Fresh out of an attic this week. M40?

**plumbob** · 09-17-2016, 11:44 PM

Thank for the detailed information folks.
I did get this helmet for nothing so there was nothing to gain but do feel and will give him some thing for it. And I am not planning on selling it. He has no reason to lie to me.
Map I don't know what that drip is on the N of the name but looking at it in hand it goes over the letter.
And seeing your great condition liner I can see that this liner is complete due to the stitched edge being still there. I am sure I would be able to fit it correctly. the other two rivets are cracked with slight movement.
Noticed to that there seems to be another name on the liner which is illegible.
Anyways guys here's some more pictures just in case you haven't already 100%made your mind up.
Best regards
Rod

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 09-17-2016 11:44 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Wagriff** · 09-17-2016, 11:44 PM

To my eyes, it's obviously had a fake camo paint applied to it. Certainly not a wartime job,in any case. Inside, the liner ring is nice and tight-which is always a good thing to see, but the liner itself has been played with-by someone and for reasons only they would know and when. I know, also, that I am not liking the painted Name on the inside skirt. It does not look period applied either...A strange helmet that has been handled and worked on by several sets of hands...Personally? I would not feel good about having this one on my shelf.

**MAP** · 09-18-2016, 01:29 AM

For me, I would leave everything untouched. But if you like you can try to put the liner on correctly.

It's a free helmet! And it is what it is. But the shell, liner and strap are original. It will display fine.

**plumbob** · 09-18-2016, 04:44 PM

Honestly lads If I had know how much doubt would have been put on this helmet because the liner wasn't fitted properly I would have fixed it before posting. Just wanted to show it how it was found.
To me this is a helmet that has laying undiscovered for many years and looked 100% legit. If its a post war fake it certainly had me fooled and is making think about seriously giving this game up.
I know paint jobs are very difficult to judge with just pictures, Just wondering what sticks out which makes this such a obvious post war repaint. Same goes for the name what sticks out that makes it wrong. How do we prove any paint job is war time done out of interest.
Items do still turn up in attics. I am a plumber and am in at least one attic a week, never find much though, would be ignorant to go through folks stuff.
But last year I was working in an empty house and below the old glass wool was a hand made solder box, jackpot no, inside were about 40 agricultural medallions in their wee boxes dating from 1910 gold silver and bronze. French strangely.
The year before I was working in a building which had been two houses for 150 years but had been turned into council offices for the last 15 years then when I was their it was being turned into flats. Anyway away at the far corner of the attic was this old fashioned money box. Had to open it. inside was this old boys memories pictures/birth certs/wedding cert/burial deeds for his wife/ pictures of his days in the army during ww2 letters ect. I found one of his relatives and gave it to her. other than that I've never found naff all interesting.
Glass wool has been used here for at least 50 years. got to be more stuff hidden. That's me rambling on.

So if you are all saying fake paint job. I have a good mind to dig out the luft decal that I think I can see below the paint, got nothing to loose.
This is the liner fitted correctly, took all of 20 minutes without disturbing the external rivets any more than they already were. included are pictures of the other two rivets not seen before.
Rod

**MAP** · 09-18-2016, 05:50 PM

Nice job on the liner! Good job. I think I had a poor grammar moment in post 10. I tried to say that the story that this was found hidden in an attic WOULD fit with a typical bring back lid.

As for the camo, as noted I can't comment. In the end, you have it in hand and that is really the best way to make a determination.

One note on the name. Understand that the drip is over the paint, but there is another question mark. The "t" is painted over a rust spot. This typically is a warning flag, but not always conclusive. But there is a nice aged scratch going thru the letter "n" and beyond into the paint.

But whatever you do please don't dig anything out...with all due respect to our members here, these are just opinions. And with camo helmets it is all subjective. There is no textbook with camo's. I know I have one of these that caused much debate.

In the end, I think this has been a healthy discussion

**Blackdog** · 09-18-2016, 08:58 PM

Hi, I can only comment on the pics shown but the outside paint seems to vibrant, just my opinion. On the inside around the neck guard and under the crown area there looks like paint over pitting, you have it in hand - you tell me? Good job on the liner by the way.

**busman** · 09-18-2016, 09:51 PM

How can we know with real certainty that the paint job is post war, we were not there when the paint went on . We either put some credence to the story and give the helmet a chance, as how else can we be sure it wasn't post war without this type of secondary evidence, or the story is a complete fabrication as is the helmet. I am no expert but I still find it difficult to see how some helmets are dismissed when there are so many variables when camouflage is such a one off .

**MAP** · 09-18-2016, 10:31 PM

by busman

How can we know with real certainty that the paint job is post war, we were not there when the paint went on . We either put some credence to the story and give the helmet a chance, as how else can we be sure it wasn't post war without this type of secondary evidence, or the story is a complete fabrication as is the helmet. I am no expert but I still find it difficult to see how some helmets are dismissed when there are so many variables when camouflage is such a one off .

Hence my quote:

"And with camo helmets it is all subjective. There is no textbook with camo's."

There is never any true certainty with a camo helmet. But there is experience that can weed out the vast majority of them.

You have the first hand account and the helmet in hand, so you are in the best position to make a determination.

Once again......just my thoughts for what ever they are worth

**Wagriff** · 09-18-2016, 11:41 PM

My question would be: Why was the liner rotated and wrong? Certainly, it didn't leave the field like that. If it was taken out by whoever did the spray paint camo on it, if it was done by a German soldier, he would have known how to reinstall his own liner. And, if it Wasn't done in the field by the German owner, then it means that Someone has tinkered with it post war-which I consider much more likely than it being Period done. There are more than enough bits odd about this helmet to put it in my Not Like category.

**plumbob** · 09-18-2016, 11:50 PM

No cant see any painted over rust pits, there is the odd little marks and scratches which has been painted over, to me they look like scratches and small chips on the under layer of paint. Also to me the rust mark which meets the t in the name stops where it meets the black paint. Inside the dome is more corroded than the rest of the helmet, I put this down to the fact that that area never had a second coat of paint which would have protected it better.
Feel myself getting a little frustrated. just cant understand why a helmet which has been hidden from view for X amount of years would have a fake paint job and fake name. When I picked it up I was suspicious it had a camo job, but didn’t know the extent till I wiped it with a damp cloth, it had a bit of soot covering it. Bye the way, In hand the camo is not as noticeable as it seems to show up in the pictures.
We could find fault after fault to dismiss this helmet.
Listen guys it doesn’t matter, it is what it is, the next collector can worry about it when my kids sell it when I’ve popped it! I don’t sell things that have been given to me, feel it would be making profit from their kindness.
I,ve got most of my plumber and sparky mates looking out for stuff like this for me hopefully something else will turn up sometime. Still going to give my mate something for this helmet just don’t know how much now.
Thread end.
Thank you gentlemen for your input. And happy collecting.
Regards
Rod