A factory second? ......you be the judge

**Danmark** · 05-09-2014, 04:14 AM

This is being sold as a factory mis-strike. ( a helmet that has torn in the forming process )

As a toolmaker I can say that this is true - the tear on the edge is indicative of what can happen in a deep drawing process like this if the platen has insufficient drawing oil on it and a tear occurs.

Is it collectable? - probably it is for the helmet collector who has everything else ...... hint hint Mr B

BUT, is it legitimate from the TR era .... or a Chinese / Indian copy? How could we tell?
And how has a piece of scrap survived 70 years? ...... it beggars belief! With no direct provenance I would forever question it's legitimacy.

But I thought you would like to see it anyway because this is how helmets were made .....
Cheers, Dan

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 05-09-2014 04:14 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Lidman** · 05-09-2014, 04:37 AM

Too hard to say for sure Dan, but I'm going with a Chinese/Indian failure.
The 2 crease/folds on the front visor are strange to me, the tear makes sense due to lack of drawing oil.
I can't say I would want this personally, without provenance of it's origin.

Brad.

**Steelhead10** · 05-09-2014, 05:42 AM

I saw this on ebay not long ago, I thought about the color of the rust and how it was still so shiny in other areas.

**Steelhead10** · 05-09-2014, 05:45 AM

Here it is
WW2 GERMAN M42 HELMET EXTREMELY RARE- MANUFACTURING DEFECT, RARE, RARE, RARE | eBay

**DougB** · 05-09-2014, 06:02 AM

Yeah........ok. No thanks Dan, I'd rather die.

Brad nailed it IMO.

**Danmark** · 05-09-2014, 07:23 AM

by Danmark

This is being sold as a factory mis-strike. BUT, is it legitimate.... or a Chinese / Indian copy? How could we tell? With no direct provenance I would forever question it's legitimacy.
Cheers, Dan

Yes Brad nailed it but I owned the hammer.

**Gunny Hartmann** · 05-09-2014, 07:58 AM

It'd be great if you could get somebody to analyse the steel!..

**Lidman** · 05-09-2014, 08:43 AM

by Danmark

Yes Brad nailed it but I held the hammer.

You got the hammer Dan, but I'll be buggered if I'm gonna hold the nail, lol

Brad

**HARRY THE MOLE** · 05-09-2014, 09:21 AM

Maybe its an extremely rare, previously unseen pattern of helmet with the corks and strings missing from around the edge...

**Allegra** · 05-09-2014, 09:30 AM

by Lidman

Too hard to say for sure Dan, but I'm going with a Chinese/Indian failure.
The 2 crease/folds on the front visor are strange to me, the tear makes sense due to lack of drawing oil.
I can't say I would want this personally, without provenance of it's origin.

Brad.

I tend to agree.

I know that this has been shown before, but if you look at 0.42 you can see that the flanges are are just a little better than the one that you have shown.

THE GERMAN HELMET - YouTube

Cheers
Tim