Broken pith helmet...

**davejb** · 04-27-2013, 03:45 AM

Sorry ,i forgot to add that the split around the side would need to be sewn up first and all exterior stitching checked for tears or loose threads and general strength

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 04-27-2013 03:45 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**LizardKing** · 04-27-2013, 10:17 AM

by davejb

There might just be a chance to restore some of the shape provided the fibre inside has not split , this is a heavy crush damage either caused by bad packaging or bad handling , Because this particular helmet is made from Pith a fibrous material it just might react to a gentle steaming, the idea is to suspend the helmet upside down over a gentle steam with a round object the size of the interior and a bit of weight to it but nothing to heavy or you risk over stretching the fibre which will distort the shape ,both internally and externally, you will need to take your time and constantly check the progress,once the steaming has been done if the process has been successful , you then need to maintain the shape by leaving the round weighted object inside until the pith has dried,again checking that no shrinkage is occuring and if need be adding extra weight in stages to maintain the shape. Unfortunately there is no guarantee of success and is also a bravery test

The pith is completely broken to tiny pieces!

**Jerry B** · 04-27-2013, 11:06 AM

The German Tropenhelms are made of cork (or sometimes wicker) and not pith and cannot be restored by steaming as far as I am aware. A shame when they are this badly damaged as nothing can really be done to restore them. I hope the price reflected the damage. For display, use something as the seller did which takes the weight in the top of the dome and allows the rest of the helmet to hang down from it or pad it with something, wire or some other type of former, even cloth or foam might do.

**LizardKing** · 04-29-2013, 04:08 PM

I just finished restoring the shape of the helmet! All it needed was an hour of nerve- breaking job, a few wire cuts at my hands and the wire netting is complete! I'm very satisfied with the result, as my helmet doesn't bend inwards not even when it's upside down! The net is easily removed from the inside so if anything is wrong i can fix it in a few minutes! No further damage caused at the helmet itself!

**douglas2496** · 04-29-2013, 04:53 PM

Well done, looks great!

**LeonardoL** · 04-29-2013, 05:35 PM

A noob question. Does the pith have any ballistic protection? And what is it filled with?

**Jerry B** · 04-29-2013, 05:41 PM

by DTVPKING

A noob question. Does the pith have any ballistic protection? And what is it filled with?

Hi,

No ballistic protection at all, they are meant for wear behind the lines and were to keep the sun off the wearers head to stop sunstroke. These are incorrectly called pith helmets after the early types which were made from a plant fibre called pith which comes from the sola plant. German tropenhelms are made from cork or less often from wicker.

**LeonardoL** · 04-29-2013, 05:49 PM

Thank you, that has been bothering me a long time. Cherrs

**Dean** · 08-07-2013, 09:59 AM

I know this is an older thread, but I was reading up on these, as I wasn't sure of the difference between the pith and troppenhelms . This has been informative, thanks Jerry!
Lizard king, I like the job you did fixing the shape of the dome. Not bad at all, and not too noticeable on the inside. When I imagined the way you explained doing it, I thought it would look like a chicken wire basket, like the kind worn on steel helmets.
Cheers,

Dean.