LW camo helmet, your opinion please...

[asiate]

Hi friends
I'd like to have your opinion about this Luftwaffe camo helmet. The plate of the rivets are missing.
Many thanks
Chris

[Eric Zentner]

I know very little about these things but welcome to the forum.
Popcorn on the ready.


Eric

[asiate]

Thank you ;-) !

[Eric Zentner]

Well I will give my first thoughts on it I guess. But I could be wrong!
Looks like a Norwegian reissue liner with post camo IMO.
Hope I am wrong.

Eric

[VolksJager]

Well this one is a difficult one, as are alot of camo jobs. So far the basics are its an M35, Q68 which looks to have a lot number of 21448? (Could be 1448). Looking at the GHW Database the helmets of this lot number area seem to have dark brown leather liners and the liner band is right for the helmet so I am comfortable with the liner. Can you see the date on the liner band? The chinstrap I am not sure about, never been any good with them.

As for the paint, it stands a chance from here but something it holding me back. The tan just looks artificially aged to me, and I haven't seen green brushed strokes like this on a helmet that I can remember. I would want to see this one in hand before any decisions were made for me. I am officially on the fence!

Jason

[Danmark]

When the Norwegians removed the liners to dye them red/brown they replaced the liner pins with dome head brass ones ( the flat aluminium German ones more often than not break anyway and cant be re-used ) and these are certainly NOT the domed brass ones .....so, I would say the liner is NOT a Norgy. That said, one missing rivet washer is normal to find but not ALL three. I would say a removed & replaced liner ( maybe from some other helmet ) .....but the validity of the paint is something I am yet not comfortable giving a thumbs up or down to. Hope you get a thumbs up
Cheers, Dan

[asiate]

Three more pics : it appears that all the three rivets wear traces of green paint of the same color as that used outside...

[Nathan362]

Anyone else see that in places the green is chipped with the brown, and it has a good patina, but in other areas the green appears to be brushed over old chipped areas? I thought at first look that someone painted the green post war over an original camo job... I however have no confidence in myself when it comes to camo, there are some scary fakes out there!

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Well for me this looks like it could possibly have been a good cammo that has been ruined by the addition of the modern green brushed paint.The wear to the tan paint looks good and consistant to me but that cannot be said of the green. Leon.

[asiate]

I now have the helmet into my hands. The number of the shell is 21448. What looked on the picture as green paint on the grommets is not green paint but verdigris. No evidence of manipulation on the rivet. Green brush paint on the shell appear to have been made at the same period than the tan camo, as the chips are the same on the two paints. The only strange thing is that the helmet was probably an ex Heer before to be refurbished to the Luftwaffe : on can see evidence of sag on the blue paint on at least two places. And more, one can see under the eagle a chipped area which like the shadow of a shied. The eagle, under the tan paint is intact.