M40 SS DD helmet...

[KRISSE]

Hello guys, I've found this interesting helmet by a Dutch seller.
Could I hear some opinions please? Are the decals okay?
Looks fine to me but I want to hear it from the professionals in the first place.

Kris.

[reichss]

The liner and tie-string are the real deal, helmet color looks original, the party decal looks right, from the photo can't tell definitively if the runes decal has the silver foil content. My gut feel though is it's a genuine M40 DD stahlhelm.

[WOODSNAKE]

It's a top looking lid whatever the outcome, i'm certainly not the one to judge it but it looks pretty sweet to me, Good Luck

Phill

[ObKrieger]

I usually have a hard time saying this about most of the SS helmets posted here for review, but I think that this one is a great original example of a very rare helmet. The decals match the maker, the liner and chinstrap looks good, and the paint is spot on. Have Doug or Frank try to match up the lot number; I think you have a winner here!

[DougB]

I would be extremely cautious with this helmet. Q M40 DD SS with factory applied Q party decals, which this one either has or is being imitated, are all, without exception that I have recorded, in a low 2 or 3 digit lot number of Q M40. All others are field applied CA Pocher pattern party decals. After this Q lot numbers for M40 helmets are literally a dogs breakfast with no discernible trends other than all are without exception, single decals. Going by lot numbers SS decals for M40 Q SS of any kind end at 1339 and do not return until 10327 so this would make it a huge anomaly.

Now to address the photos we are supposed to validate this helmet by. The party decal photo is blurry enough to show that graphically it might be good but will hide the bad that gives it away. A trick of the experienced faker or seller of fake and suspect items. The Q decal has serious issues. The angle is like the blurry photo, enough to show you the graphics are close but will hide the bad. But the damage to the decal and the constructions screams fake.

Without both first class photos that hide nothing AND a hands on I would not touch this helmet with a 1,000,000 foot pole. But thats just me... ;-)

Buyer beware.

Doug

[DougB]

The liner and tie-string are the real deal, helmet color looks original, the party decal looks right, from the photo can't tell definitively if the runes decal has the silver foil content. My gut feel though is it's a genuine M40 DD stahlhelm.

Not my gut feel. The biggest mistake new SS helmet hunters make is looking for "silver foil content". 99.9% of them have no clue what the content should be or what it is made of. My biggest advice to new SS helmet collectors is to drop this line of thinking immediately as it is inherently wrong and I will guarantee you that 99.9% of the fakers exploit this to their financial gain and your financial loss.

Cheers
Doug