german mle 40 with rough textured paint

[philgilou]

Cool helmet and how thick is that paint!

Is that the remains red writing was on the back of the dome? Perhaps something the vet had written.

Yes Andy, agree with you, probably a vet writing 👍

[MAP]

Yes it is a NS 64. I think something was written in red on the back maybe by the soldier or person who caught it...but impossible to read it. Thanks for your comments

Thanks just wanted to be extra sure the decal matched up with the maker. A nice helmet. I have a "thick slurry" overpaint as well, but not as nice on the outside. I think these are underrated for Camo enthusiasts...

[Giants77]

Yes it's a pity that the liner was damaged..maybe mouses ?? But I prefer to keep it as found unless change it..

Very possible that it was mice!! And can’t blame you there is nothing to change here. In my opinion the more you mess with a helmet the less the value.

[Watchdog]

IMHO.....I think the majority of the time the "rot" is caused by another agent

I agree. Leather is organic and so is blood. Blood in itself will not "rot" anything. However, the presence of it may well encourage another organic element such as mould of which there are many thousands of species which will "feed" on any organic material.

IMO the term "blood rot" is merely a sop to the more ghoulish of collectors who will perceive such a thing as adding to the "cool" factor in the context of an item having "been in action". Let's call it what it actually is - damage which to me actually detracts from the desirability of the piece.

That is still a nice piece BTW!

Regards

Mark

PS How does one tell if a dark stain is a blood stain without forensic testing? Simple, you can't.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

IMO the term "blood rot" is merely a sop to the more ghoulish of collectors who will perceive such a thing as adding to the "cool" factor in the context of an item having "been in action". Let's call it what it actually is - damage which to me actually detracts from the desirability of the piece.

That is still a nice piece BTW!

Regards

Mark

PS How does one tell if a dark stain is a blood stain without forensic testing? Simple, you can't.

I couldn't agree with you more Mark, there are some quite odd people out there... I remember a rifle being posted on the forum a few years ago, that also had the dreaded 'blood rot', it must be pretty corrosive stuff what we have coursing through our veins! How strange that it mostly attacks German helmets!

[Watchdog]

it must be pretty corrosive stuff what we have coursing through our veins! How strange that it mostly attacks German helmets!

Like in "Alien" it melts through the floors of a space station. Wait, maybe that's it, TR helmets are made of the same stuff???

Mark

[philgilou]

I agree. Leather is organic and so is blood. Blood in itself will not "rot" anything. However, the presence of it may well encourage another organic element such as mould of which there are many thousands of species which will "feed" on any organic material.

IMO the term "blood rot" is merely a sop to the more ghoulish of collectors who will perceive such a thing as adding to the "cool" factor in the context of an item having "been in action". Let's call it what it actually is - damage which to me actually detracts from the desirability of the piece.

That is still a nice piece BTW!

Regards

Mark

PS How does one tell if a dark stain is a blood stain without forensic testing? Simple, you can't.

Agree with you, on these dark stains, leather is not attacked but is very dry and brittle.

[Mauser202]

I couldn't agree with you more Mark, there are some quite odd people out there... I remember a rifle being posted on the forum a few years ago, that also had the dreaded 'blood rot', it must be pretty corrosive stuff what we have coursing through our veins! How strange that it mostly attacks German helmets!

OP, very nice lid. I love the heavy texture of the paint.
I agree that blood dosnt rot the leather. It may cause mice to eat away were it dried. I also think a soldier would likely cut away a fresh blood stained liner because it would stink. As for metal, blood is very corrosive to steel, especially high carbon steel and can pit or etch it in a very short time. I know this 1st hand from deer hunting. I had a knife that was high carbon steel and thought I wiped it off after gutting a deer before putting it in my back pack. About 4 hours later at camp, I took it out of the pack and found it rusted. When I cleaned it it was left with etching marks where the blood was.

[philgilou]

OP, very nice lid. I love the heavy texture of the paint.
I agree that blood dosnt rot the leather. It may cause mice to eat away were it dried. I also think a soldier would likely cut away a fresh blood stained liner because it would stink. As for metal, blood is very corrosive to steel, especially high carbon steel and can pit or etch it in a very short time. I know this 1st hand from deer hunting. I had a knife that was high carbon steel and thought I wiped it off after gutting a deer before putting it in my back pack. About 4 hours later at camp, I took it out of the pack and found it rusted. When I cleaned it it was left with etching marks where the blood was.

Good remark because inside, there is a place which is a little rusty. I like this helmet because it has a nice thick paint and the decal has been carefully spared. The long part of the chinstrap is field made, because it has more than 13 holes and not all separated from the same distance ...