M35 chicken wire Luftwaffe helmet

**Tank Destroyer** · 07-12-2015, 08:50 PM

I held this helmet today and put a deposit on it. I wanted to get second opinions on it. The helmet comes from a reputable dealer. The price is 1500.00. The liner is a little darker in person, the showdowing looks right , the chinstrap has been shorted.
Marty

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 07-12-2015 08:50 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Tank Destroyer** · 07-12-2015, 08:54 PM

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**Tank Destroyer** · 07-12-2015, 09:03 PM

I can back out on the helmet that is not a problem. I did have concerns that there is wear on the decal and not in other areas but holding it in hand it did look good,and as said the dealer has been around for many years.

**MrPotts** · 07-12-2015, 09:28 PM

who is the dealer if you don't me asking ?

**helmet2id** · 07-12-2015, 09:52 PM

If you have concerns about the decal a larger straight on close up will help with an evaluation. To be honest with you, when I first looked at the pictures I had some doubts about it immediately. The price is a bit too good for a single decal full basket wire helmet in the condition that the pictures suggest that it is in. If you can, get some shots of the ends of the wire as well to see if there is any patina consistent with 70+ year old cuts, or if the cuts look fresh, which, obviously, would be a big red flag. Finally, a few shots of the liner, with one showing the seam, would help, as the stitching looks a bit tight. Wire helmets are tough to judge, and frankly, in my opinion, there are far more wire helmets now than there were in 1945, if you catch my drift. Hopefully it is a good one, but for $1500 I would want to be sure it was right. Jim G.

**Schwerpunkt** · 07-12-2015, 10:03 PM

It has a 90% chance of being a stinker imo.
These photos are pretty much useless.

**Tank Destroyer** · 07-12-2015, 10:40 PM

The helmet was around the 2000.00 range at first. The pictures are from his web site, holding the helmet there is dirt,dust in the wire twist and shadowing under the wire, the liner does show wear as stated before. The helmet looks dirtier in person the pictures off his site are bright. The guy has been in buss. Around 50 years. I did not take any pictures in person I still have a flip phone.
Marty

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 07-12-2015, 10:58 PM

Evening Marty, at a first glance I would personally say that at the very best, the "chicken wire" is post war added. The wear and "bedding down" of the wire to the existing shell patina do not seem to match up very well to me. To be honest, I am not that keen about the over all look of this one at all. Leon.

**Tank Destroyer** · 07-12-2015, 11:17 PM

I tend to agree with the comments. Question, there is a 30 day no question asked 100% refund policy, do I buy the helmet take better pictures and post for review? I can not lose except for the 25usd shipping cost.

**TrondK** · 07-12-2015, 11:17 PM

I would like to compare the study of camo and wire helmets to the same problem i face almost everyday when i try to study volunteer militaria- it is "homemade" alterations you are looking at and trying to judge. So if you have just a fragment of doubt, it can be your gut feeling is right.

And dont worry, there are always something else to be found to fuel your addiciton if you are not certain of autencity of the item. After all remember how quickly your new helmet will feel very sour if you have to live with this "is-this-real" feeling for the rest of the time you have it in your collection. (and you are to blame if you resell it and it turns out to be a post45 creation)

There is a cheap way to study metal wear if you are interested in diving into the details- (yeees i will share my personal eccentric way of study age)

Go to a antiques store, ask for (at least) 10 different size metalobjects from 1920- 1950. (no later) Study the details, study the wear. The traces of abuse, -ordinary wear should be there.

70 years of touching, polishing, fat from fingers that turns into rust, one million small scrathes that turns into traces of time.

Now after you have studied this signs of time, use this to study helmets. Dont think of the helmet as an precious object- it is a lid- and has been made for abuse- Now do you see the signs, do you see the soul of time has marked the helmet, or is it made 20 years ago in a polish cellar??!
Are these marks here on the outside of the wire, under the helmet where the wire has been under constant pressure of the edge of the helmet.

The Devil is in the details.....

(made 2 centavos worth)