M35 ET64 DD Heer - Beauty

[MAP]

After 2 years I finally saved up the $ and paid off this long term lay-a-way.

An absolutely beautiful M3 ET64 DD Heer.

- Lot # W4056 - Quite interesting.
- Dome stamp is Abgenommen "I" 1939.
- Reinforced liner band is dated 1938 (D.R.P Schuberth-Werk)
- Chinstrap has no markings

Unissued or only slightly worn with just the slightest of scratches on the decal. Paint has oxidized a bit but still really nice.

But as nice as this one is, it has a twist. The Heer decal looks to be either a misprint, misalignment or possibly a second decal underneath.

Jury is still out and looking for opinions on it.

(for full transparency this lid is also posted on GHW)

Let me know what you think. This is my second minty DD M35 Heer and I'm quite happy. The other is an NS

Regards,

Michael

P.S. Pictures are not the greatest. A bit washed out and some I could not get to focus so well.

[dramos]

Wow, that is a beauty. Congratulations on finally acquiring it! I don't know much about decals, but I do know a beautiful helmet when I see it!

[MAP]

Wow, that is a beauty. Congratulations on finally acquiring it! I don't know much about decals, but I do know a beautiful helmet when I see it!

Thanks Dramos! To be honest I could have bought it a long time ago but I have a really great dealer friend who is just wonderful person. He held on to it for this long as every time I saved up the money, something else he had would "come along"...a Heer parabadge, a camo helmet, a tunic, etc. etc....

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

It's a beauty Michael and well worth the wait! Looks like a slight mis-print to me, not a second decal. Also, there may be a light lacquer on the decal as it has a slight distortion/staining most evident to the edges. Nice helmet which ever way! Leon.

[MAP]

Thanks Leon,

You are correct. The backing of the decal is slightly misaligned causing the while border on the top.

I'm pretty stoked about this helmet. Of all my German helmets, this is by far the most perfect and textbook of them all. Everything is near perfect even down to the absolutely flat paint. No gloss at all. Just as it left the factory. This helmet was probably hardly ever handled and well cared for over the last 75 years.

The stamping of the lot number is also quite interesting with the "W" over the numbers.

And the chin strap is one I have never seen. It is quite thin (but stills soft) with no markings. Given the untouched condition of the helmet I was hoping to see some stamps but looks like they were never there. I have to take a closer look (yesterday was hectic) and see if it was shortened.

Regards

Michael

[Martin C]

Very nice Michael, congrats!

Mart

[MAP]

Thanks Martin! Now I have to find room for it. I honestly have no free space! But where there is a will there is a way!

[harryamb2]

excellent helmet.

[MAP]

A couple of more pictures. Chinstrap has been shortened. Only two holes left. As I think I mentioned earlier, the strap, while soft is quite thin. Definitely not combat thickness. Or maybe it is just age...

[sandgroper]

This is a really great looking helmet mate, fantastic! It's one of those items that become a centrepiece in a collection, I'd be very happy to have that one in my collection mate, you are a lucky bugger! Great stuff!