Broken pith helmet...

[LizardKing]

Hey guys! I just received my 1st Model pith helmet and the crock is broken causing the top falling in the helmet and giving it a bad shape! I will include the pics of the Classifieds section auction here (some of you might remember the item being sold here) and how i received my helmet! I think it was already broken when the seller sold it to me although he didn't mention it... And here comes the question! Is there any way to restore the crock? Or can i place a wire netting inside in order to give it a better look? And by inside i don't mean where the crock was (between the cloth stiching) but where the head was supposed to be!

[cricketchris1944]

There is no way to fix it.
But you can buy a foam head and put on it.
It will make it look much better and had a T-shirt or something inside .
chris

[LizardKing]

I will take your word for it! I do have have some spare heads to put my helmet on! I was wondering if i place a wire netting under it so i can remove it without deforming it... What do you think?

[cricketchris1944]

I will take your word for it! I do have have some spare heads to put my helmet on! I was wondering if i place a wire netting under it so i can remove it without deforming it... What do you think?

You could do that but I would put some type of material around the wire.
chris

[LizardKing]

Give me a hint of what to use in order not to lay rust around the metal parts...

[douglas2496]

A would get some thick alluminium wire and make an internal support for it.

[Glenn66]

What about using an upside-down glass or stainless steel bowl. A kitchen supplies store should have bowls in all sizes and when upside-down on the display stand, the helmet should conform to the shape perhaps.

[Jan]

I´m still looking for a pith helmet without the decals.

Best,

Jan

[LizardKing]

I´m still looking for a pith helmet without the decals.

Best,

Jan

Why without the decals??

[davejb]

There might just be a chance to restore some of the shape provided the fibre inside has not split , this is a heavy crush damage either caused by bad packaging or bad handling , Because this particular helmet is made from Pith a fibrous material it just might react to a gentle steaming, the idea is to suspend the helmet upside down over a gentle steam with a round object the size of the interior and a bit of weight to it but nothing to heavy or you risk over stretching the fibre which will distort the shape ,both internally and externally, you will need to take your time and constantly check the progress,once the steaming has been done if the process has been successful , you then need to maintain the shape by leaving the round weighted object inside until the pith has dried,again checking that no shrinkage is occuring and if need be adding extra weight in stages to maintain the shape. Unfortunately there is no guarantee of success and is also a bravery test