M35 DD SS helmet, opinions please?

[Schwerpunkt]

i believe a book that all helmet collectors should have IMO.Carl

There's a lot of loose ends to his research and a lot of speculation. That book can't help you to determine what's real and what's not. If you want to collect German helmets Ken N's book is the way to go.
If you need a lotnumber list (which can be useful from time to time) there's a free one available for GHW's Veteran members.

[goodbuys]

This is not just lot #s and do you have the book?? Any book that can aid the collectors in this minefield is an aid to the collector!! You seem to imply that the book you mentioned is the Holy Grail of helmet collectors and its not.Thats my opinion and i have nothing to do with the publication! Also i and other collectors have ' THE HISTORY of the GERMAN HELMET 1916-1945' by Ludwig Baer as a tool.Kelly Hicks book is also a tool and his as far as i am concerned knows more about SS helmets than anyone of us combined! I am not going to get into a contraversy about this,but one book does not make as i said a Holly Grail

[Schwerpunkt]

This is not just lot #s and do you have the book?? Any book that can aid the collectors in this minefield is an aid to the collector!! You seem to imply that the book you mentioned is the Holy Grail of helmet collectors and its not.Thats my opinion and i have nothing to do with the publication! Also i and other collectors have ' THE HISTORY of the GERMAN HELMET 1916-1945' by Ludwig Baer as a tool.Kelly Hicks book is also a tool and his as far as i am concerned knows more about SS helmets than anyone of us combined! I am not going to get into a contraversy about this,but one book does not make as i said a Holly Grail

I don't even own the Ken N book so don't get your panties in a twist. I have held it and as books go it's the best guideline for new collectors. Experienced collectors won't need it , I don't own the Baer book either.
The best source of information since a couple of years are the forums where collectors share and discuss their collections in detail.

[John Brandon]

Personally, I have been collecting for 35 odd years, and even now, there are things that scare the living daylights out of me. Each "member" has his, or her, own area to collect, and it is impossible to know everything anbout everything. There are a few IMO highly respected members on this forum, and i would hate to see them leave, through unfounded insults. As far as helmets go, you couldn't find more knowledgable peaople, than Frank, Doug, Jim, and of course Ade to name but a few.
So lets keep this civil, and stop the insults, books, as stated are just tools, there's nothing like handling the real thing to get the exsperience.
That double decal would fool most people. It looks the part, but as others have stated. "it's good, but not good enough"
JMO

[Glenn66]

Shame, that was a good looking lid until the decals gave it away

[John Brandon]

...............when some clown with maybe 1 or 2 years in the hobby starts their crap.This ends my input on this thread and surffice to say thats it with this,period.CaRL

Carl, I appriciate what you are saying, I get miffed when someone says "I'm not an expert, and even I don't like it.....blah blah" Opinoins are like A***soles, everyone has one, however the comments were directed at someone who has a wealth of knowledge, and I for one respect his opinion. Nuff said, onwards and upwards. Keep it cool, and enjoy the forum...I do

[SSamir]

Yes, Brians Ice book is a great book, but not complete (at least not for SS lids). I recently started collecting SS lids and sometimes I have trouble verifying lot numbers as it is "an ongoing research". Sometimes I would have to turn to members like SSTK who stays on top of the lot numbers for SS lids for help.

[DougB]

The self published lot number book is nice thing but contains theory which is just that and some like I do not agree with all his theory, and as Frank said there's a free Lot number database on GHW. Other than ET there is not a lot you can garner out of lot numbers regarding helmet production sequencing. Using lot numbers as a definitive tool is dangerous as a lot number tells you little of the story but it can be useful.

I run a lot number database on only SS helmets, it's at 450 so far ( I've taken a break since summer ) and when you narrow the scope of lot numbers and then add decal makers and shell manufacturers and decal application ( double decal, double runic, reverse decal ), then add liner frame dates and chinstrap dates and domestamps and even personalizations some very interesting and far more detailed information is yielded about the helmet such as year of manufacture, which branch of the SS the helmet was produced for etc.

From this far more detailed information and personalization research I was able to deduce a near mint double decal Q SS made in 1938 with a Carl Tesch VA SS strap was made for RuSHA members of the SS as it seemed through name research on 2 others similar were also RuSHA. Anyway the point is that far more than lot number is needed in a helmet evaluation.

I agree with Frank, Kens book is far more valuable for collectors as a general scope of work and includes the entire analysis of a helmet and it's various components including decal to shell relationships.

I don't know why you jumped down Franks throat Carl as that's all Frank said. Franks collection is world class as is his knowledge.

Anyone can self publish a book today, it doesn't make the content gospel. Great if you like it Carl but no need to come unglued because someone doesn't share your opinion about it.

Cheers
Doug

[RichieC]

Carl,

You need to lighten up.

Please...

[SSamir]

Doug, ever thought about publishing your own book on SS lot numbers? I'll be your first customer.