M35 Double Decals ET62 opinion please

**Eric2575** · 02-12-2019, 05:09 AM

Greetings:

I've been getting more and more interested in learning about the German helmets and am keen to find a good one. Right now I just want to learn how to spot a good vs fake, hence this first post on the subject for me.

Once of the first things I picked up is that there seem to be a lot of fake decals ornamenting good lids? Apparently if the bottom of the decal is rounded that is one giveaway? Well I came across this M35, not mine, and am looking at rounded decals if I'm not mistaken. If I am looking at this right, does this chalk another up in the fake column? What else should one look for?

The lot number is 4456, but I've already gathered that doesn't really help much in the identification process.

Your wisdom is appreciated, as always.

Sincerely

Eric

I sharpened the pics in Photoshop and the first one may be a bit too much as the decal of the eagle looks shinier than the original. I'll post the original below.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 02-12-2019 05:09 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Eric2575** · 02-12-2019, 05:13 AM

**rbminis** · 02-12-2019, 05:28 AM

I think you would be doing yourself a favor by going to the Helmet Decal Gallery and doing some reading.
https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/helmet-decal-gallery/
Study the differences in the different decal makers and you will be able to recognize them when you see them.
David, (Real Steel), has been kind enough to post some good threads showing the variety of decals.
Ralph.

**MAP** · 02-12-2019, 05:36 AM

The "round bottom" is typically used to describe a certain type of fake "SS" decal. Also, it is imperative to learn decal to manufacture configurations. Each maker typically had there own "House Decal" and even then there some had a few variants. Then you have "re-issue" decals and that is a whole other story

Learning to spot good fake decals takes years to perfect your expertise.

What I see here is an ET style house decal. On my cell phone so really can't confirm originality but from what I can see it looks good so far

Here are two links for study.

Heer Decals on ET Helmets

Heer Adler Decal Reference Section

Two other tips..

first...look at Frank's website. A great tool to learn

German Helmet Vault – Collecting German WW2 helmets

second . ....try to find used copies of Ken N's two books. They are out of print but can be found used (but not cheap)

https://www.amazon.com/Germanys-Comb.../dp/1932970126

https://www.amazon.com/Helmet-Decals...D028244S49MHWT

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 02-12-2019, 07:20 AM

Hi, a touch salty, but it looks like a good ET HEER M35 helmet to me. As Michael says, the round bottom refers to a type of fake SS decal. Very early National shields had a "round bottom" so don't pass over on one of those by mistake!! Leon.

**Eric2575** · 02-12-2019, 08:33 AM

Again, as a novice I have no idea of value. Can someone give me a ballpark of what I might expect to pay for this helmet?

**Eric2575** · 02-12-2019, 12:19 PM

Let's see if I'm on to something. According to several sources, including: Heer Adler Decal Reference Section
the top of the wings on an ET decal are slightly curved on one side and straight up on the other. Looking at the decal, the top of the right wing is not supposed to be curved as it is in the subject of this thread. Can anyone confirm or disavow this?

**HoundsTooth** · 02-12-2019, 02:45 PM

Eric - you are correct, the right side of the wing as you look at it should not protrude where your arrow points. It should curve all the way around and you can then often see a slight point to the top. This for an ET decal. I believe this decal is correct though, just the photos are not great.
nick

**Eric2575** · 02-12-2019, 05:31 PM

The subtleties....

Here is a little better comparison of the area. The main pic is 4md's (Paul) original ET decal from the Heer Adler Decal Reference Section thread. The circular insert is the decal off the helmet I posted. I've looked at other ET decals and they all, except for this one, correspond to the sharp wing tip point of Paul's decal. That's why I was wondering about the decal on this helmet, it's rounded off.

**Schwerpunkt** · 02-12-2019, 05:53 PM

The decal in question is good , fake decals will exhibit other bad traits than that wing tip.
Differences like these are pretty normal and due to the printing process.
tricolor is textbook too even though the photos are not that super.