My Relic FJ Helmet - Comments Please

**diazcalvi** · 03-19-2015, 10:43 PM

Hi All.
It has been a while. I think I posted before when I bought a relic FJ Helmet (it didnt make it from Germany, lost by USPS for ever)... do not remind me.

Anyway. So I bought another one. This time I picked it up myself when I was in Europe working. I got it from Dortmund. A guy, he said was not a collector, just holding to it.

It's a relic, it was broken with a triangle piece on the back (with a bullet hole or alike) and the guy said he glued it back and sprayed some black paint to his fix as the glue was white.

Also it had the barbed wire (chicken wire?) but was broken and separated. I guess it was from the extraction. I sort-of put it together for display. It came with the helmet.

Also he mentioned he tried to clean it from rust with some sort of spatula, found what seems to be a decal. No way for me to tell if original helmet or not.
It looks authentic. I'm ready to accept bad news.

Also inside, there is the remains of one of the straps. Seems legit too.
Overall I am satisfied as I'm a collector with a very (very) limited budget. All my helmets (except maybe this one) are originals.

Welcome all comments, good and bad. And I KNOW i'ts an ugly helmet but I had to take my chances to own a FJ. You will understand

And this is part of my collection. I try to keep the number to 50, or wife promised to kick me out.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-19-2015 10:43 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**RETREAD** · 03-20-2015, 02:20 AM

That is probably the saltiest helmet I have ever seen> Paratrooper helmets are no where near my sphere but I have always wanted one, just for the cool factor As a rule I am a gun/blade collector< but I can congratulate you on you determination

**Danmark** · 03-20-2015, 02:21 AM

I'll say original dug shell - but thats all. No way the wire came out of the ground with it and the decal too looks like the "black paint guy" might have added it - the degree of layered corrosion ( the helmet will swell as the stratified rust builds into layers ) says the original metal will be wafer thin.

**diazcalvi** · 03-20-2015, 03:36 PM

Thanks Retread, yes. Very Salty. I always wanted a FJ Helmet. I got one nice relic (better than this - this is the worst) for 200 bucks back in 2014 but USPS lost the package. Believe it or not. I have the code and all, impossible to find it... Oh Well.
This one costed my 90 bucks (eur/usd are almost the same), friend of a friend kind of thing.
I know I cannot afford a better FJ, prices are just crazy and ... you know, family and kids... Difficult even to explain the expense of some corroed bucket even at that price.

**diazcalvi** · 03-20-2015, 03:44 PM

And THANKS Danmark, for your comments.
Yes, I thought the same about the shell. With the part of strap and all seems ok.
The decal - I agree - it should have "exploded"/ be lost forewver with the rust. Maybe is just something added later. It has some rust over it.
The paint job was done around 4 weeks before I bought it. The gentleman told me that was just looking too bad and he did spray the part he joined (outside and inside). I do not blame him although I know is a NO-NO for collectors. But I do understand as I do have other relics (all I can afford) and sometimes they were so rusted that I scrapped and sprayed ANTI-RUST LACKER - that kind-of plastifies the look -. I know is not recommeded by collectors but for what i'ts worth I prefer to have something that I can show and lasts and not rusty lids in the house. Check how my display is coming... I used some Ikea furniture. I did not want to end up with basebemnt boxes, etc ...
Thanks for your comments. I might just leave it like this.
Ah... last. About the wire. He insisted it was with the helmet. But was broken apart in 2-3 big pieces and many single strings. I put it together myself not checking the pics. I should redo it maybe following some online pictures. Because I saw more nicer patterns somewhere else. But it did come with the "purchase". Are you sure this type is not matching the wires on the period? It's european chicken wire / rusted for sure as It came in the plane with me. But I will just take it out if it doesnt make sense of course.