M42- Camo.

[gaz232sqn]

Hi Guy's.

Here is my M42,with Camo effect finish.

Any comments, positive or constructively negative , will be welcomed

[António Fragoeiro]

I like it, Looks nice

[DougB]

Hi gaz, the liner is postwar (rivets in the drawstring holes) and the chinstrap appears reproduction. The camo paint also appears to be done postwar I am afraid.

[Schwerpunkt]

As Doug said , post war and not near the real thing at all.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Don't forget to blend in the tops of the helmet-rivets with the cammo scheme next time. I got through a full (large) tin of Nitromore's before I was happy with the final result. The paint looks a little on the thin side as well. Don't be tempted to apply decals to the shell if you do it again. A dealer friend of mine (I still have some friends left) advised me that non-decalled helmets are now becoming rarer due to the amount of dodgy dealers sticking SS decals on them to increase their profit margin. I forgot to add... it's not a bad attempt, but don't give up the day job!

[DougB]

Don't forget to blend in the tops of the helmet-rivets with the cammo scheme next time. I got through a full (large) tin of Nitromore's before I was happy with the final result. The paint looks a little on the thin side as well. Don't be tempted to apply decals to the shell if you do it again. A dealer friend of mine (I still have some friends left) advised me that non-decalled helmets are now becoming rarer due to the amount of dodgy dealers sticking SS decals on them to increase their profit margin. I forgot to add... it's not a bad attempt, but don't give up the day job!

OK I am confused. Is this a reproduction from your hands Gaz and your looking for comments on how real it looks or did you buy this and your asking for opinions on if it is real?

If this is a reproduction from your hands how is this marked to identify it as such if and when it is sold and is this thread about making reproductions ie fakes, better? If so I feel something has gone very very wrong in helmet-land here since my last visit.

Collecting is about preserving history not making it up -- as is this forum is I believe. If a camo helmet is desired either save the pennies and buy a real one or make one out of a post war shell, there are plenty out there and it is no more real than the fake one in this thread.

Harry, no decal helmets are becoming rarer because guys are taking out their paint sets and doing this to them. A dodgy SS decal can be easily identified and removed taking the helmet back to its original wartime form. This cannot be undone.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I happen to know that this helmet was sold to Gaz by a crooked dealer who assured him it was original. It was in fact a post-war re-issue helmet. When you have such an item you are faced with two choices. You can either leave 'as is,' or you can try and make use of the shell. Gaz has chosen to make use of the shell - as is his right to do so.

You assume that Gaz is going to sell the shell, but perhaps he wants it for his own collection. I aggree that collecting is about preserving history, but at times you find yourself in posession of an item which has little going for of it due to condition or other reasons. In this case there is no harm in trying to replicate an original item. The danger is when someone tries to pass it off as genuine. I can't for the life of me understand how people get replica's and fakes mixed up. A fake is an item that someone is trying to pass off as genuine, where a replica is just a copy of the real thing that someone may wish to own to fill in a gap in a collection.

Everything has its place in collecting - even 'done-up' helmets. For instance, it would be bordering on the criminal for re-enactors to be running about in their war-games using genuine historical artefacts. A restored helmet used by a re-enactor can soon take on the look of the real thing after a couple of years of skirmishing. There will always be those within collecting circles who frown upon these items. I accept them for what they are. In my youth there were three types of german helmets you came across. The ones you found on the local rubbish tip, green coloured helmets and blue (Luftwaffe) helmets. I never - ever saw a Normandy cammo helmet or even a DAK helmet. I am only stating how it was when I was a kid, although there must have been camoflage helmets about. I did recently hear it said though that Normandy camoflage helmets only started to emerge in greater numbers in the 1970's. There must be plenty of helmets in collections that are considered to be original when they are far from it.

I have made a grave error of judgement in perhaps making it obvious that Gaz has painted up the helmet. For that I apologise to Gaz. No harm was intended by him. Perhaps he just wanted to test how good some of the collectors on here are - as I did with my Fallschirmjager helmet. He is in a way providing a service to others. All criticisms levelled at his wormanship will serve as pointers to others in what to look for when trying to determine whether an item is original or not. I have to say though that I have never really noticed so much fuss made over restored helmets from other nations, is there something special about german tin-hats?

I myself have an M42 which is a police post-war re-issue. I have stripped it and painted it to represent an SS helmet complete with 'aged' camoflage cover. My own opinion is that it fits in well with my collection. I cannot afford to spend the vast amounts needed to obtain an original item. And this is the situation many collectors find themselves in. My helmet would not fool anyone, the liner is an obvious modern reproduction. But I am happy with it, and thats all that matters.

