Black M35 Beaded Helmet

**danhashman** · 03-12-2015, 06:35 AM

Hell mates..

Just wanted to share my newest adquisition. A M35 beaded Helmet.
The helmet has blue paint underneath the black one, but the black paint doesn´t look new at all, it looks pretty vintage with quite some wear.
Blue is/ was Luftschutz, but why was the helmet painted black, and still heavily used? I see this pattern pretty ofteh on beaded helmets, anyone has an idea why the black repainting or what it means?

Liner seems original to me, with its strap, the buckle does not move anymore.
Marked with " EF66" and on the inner rear back skirt with " I ´4", i think ( size?)

Some folks say that Beaded helmets are factory rejects because of quality flaws. i don´t know if this is true or just a widespread legend, but i checked this one very critically and could not find ANY flaw at all..

Or maybe i just looked at it with love, because i like beaded helmets, and MORE even M35 Beaded Helmets..

Any comments or ideas more than welcome..

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-12-2015 06:35 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 03-12-2015, 07:55 AM

Hi, beaded helmets were indeed factory inspected helmets that had a flaw of some type and had the "beading" added to them for extra strength. Some Flak crews were known to have over painted their helmets black, but whether this is one of them i do not know. Leon.

**danhashman** · 03-12-2015, 08:15 AM

Very nice input.. thanx a lot .. Any other ideas or comments about color, liner, or whatever are welcome, as i am eager to learn..

**DougB** · 03-13-2015, 01:30 AM

Black is typically postwar applied for fire or civic use. This looks postwar to me, very glossy.

Wasn't the bead added not for strength but to distinguish it so it didn't get mixed in for combat distribution?