M/42 single decal SS W/CHICKEN WIRE

[Schwerpunkt]

The first objective is to determine the authenticity of the SS decal , if that proves to be original ...
I hope the topic start is able to provide the info I asked in a previous post and some additional photos in daylight of the decal.

[BLONDI]

Blondi,

I think your wrong there mate, it is european, check this out. German-Helmets.com

I'm still unsure of the helmet, but as Schwerpunkt said, i thought EF decal too, but as i said before, i'm not up with helmets at all really, just what i've learned here!

Regards, Ned.

Cheers Big Ned! You are right mate, I am arse about face!! Apologies to Jim in Ohio!!!

Andy

[davejb]

The first objective is to determine the authenticity of the SS decal , if that proves to be original ...
I hope the topic start is able to provide the info I asked in a previous post and some additional photos in daylight of the decal.

Yes I agree Frank thats why i didnt comment on the decal, if its ok so be it, but my main worry was the interior, ie rust craters that appear to have been covered by paint, a liner which i believe to have been removed at one time due to the liner pin and the wire, although european manufacture , the corrosion doesnt look like its been there since ww2 in relation to the helmets overall condition but i would be happy to see if its originality on all aspects can be verified

[big ned]

"Ive been looking hard at this one and there are a couple of things which to me, and its only my opinion, begin to throw up some red flags, 1, the liner pin seems to be in a fresher condition to the helmet, it should have at least the same patination as its supposed to have been exposed to the same conditions as the helmet."

Hi Dave,

As an interesting aside, i have just read on the linky to German Helmets i posted earlier that the liner pins on EF helmets were zinc coated and it is not unusual to see them with no paint as it has been shed over time. So they may not necessarily have been messed with at all, interesting.

Regards, Ned.

[davejb]

Thanks for that Ned, i had heard that but to me it looks as if the only pin that you can see shows very little wear and appears painted except where the wire has been in contact with the surface, this one has me on the fence , i just wish the poster would send more details and answer Franks request

[big ned]

I know what you mean heh! heh! I'm sure he'll be along soon. All good things come to he who waits...

Regards, Ned.

[JIM IN OHIO]

...yes it is stamped EF 3115 and just how long dose it take for (galvanized ...non - rusting wire to rust) when kept in a plastic bag in a room with a dehumidifier locked inside a fire proof safe. for 42 years ????...every one keeps saying the wire looks to good to be 65 years old ...well it is.... i am about to take a set of wire cutters to it just so people will stop saying its a fake ....jim

[davejb]

Jim before doing that remember that we present opinions on what we see, those opinions should be taken as just that, we dont have the subject in hand, nor do we have all the facts, ie where did your uncle obtain the helmet etc , most of the original wire adorned helmets we see have a certain look about them, there may be reasons as to why there is limited rust or corrosion on your wire, but i would expect to see more in line with the corrosion on the helmet , you say that the item has been stored for many years yet the helmet has a certain degree of corrosion why not the wire, plus im not sure if there was galvanised chicklen wire available then, but im no expert on wire of that period, id await Franks comments prior to removing anything

[Walkwolf]

if you look at the shield decal straight on,the sides go inward from the top-narrowing down as you get to the bottom,,dont think this is an original decal,,,,

I think this is an optical illusion - or paralax view - from the camera
lens that we are seeing, which makes the decal seem tapered
because it's not a direct straight-on shot. In the third
photo the decal looks normal...............

[big ned]

...yes it is stamped EF 3115 and just how long dose it take for (galvanized ...non - rusting wire to rust) when kept in a plastic bag in a room with a dehumidifier locked inside a fire proof safe. for 42 years ????...every one keeps saying the wire looks to good to be 65 years old ...well it is.... i am about to take a set of wire cutters to it just so people will stop saying its a fake ....jim

Hi Jim,

Don't go cutting off your nose to spite your face old son!!

I have worked in the steel industry for over 30 years, working with and handling galvanized and zinc (zintec) coated sheet,mesh and wire most days. I personally think that this wire, from the limited view i can see is actually zinc coated without the final galvanic finish. The appearance of it IS aged and could well be contemporary to the helmet.

What a lot of people do not realise is that this material, if of good quality, would show very limited rust if any after many years. It may sometimes oxidise somewhat to a white, slightly chalky appearance and feel, often called 'white rust', but this is generally confined to the surface and can be wiped off fairly easily compared to normal 'red rust'.

So, as far as i'm concerned the wire looks fine. It is worth bearing in mind that when the helmet was originally 'liberated', over 60 odd years ago, that it could well have been kept indoors since then in a relatively dry, temperate atmosphere and as such would not show much, if any, signs of oxidation. This does not occur to people who have a set opinion on what they expect to see.

As far as the red oxidation seen on the wire, i would think it's not unfair to say that this has actually come off the helmet itself. Remember, this has not been treated with an anti-oxident coating and will quickly pick up a fine bloom of rust from slight, but nearly always rapid, localised atmospheric temprature changes, or just handling without gloves.

The shell appears to have been wiped over at times, which is to be expected, and i would reason that the wire has picked up the slight rust bloom where it is twisted, from off of the helmet itself via the cleaning rag.After all, i don't see any serious signs of rust on the mesh itself, just the twists and crevices where i would expect to find it. There is always more to things than initially meet the eye!

Having said all that, i am non the wiser to the helmets authenticity, as i'm a complete novice to these things, but i will say that when i first clapped eyes on it today i thought "WOW!! That's nice!" Enough anyway for me to comment on it and do a bit of research, which as far as helmets go, is a new thing for me. I really hope it's genuine, lets wait for Doug, Frank, et al for their say, then we'll know...then everyone will know.
So put away your wire snips for a bit longer mate!

Kindest Regards, Ned.