[gaz232sqn]

Firstly I would like to aplogise for the confusion.But perhaps my opening paragraph was not to0 clear,and therefore confusing.

But I seem to remember saying,something along the lines of "Camo effect"...............

Secondly, this helmet is a genuine M42 shell,and therefore not fake,yes it has a repro, liner ,chinstrap.
The finish is obviously fake,and for that I am relieved that it has been spotted as such,I would be very concerned if it fooled anyone, especially "Experts" of the tin pot world.

Thirdly.I did not post this trying to make it out to be anything that it is not, I just wanted opinions one way or the other,I am not planning on selling it, so I was not after a guessimate,on how much I might be able to flog it for.....quite frankly, it sit's on a shelf,gathering dust ,so I thought I might share it,with my fellow forum members.......for their opinions...I have opinions,and they are honest and not a personal insult on my person....so job done,as far as I'm concerned.....


To recap,the shell is real( unless by defination,as it has a postwar camo job,that makes it a fake) the rest is a reproduction, I am not upset by,any of the comments I have recieved,I did not set out to decive anyone,I am not selling it,and most importantly of all,I have proved the point ,I needed to confirm.....which is...I'm so glad Nazi lids are not my thing,as my God,they are a contentious subject!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway,apart from it's Heritage, I like it ,it looks cool next to my other lids,and at the end of the day,life is very short, my advice for what it's worth,is to make the most of it!!!!!!

[gaz232sqn]

I happen to know that this helmet was sold to Gaz by a crooked dealer who assured him it was original. It was in fact a post-war re-issue helmet. When you have such an item you are faced with two choices. You can either leave 'as is,' or you can try and make use of the shell. Gaz has chosen to make use of the shell - as is his right to do so.

You assume that Gaz is going to sell the shell, but perhaps he wants it for his own collection. I aggree that collecting is about preserving history, but at times you find yourself in posession of an item which has little going for of it due to condition or other reasons. In this case there is no harm in trying to replicate an original item. The danger is when someone tries to pass it off as genuine. I can't for the life of me understand how people get replica's and fakes mixed up. A fake is an item that someone is trying to pass off as genuine, where a replica is just a copy of the real thing that someone may wish to own to fill in a gap in a collection.

Everything has its place in collecting - even 'done-up' helmets. For instance, it would be bordering on the criminal for re-enactors to be running about in their war-games using genuine historical artefacts. A restored helmet used by a re-enactor can soon take on the look of the real thing after a couple of years of skirmishing. There will always be those within collecting circles who frown upon these items. I accept them for what they are. In my youth there were three types of german helmets you came across. The ones you found on the local rubbish tip, green coloured helmets and blue (Luftwaffe) helmets. I never - ever saw a Normandy cammo helmet or even a DAK helmet. I am only stating how it was when I was a kid, although there must have been camoflage helmets about. I did recently hear it said though that Normandy camoflage helmets only started to emerge in greater numbers in the 1970's. There must be plenty of helmets in collections that are considered to be original when they are far from it.

I have made a grave error of judgement in perhaps making it obvious that Gaz has painted up the helmet. For that I apologise to Gaz. No harm was intended by him. Perhaps he just wanted to test how good some of the collectors on here are - as I did with my Fallschirmjager helmet. He is in a way providing a service to others. All criticisms levelled at his wormanship will serve as pointers to others in what to look for when trying to determine whether an item is original or not. I have to say though that I have never really noticed so much fuss made over restored helmets from other nations, is there something special about german tin-hats?

I myself have an M42 which is a police post-war re-issue. I have stripped it and painted it to represent an SS helmet complete with 'aged' camoflage cover. My own opinion is that it fits in well with my collection. I cannot afford to spend the vast amounts needed to obtain an original item. And this is the situation many collectors find themselves in. My helmet would not fool anyone, the liner is an obvious modern reproduction. But I am happy with it, and thats all that matters.

A personal apology,to you Mate.

This is NOT the postwar lid sold to me by that theiving shark of a dealer,this is a genuine M42 shell.

I would also like to thank you publicly,for defending my ethics

[Schwerpunkt]

I'm so glad Nazi lids are not my thing,as my God,they are a contentious subject!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway,apart from it's Heritage, I like it ,it looks cool next to my other lids,and at the end of the day,life is very short, my advice for what it's worth,is to make the most of it!!!!!!

Hello Qaz , a collector of historical pieces is someone who appreciates the historical items in their pure untouched form.
The item you posted has no value for a true collector of historical items. I can understand the reasoning behind your attempt , I can understand that people want filler because the items are getting too expensive. But lets call a horse a horse , this forum is about war relics and an overpainted original shell can no longer be called that.