet established exactly which logo or medallion they carried at the time.
By the end of the 1970s, when Haws was owned by Elliotts, the design was distinct from that fitted to the metal cans. Rather than being placed on the breast, the logo was applied as an adhesive sticker to the side of the body. Its design was an updated interpretation of the original Haws mark.
During the Elliotts period, the wording on this logo included ‘Walsall’. From the early 1980s, once the Pennock family had bought Haws, the wording was changed to ‘Warley’. Warley is the local Birmingham ward that the factory is located in.
Sometime between 1992 and 1995 this design was replaced by a larger version of the red-and-gold Haws medallion. This remained in use until 2008, when the Cradley range adopted the gold leaf-and-berry design, bringing it into line with the rest of the plastic range.
The red and gold medallion which was seen on cans for 15 years (introduced in the 1990s)
A final note
From 2016, adhesive medallions were no longer applied to Haws’ outdoor plastic watering cans. In prolonged outdoor use, the labels could begin to lift or come unstuck, leaving the cans looking untidy.
We continue to use adhesive medallions on indoor plastic cans, where conditions are much kinder and the labels remain in good condition for far longer.
So for the eagle eyed – or the watering can connoisseur – not only are Haws’ particularly collectable, but their medallions help give a timeline of manufacturing.
For indoor metal watering cans
Need a spare?
Small medallion
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Small replacement medallion for your outdoor metal Haws watering can, supplied with a pre-applied 3M self-adhesive foam pad for quick and secure fitting.
Fits the following models:
- The Rowley Ripple (Copper, Brass & Galvanised steel)
- The Fazeley Flow (Copper, Brass & Galvanised steel)
- The Haws Jug
To fit, simply remove the red protective film from the adhesive pad, position the medallion on the can, and press firmly into place. For best adhesion, smooth the medallion down with your thumb to ensure the pad bonds fully to the surface.
The medallion measures 28mm in diameter.
For outdoor metal watering cans
Need a spare?
Large Medallion
/
Large replacement medallion for your outdoor metal Haws watering can, supplied with a pre-applied 3M self-adhesive foam pad for quick and secure fitting.
Fits the following models:
- The Warley Fall
- The Warley Fall HDG
- The Bearwood Brook
- The Hockley Heritage
To fit, simply remove the red protective film from the adhesive pad, position the medallion on the can, and press firmly into place. For best adhesion, smooth the medallion down with your thumb to ensure the pad bonds fully to the surface.
The medallion measures 36mm in diameter.
The Haws story runs from a vanilla plantation in Mauritius in the mid-1800s to a workshop in Birmingham, where the cans are made today. The design has been refined and the company has changed hands more than once, but the standard of work has stayed the same.
