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First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

Article about: by Haydn Curtis It will be a long ride... i already want a second one... oh boy! Thanks again guys, Haydn Welcome to the circus buddy You could scrape off some matter from the underside of t

  1. #1

    Default First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    Hello all! I am an 18 year old collector of almost anything military, i collect mostly WWII though. I have been browsing the forum for a while and i decided to join up. I usually collect US militaria and i am on the US Militaria Forum, and stray away from German because of my inexperience, the sea of fakes and the threat of loss of money. I know some of you might scold me for my story of how i bought my first German combat helmet! I went to WWII Weekend in Reading, Pennsylvania and wanted to buy a WWII German helmet and this was the only one i found that seemed legit and for a fair price. An older man was selling it and he swore up and down that it was original for life and gave me his business card and told me if anyone tells me otherwise to call him and tell him why its not real. I knew it was an M40 and that was about it. He said you can tell if the decal is real when you run your finger over it and if you feel an edge it is fake. I just went off of my gut feeling (which is usaully wrong..) and it just seemed right. So i bought it for $350.00. Please let me know what you think of the helmet, liner, and decal!

    From my research, it is an M40, SE68, Sächsische Emaillier u. Stanzwerke, lot number 4861. Can you look up the lot number for any information? It is also named "Hoffmann/26" anyone know what the /26 means?

    The chinstrap and liner is dry and brittle. The tip of the chinstrap is cut off and it is marked and dated "singer lattau 1941" (i dont know if that is spelled right it is hard to read!) and it is attached to the buckle. I tied the broken tip of the chinstrap to the bail(?) of the liner so it wouldnt get lost. Now from reading the forum it looks like the chinstrap is possibly "corpse cut". IIRC the old man told me he bought it at an estate sale from a US veteran so possibly a bring back, which would explain the good condition on the shell and decal.

    Now i dont want to sound stupid, but i really think the liner has blood in it. The outside of the shell has basically no rust except near the vent holes and rivets, possibly from built up blood? I looked at one of the forum members helmets and his had the same similarities as mine. The pictures will show what im talking about. The liner is really, really stiff down towards the tips of the leather and they are a very dark brown almost blackish color. The holes in the tips of the leather also have a amberish looking gel type of substance, again, i am not sure if that is dried blood or whats left from the blood. and inside the helmet there is rust that is an orange reddish color with flakes of really shiny spots (blood?) Also one side of the liner is darker on the one side than the other(see pics), suggesting that the soldier was laying on his side? I do not know for sure and i really hope i didnt make my self look really stupid, but because of my age, inexperience/ignorance, i hope you guys can enlighten me or correct me or maybe even possibly tell me i am right!

    Thank you for reading all of this, i am just very excited to own my first German combat helmet!

    Haydn

    First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

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  3. #2

    Default Re: First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    Hello Haydn, the helmet and liner look good to me as does the texture of the paint and overall condition seems to match. The decal also looks good compared with helmets I have. Id buy it for $350

  4. #3

    Default Re: First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    Hello Haydn, welcome to the forum!

    I am by no means a helmet guy, but I think I see a perfectly good Luftwaffe lid in your photo's, no issues in my eyes. Best wait for more comments, but I reckon you've done good lad!!

    Regards, Ned.
    'I do not think we can hope for any better thing now.
    We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course, and the end cannot be far.
    It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. R. SCOTT.
    Last Entry - For God's sake look after our people.'

    In memory of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans. South Pole Expedition, 30th March 1912.

  5. #4

    Default Re: First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    Yes, a very nice helmet.
    The liner seems to be attacked by blood yes, that might be the reason why it's rust inside too (I'm not 100% on that)
    The decal looks good to me, though I only have 1 Luftwaffe helmet, I like the Heer better..

    Though $350 is nothing, IMO you did a very good buy on this one!

    My guess on the "Hoffmann/26" was that it might be something about what "Infanterie" division he was in, but that's the Heer (Wehrmacht) so I'll doubt it.
    I'm haveing problems finding out who ownd my helmets :P

  6. #5
    ?

    Default Re: First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    Welcome to the forum Haydn. I will not be able to help you with your helmet, but I just wanted to say that nobody here will think you are stupid because of you age, or otherwise. There are a lot of surprisingly nice and very informed people here.

    Best Regards,

    Andy
    Best Regards,


    Andy

    [COLOR=#ffa07a]
    [/COLOR][CENTER][COLOR=#ff0000][SIZE=3]URGENTLY LOOKING FOR: 1982 era Argentine military issue goggles. Fravida 109, and "Sanbuee" French lens type
    [/SIZE][/COLOR][/CENTER]
    [CENTER][COLOR=#ff8c00][SIZE=3]

    [/SIZE]Have a look at my 20+ (so far, work in progress) albums for lots of M1's, rare liners and other stuff, including WW2British helmets, Falklands battlefield pickup helmets and let me know what you think!
    [/COLOR][/CENTER]

  7. #6

    Default Re: First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    From what I can see looking on a phone, I think you did well. Decal and shell look good. Liner may be as the others stated. Price was very good. Welcome!

  8. #7
    ?

    Default Re: First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    I think it is a great start you have with this one. Looks honest to me and 350 is a good price for an original named helmet with a good decal Don’t know about the blood but I believe it has been stored somewhere where there have been humid inside the shell. I think you can tell from the rust and also the liner which look like it have been shrunken a little bit.


    Cheers Alex

  9. #8

    Default Re: First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    Very nice Luftwaffe lid. Decal is great as is the paint and liner. I believe it could be blood damage to the liner. I Have afew blood damaged lids myself I can see the similarities. For $350 you did well.

    Jason

  10. #9

    Default Re: First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    First off, i just want to thank everyone for the kind words! I usually do not join a lot of forums for the fear of being trolled or flamed for my inexperience so i just want to say thank you! And i am beyond happy that this lid is genuine! The dealer did give me his business card with a 100% guarantee for life that it is real which helped me decide. And even though i havent had any experience with german stuff this lid just seemed "right" to me. But then again i dont know if that happens a lot even with fakes...

    Andy, thank you for that, the thing i hate more than anything is when people judge me for my age!
    I would love to list everyones name and say thank you!

    Jason, I really think it might be blood.. It is almost kind of sticky..

    Two more questions...

    One dealer told me the blood lowers the value..is this true? and He said that it is an m35 helmet because the rivet looks inserted not stamped. It looks stamped to me. Should i post a close up of the rivet?

    Thanks again everyone! I appreciate everything, the knowledge and kindness!

    Haydn

  11. #10

    Default Re: First German Helmet, first time forum user! M40 Luftwaffe Single Decal **PIC HEAVY!**

    Now that you mentioned it, it may be an M35. Look on the inside of the dome where the air vent is. You will be able to see the vent where it comes into the shell and flares around a little to hold it in. This may be an M35 reissue, but still a nice lid. I'm not sure that blood would be sticky after 70 years. Are we sure the liner wasn't treated with something? The dark color is fairly even throughout the liner. Just a thought.

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