what type of german helmet do i have?please help

[jwmtele]

I just picked up a helmet i think it is WW2 one ,looks like a M42?can anyone tell me about it?real or fake?i got it a garage sale for alittle of nothing.its just the shell,owner said he painted black for odd years ago.only numers i can find stamped in it are in the back of the helmet they are 118 0r 3 and uder those numbers are 906,under the left side of rim i cant see any markings,maybe the thick black paint is covering them up?in the from of the rim bill has a small hole,looks like someone put a nail through it to hang on a wall.no dents or rust on the helmet its nice.i will try to post a couple of pics,any info and help would be most welcome.i measured the out side of the helmet is is 7 1/2 inches.
thanks,
jim

[rbminis]

What you have stated is pretty much it. It is an M-42, repainted black and someone has put a hole in the peak to hang it on a nail. The maker and size numbers will likely be under the lip about where the left ear is, likely covered up by the paint.
Ralph.

[jwmtele]

thanks,i will soon try to remove the old paint,here is a pic of the numbers inside the back of the rim,any advice on how to restore this old helmet?like removeing old paint,and what color paint should i repaint it with,and where to get the paint?
thanks

[Erno]

You might be able to remove only the newer, black paint and leave the original. I don't know how, but I've seen it done already. It looks like there might be some rust under there, though.

[rbminis]

You might be able to remove only the newer, black paint and leave the original. I don't know how, but I've seen it done already. It looks like there might be some rust under there, though.

You can find a few threads on this here.
Restoration & Refurbishing at War relics forum
Ralph.

[KradSpam]

Looks like a ckl68. Made by the Eisenhutten plant in Thale.

[James N]

I have a similar helmet shell purchased through Ebay a few years ago; it was also painted black and had 2 small holes drilled through the front where some kind of badge had been fastened. Postwar there were SO many of these available they were used by many European countries ( Czecheslovakia being one ) as fire or civil defense helmets, apparantly well into the 1950's and 60's. I stripped off all the black paint to the bare steel and filled the holes with epoxy, then used spray paint and powdered alluminum "texture" available from a dealer on Ebay. All the interior fittings: liner, liner bands, pins, rivets, and chinstrap were from a Czech Ebay dealer who specializes in helmet restoration. Only the crappy decals from a Romanian dealer have been a disappointment, and I think he now has better ones.

Another earlier attempt I made I didn't even bother to remove the black paint but just sanded it to remove any lumps and painted over it. I've redone 3 so far to I think fair success.

[jwmtele]

thanks for the info about my helmet,mine does not has two holes in it,it has a very small hole on the brim,i think someone put a small nail it to hang on a wall,i removed some of the black paint on the inside of the rear,the numbers are CKL68 over 3906,
thanks all,
james

[jwmtele]

how did you remove the old black paint?
thanks

[James N]

With a fairly mild paint remover that softened it and allowed most of it to be scraped away with a putty knife. DON'T use anything that will scratch or damage the steel like stiff wire brushes or wheels; #0000 steel wool is as abrasive as I got with it. It required a LOT of patience and repeated applications but I eventually got it all off and a nice smooth helmet shell to work with. Various things could be used to close the hole in yours - mine were small enough for epoxy and the residue could be sanded off, but other things are possible too.