Any one see that SS helmet....

[MAP]

Anyone see that SS helmet with M31 liner on Ken N's site? The M16 with SS insignia hand painted on a cut out of a Dutch newspaper.

(btw...his stuff goes fast. He had an update today and a lot was on HOLD a short while after posting. He gets great stuff and one day I would like to purchase something from him ....other than his great book which I've read and re-read...)

As some of you know I'm just delving into the study of SS helmets so I have no qualified view but I thought it quite interesting.

I've posted a couple of pictures for view and discussion if anyone cares to talk about it. As ever, with reputable dealers like Ken, he was quite upfront about it.

Here is the link with description and more pictures

Helmetssale

Obviously photo credits to Ken N

Mods feel free to delete thread if this is not allowed.

[DougB]

This helmet I believe Ken or perhaps someone else posted somewhere, GHW2 perhaps, a while back. It is an interesting helmet that has an interesting provenance given the apparent Dutch origin. It's construct and use would be speculative and perhaps somewhat confusing given the mixed insignia (SS runes with national colors vs party shield) but given the convincing age and provenance certainly appears to be authentic to the period. Certainly one that is a one-off it appears, one I'd love to look at in hand. The price point makes it a very tempting helmet for sure.

[AZPhil]

It would be great if the newspaper used could be dated.
A question for DougB. Have you ever seen a local/homemade decal like this on a legit helmet before?
Semper Fi
Phil

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Hi Michael, that certainly is different! Personally I would want an iron clad provenance and photographic evidence of this particular helmet being used during the period. It is interesting and the paper decals clearly have age to them, but for me it would be more of a curio without the provenance. I must admit though, I am a one for "official" issue pieces rather than some of the personally constructed (and very rare) uniforms and headgear that you can see from the early period of the Nazi Party. Leon.

[MAP]

This helmet I believe Ken or perhaps someone else posted somewhere, GHW2 perhaps, a while back. It is an interesting helmet that has an interesting provenance given the apparent Dutch origin. It's construct and use would be speculative and perhaps somewhat confusing given the mixed insignia (SS runes with national colors vs party shield) but given the convincing age and provenance certainly appears to be authentic to the period. Certainly one that is a one-off it appears, one I'd love to look at in hand. The price point makes it a very tempting helmet for sure.

Thanks Doug.

I think with the provenance it would be a neat piece to own. It is definately something that would evoke a nice conversation. And as you noted it's at a price that does not break the bank.

But not for me at this point...I'm still looking for my first SS.


Michael

P.S. I couldn't wait on that M40 two tone camo. So sent the $ for the whole amount this weekend. I should have it in hand in a week.

[MAP]

Hi Michael, that certainly is different! Personally I would want an iron clad provenance and photographic evidence of this particular helmet being used during the period. It is interesting and the paper decals clearly have age to them, but for me it would be more of a curio without the provenance. I must admit though, I am a one for "official" issue pieces rather than some of the personally constructed (and very rare) uniforms and headgear that you can see from the early period of the Nazi Party. Leon.

Leon,

I get what your saying. For me, at this price I would find this a really interesting piece to own. But as noted above, I would not want this to be the only SS example in my collection (which is currently ZERO).

I have to fill the basic holes (camo, DAK, Kriegs) in my collection before I think about starting to collect the weird and wonderful varients... LoL

Michael

[DougB]

It would be great if the newspaper used could be dated.
A question for DougB. Have you ever seen a local/homemade decal like this on a legit helmet before?
Semper Fi
Phil

Other than hand rendered insignia, I cannot recall seeing anything like this before Phil.

[DougB]

Hi Michael, that certainly is different! Personally I would want an iron clad provenance and photographic evidence of this particular helmet being used during the period. It is interesting and the paper decals clearly have age to them, but for me it would be more of a curio without the provenance. I must admit though, I am a one for "official" issue pieces rather than some of the personally constructed (and very rare) uniforms and headgear that you can see from the early period of the Nazi Party. Leon.

Hi Leon,

My thoughts are this is not an early piece but actually a piece after the occupation of Holland by German forces and probably quite late in the game when helmets such as this were reissued to reserve and home defence forces out of stocks, as I cannot see a German helmet in Holland prior to WW2 being done up like this. Perhaps this was for a Dutch NSB member, perhaps one of the small local Dutch home volunteers under the SS, who knows. Perhaps postwar done by a sympathizer. For the price I think it reflects it as nothing more than a curiosity piece.

Kens writeup below

Doug

Frankly, I don't know what to call this helmet. I can only give a "forensic" description of it. It is an Austrian M16 shell which was reworked by the Germans during the war years. ( the shell is an example of the rare variant which had pack strap mounting loops attached at the sides) It was repainted with a coat of textured feldgrau and finished with a wartime steel framed M31 liner and chinstrap. The insignias appear to be hand rendered on shield shaped paper which was cut from a Dutch language text. The insignias are glued onto the helmet with a coating of protective lacquer applied roughly over them. This helmet was bought from the children of a Dutch immigrant who came to the US in 1949 and brought this helmet with him. I have never seen anything like it. It is completely period done and is 100% original but I cannot guess as to why it was so crudely adorned with these insignias. Price $850.00

[MoparJW]

What a strange helmet, the decals seem to have been made out of some kind of waybill.

[SSamir]

Interesting piece.