Fake German Steel helmets

[vonruffin]

Everyone's favorite - Normandy Camo M40 faked to near perfection.

[Tom Bennett]

Wow,
Thank's for sharing those pic's milan.Some of those Helmet's are designed to fool us and very well done.It's big buisness now faking Helmet's and they are out for a fast buck.Trouble is they are ripping people off and making a farce of the entire hobby.If your photo's save one person a small fortune then it was worth it

Cheer's mate
Tom

[Tom Bennett]

Hell these are getting good:-/
Thank's for the warning but what gave it away?

Tom

[vonruffin]

I know this helmet is a repaint because I did it myself. Although I called it a "fake" it's not meant to deceive. I clearly mark my helmets on the inside as repaints and I have posted an on-line photographic record of my work on the German Helmet Walhalla and Militaria Collectors Forum sites. This is the first of my helmets that I have posted here.

[Tom Bennett]

Well in that case nice work!
I hate to call somthing like that a fake and would prefer to call it a reproduction.Very nice job of painting and ageing.Do you sell them or just keep them for your own display? It's hard to define fake when it is in fact real but just not of the period.I have put chicken wire cammo on a couple of Helmet's to improve the look but alway's tell the buyer's so as not to decieve.

Regard's

Tom

[Nifartachi]

Hi guys,

Check this "original" paint

Although an adaquite opinion told me what for many of you is probably quite clear, I still baught it; it was about 120 euro, original Quist shell

[vonruffin]

Not a bad paint job, but a double decal M40 is a dead give-away that something aint right.

[thiele-lund]

Dear milan12,

if this German WL M38 is a fake, it's a really good one. The shell is an original, in my opinion - just compare its shape. But the liner also does show those elements that in my opinion haven't been faked yet.
I wouldn't disregard this helmet straight away.

Yours,
Olaf

[Tom Bennett]

Hi guy's,
I read that the decal has been picked up as M40's never had a tri-colour.Also in my opinion the colour is wrong for an M40 as they were not apple green but in fact a dark grey matt finish with graphite material to give a rough finish more suitable for combat.Original decal's don't flake off like that either and can take an enormous amount of punishment when you consider they were applied after the Helmet was painted.I have an M35 that was blown to piece's and buried in Russia but still the tri-colour survived!! (will place a thread on that to show member's soon)

Anyway not a bad Helmet for a display and look's good.It may be better to remove the tri-colour and leave the eagle on the other side if it has one

Tom

[Nifartachi]

I've heard the snipers were the reson for removal of the tri-colour.

It has an eagle