what did i just buy???

[ski323]

hi, thanks for letting me be a part of this, i just bought this at a garage sale for $80.00, i know its not a real ss or even close but it has to be something right? I haven't seen any helmets with that little clip on the front and nothing with this linner. Any help will be greatly appreciated, I know you guys know what it is! thanks, jamie

[bigmacglenn]

Spanish Modelo-Z Helmet, worn until the mid-1970s...not German, not SS, not WWII...worth about $35 in this condition...
cheers, Glenn

[rob214]

Yep! It's Spanish.

[ski323]

thanks guy's! i knew you would know what it was!

[AMTG]

A lot of these lids were available 20 years ago, very cheap as well....and many were "converted" to resemble german by removing the front lug, and filling in a few of the liner pin hole, reprainting and adding fake decals....many were used by reenact ours....
Here's what a non messed with Spanish lid looks like

[Greg Pickersgill]

Your helmet, ski323, is actually the later version of the Modelo Z, the Model 43/79, with a new liner system which replaced the original leather three-pad as shown above by AMTG. It also had a different, quite complex by comparison to the original leather two-piece, fabric chinstrap. These helmets were fairly commonplace about 10-15 years back but are now actually hard to find in original condition. To be honest I'd say yours is worth rather less than the 35US suggested, as it is now of no real interest to either a TR or Spanish helmet collector. The bitter fruit of careless conversion - these things were interesting enough in their own right and didn't need to be mocked-up as TR helmets!

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I am told that the best method of telling a Spanish helmet from a German one is to hit it with a hammer and check the results.

[timothy]

Spanish helmet as stated with post war decal repainted also. timothy

[James C]

very nice example amtg here's my example for referance purposes ,mine too has the earlier liner like yours ,a shame this one from the op has been butchered

[AMTG]

Thanks mate.....I paid way over the odds on this one though $300 Aussie dollars....but the flood of these has dried up, and finding one with the badge....well my desire over rid my common sense....we have to keep at least some of these in their original condition, countless were converted when they were plentiful.....

My next lid I NEED to find is a untouched Swedish type with the intact Swedish decal