I'd like opinions on this M40 Camo Helmet...

[dzyner]

In the end you have to be the judge as your the only one who has it in hand. Forum opinion is rather meaningless if you want this to be good rather than judge it on it's own merit for yourself.

Doug, I couldn't agree more about your statement quoted above, which is why I've chosen to keep the helmet. I actually think the macro photos are doing this one more harm than good as they're emphasizing things that look completely different when not "zoomed in on". Take NunoGTI's comment for example... I can see what he's saying about the rust, but when you view the helmet at arms length the rust isn't near as bad as it appears in the extreme close up. Under the right magnification a paper cut can easily be mistaken as a stab wound. If you look at the helmet in-hand you can clearly see that the rust is a product of the paint wear, not the other way around.

[dzyner]

The rust looks a little red for my liking, bare metal on all my helmets is almost black.

Color reproduction in digital photos is NEVER 100% accurate, as we all know. Some are a bit too red, while others a bit green or blue. The true (live and in person) color of the rust spots is... well rust brown So no issues with the rust color.

[DougB]

Doug, I couldn't agree more about your statement quoted above, which is why I've chosen to keep the helmet.

There you go, judge jury and executioner can ultimately only be you.

[Glenn66]

Color reproduction in digital photos is NEVER 100% accurate, as we all know.

Well, having a wife who is a professional photographer means I know a little about the genre and i've never seen a digital image produce red from black but I get what you're saying. Good luck with your helmet, I hope it provides you many years of pleasure.

[davejb]

Wow! Unexpected. We've gone from mostly positive feedback with the original pics to negative responses. Dave, I'm not in agreement with you regarding the paint application. Camo paint was scrubbed and reapplied in some instances, and in very thin layers. I don't think you can judge a good one over a bad one simply based on loose pins and the thickness of paint. I'd really hate to discredit a perfectly legit helmet (if indeed it is, and several here believe it is) due to technicalities that are not necessarily relevant to the piece. You mentioned different camo paint on one of the pins, but I'm not seeing it. Also, I've seen plenty of helmets with loose pins, which is what I think you're seeing here.

I'd really like to hear some more opinions on this from experienced helmet guys before I send it back to the original owner (the daughter of the veteran who brought it home).

Dyzner, i fully accept your opinions and as stated previously only an in hand would be the cruncher, not only for me, the doubts that you are receiving prove that this helmet has some issues based on the photos alone, and if the helmet had been scrubbed as you say then the thickened areas of paint where the wire had been would be scrubbed as well, there are helmets here that have been dismissed wholly due to obvious flaws in paint camo schemes, Yours has caused some good and bad opinions and although i may not be as expert as DougB, and others here , i do have some experience of helmets after 50yrs of collecting and unfortunately for me i can remember these helmets when they were two a penny, genuine paint, decals and even camos as it was 20yrs after wars end and we played with them in the streets as kids, even SS helmets, caps etc, and came from fathers attics, garages, sheds etc, you have made the decision to keep the helmet and of course that is your choice and i respect that, i hope you enjoy this addition to your collection
cheers Dave

[Sir Payne]

Even if the rust on this helmet is new, that doesn't mean the helmet and paint job are. The rust could be from a few months or a few years ago for all we know and the helmet could be totally original. I've seen new rust form on an original helmet in a matter of weeks. I'm not saying that is the case here, just throwing it out there.

As for the helmet in question, I'm leaning toward it being good, based on the wear, which appears uniform throughout the helmet. The paint also has the random white splotches that we never stop seeing and I don't see any evidence of artificial wear in the paint (tool marks, unusual scrapes, etc.)
Personally, if I was the owner and weren't 100% sure of its authenticity I wouldn't keep it without first mailing it somewhere to get an expert opinion.

As said earlier, never trust the story. People will make up anything to sell a helmet. A few months back I bought one from a vet's son who said his father picked it up at Monte Cassino. I asked him specifically if he had messed with the helmet at all and He assured me he had kept it wrapped in a towel for 60 years in his closet and never touched it. Later I found out that the original liner and liner band had been changed out not long before. He had lied right to my face.

[dzyner]

...if the helmet had been scrubbed as you say then the thickened areas of paint where the wire had been would be scrubbed as well.

Dave, re-read the message of mine that you quoted because I'm afraid you misunderstood this point in my comment, "Camo paint was scrubbed and reapplied in some instances, and in very thin layers. I don't think you can judge a good one over a bad one simply based on loose pins and the thickness of paint." This part of my comment was in reference to yours where you stated, "...my ideas of camo is a thicker application with defined brush strokes, this one seems to be very thin in paint."

I was not saying that this particular helmet had been scrubbed, that would be a completely naive statement on my part. I was simply making the point that you cannot judge a camo helmet good or bad by the thickness of the paint, any more than you can judge it good or bad based on loose pins, because SOME camo helmets were scrubbed, and the camo reapplied depending on the terrain. I own a Luftwaffe helmet where this is the case and the camo paint is extremely thin. I'm happy to provide photos of this helmet (the Luftwaffe one) if you'd like - just PM me.

Sorry for the confusion and poorly worded comment. I see why you thought I was referring to the helmet in question.