prussian artillery officers pickelhaube

[stuka f]

Here are the newspapers that i fund inside;

[António Fragoeiro]

Now here is a sad part!
I am examening my previous pictures to see it the cracks on the right side were there when I first saw it. As they were taken with my phone it is difficult to tell.
I suspect the helmet have been "dammaged" between the first time I saw it and when I collected it , it was wringed between two shelfs of a cupboard that didn't had enough space to put it....
Attachment 305671

That is a beauty, even with the damaged.
Congratulations on a fine helmet.
Cheers.
Nuno

[StuG III]

Great pickelhaube, Kris. The damage does not detract from its beauty IMO. I would really love to own one of these.
Tom

[stuka f]

Thanks guy's, I am pretty found of it too!
|<

[Wagriff]

How severe is the cracking? It almost looks to be normal leather age crazing. Does it go entirely through?

[stuka f]

How severe is the cracking? It almost looks to be normal leather age crazing. Does it go entirely through?

No, it is just the top layer. It isn't that severe, but I would have prefere it without...if it was...!

[spandau]

Nice find Kris.

congratulations.

cheers

tony

[stuka f]

Thanks Tony!
|<

[oradour]

Kris...super kugelhelm ! great that you managed to secure it. I am quite certain that only the front and rear visors are leather, and the skull/shell is "Vulcan fibre", a synthetic material, with an outside finish similiar to leather, this material was extensively used in private purchase Officer helmets, do not attempt to repair...leave as is. The Dutch newspaper may not be such a mystery...the original owner of the helm may of deserted and crossed over to neutral Holland, many did and many were caught and executed by there former colleagues ! The border between Belgium and Holland was a thorn in the side for the German occupation authorities, I believe they even constructed an electric fence along the border to deter would be defectors/deserters !
Prost ! Steve.

[stuka f]

Hey Steve
thanks for your comment and appreciation!
No plan to do anything about the crack's, it is just annoying to know that a item survived that long, then comes in a "stupid" who has no idea of what it represent and rams it in between two shelfs of a cupboard where it didn't fit in!!
About the newspaper, I didn't think of the desertion, I was thinking they might have visited Zeeland for other reasons; the stream "De Schelde " having is left bank in Belgium and right bank in Holland might be one...
Exact about the electric fence! It was called "The Wire of Death".
Also exact about the visors, they are leather, and turned in to a wite/grey color, I think to be brass polish remains...