WWI German Helmet

[anton67]

Thank you guys.
I really appreciate your help.
I will pass on this one.

[aicusv]

Condition of the inside doesn't match the outside. Yes these helmets were used in both wars, but as far as I know they were only painted in this type cammo in 1918.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I'm not convinced by it at all. It just might look better in hand - but I wouldn't hold my breath. There are that many fakes of this type of camouflaged helmet doing the rounds it really isn't worth taking the risk.

[Gunny Hartmann]

We could do with better photos really, but i wouldn't buy it on the basis of what i see!...

[Hoss]

This is original camo to be 100% you need outdoor pictures for me I'd like to see this area indoor pictures are bad with overhead light and flash? WW1 German helmets were painted by work groups not one off's by soldiers at workshops they along with artillery etc more often used enamel based paint for specific defensive positions. Shops for MG Abteilungen, Minenwerfer other specialist units took it on themselves as they saw fit. Regards Eric

[Glenn66]

Is that paint ON TOP of pitting??

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Is that paint ON TOP of pitting??

That in itself isn't a problem which people believe it to be. Many helmets were salvaged from the battlefields and sent back to be refurbished and reissued. Depending on how long they had lain there would depend on how badly they were pitted. it wouldn't be too unusual to have a reissued helmet with paint over pitting toward the end of the war!

[Glenn66]

First i've heard of that being the case, surely a corroded helmet would lose ballistic resistance?

[HARRY THE MOLE]

It depends how corroded it is. Towards the end of the war the Germans were short of everything. I have an M16 in my collection which has camouflage paint over pitting, but it is beyond doubt a genuine WW1-period camouflage scheme. It has been examined by several knowledgeable collectors - and none have doubted it. I don't subscribe to the notion that you only need photographs to tell if something is genuine. Sometimes it is quite obvious from photographs alone as to the originality of an item, but this isn't always the case. Sometimes you need to hold the item, and be able to examine it before drawing conclusions on its originality. On page 109 of the book; 'The German Army In The First World War' (Jürgen Kraus) there is a picture with the caption... 'Steel helmets are repainted in a repair workshop.'