Original German helmets?

[General Patton]

Hello everyone, I know what the odds of me getting a helmet like this are, but i think it would be fun to at least try of bid on one of them. The question is, are they authentic? i like both of them but im never to confident to buy or bid without your guy's expert opinion.

WW2 GERMAN M-35 HELMET W/ BARBED WIRE AROUND , ORIG | eBay

WW2 GERMAN M-40 HELMET, MEDIC, PHOTO, ARMBAND GROUPING | eBay

Thanks for the help!

[helmet2id]

One word in each listing should answer your question- Latvia. Virtually every helmet on ebay from Latvia is bad. These are both bad, don't waste your money. The shells are probably real, but the liner - tell tale signs of acid aging apparent on the band with artificially aged leather - and strap , as well as the wire, are fake on the first one. Medic helmets are rare as hens' teeth, and winter camo examples are rarer still. There is a lot of pitting under the paint on the skirt of the medic helmet, so it is clear to me that all of the paint on that one is bad. The condition of the liner doesn't match what the inner metal surface would be like if it hadn't been repainted, so even though they appear to be getting better with the repro/fake liners, I say the liner is bad as well. Ebay is a mine field unless you really know your stuff, and the sellers from Latvia are notorious for selling fakes as originals. It is a good idea to post for opinions and advice, but it is imperative to learn as much as you can on your own. Good luck and good hunting. Jim G.

[cricketchris1944]

I saw the medic helmet on ebay nice helmet but fake.
Jim is correct on everything he saided.
You have to be very careful on rare helmets coming from Latvia or Italy also.

Chris

[Schwerpunkt]

You can have fun bidding but both are fantasy pieces.

[davejb]

Got to agree with the guys , both bad and those liners are a total giveaway, youd think by now that the fakers would have some sense in their trade