M42 Stahlhelm Heer? SS? Real or fake?

[PotatoDigger]

I think it might be good to take a close up of the area where the Heer decal would have been to make sure, would probably be easy to see if there used to be a decal or not then.

[ShapedSteel]

Hi, it is honestly hard to see for sure from the images, but it looks like a HEER decal was placed slightly back of the air vent, this did happen, they were not always "bang in place" centrally under the vent. That would then knock out the proposed SS decal being good for me, that along with having never come across an ET stamped SS helmet. Leon.

I think it might be good to take a close up of the area where the Heer decal would have been to make sure, would probably be easy to see if there used to be a decal or not then.

Hello,
I have taken a real good look at it, and with the right light it does indeed kind of appear to have had a decal there. That probably means that it's not an SS which is really sad but I'm not too disappointed because I got this thinking it was a HEER anyways. I can live with a fake decal, but what I really want to know is whether or not the paint has been messed with like the others said at the beginning of the thread. From what I can see it doesn't appear so but you people know more than me so I really want to know what you have to say.

Many thanks in advance!

(EDIT: I'm sorry for the tilted image, I didn't upload it like that.)

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Hello,
I have taken a real good look at it, and with the right light it does indeed kind of appear to have had a decal there. That probably means that it's not an SS which is really sad but I'm not too disappointed because I got this thinking it was a HEER anyways. I can live with a fake decal, but what I really want to know is whether or not the paint has been messed with like the others said at the beginning of the thread. From what I can see it doesn't appear so but you people know more than me so I really want to know what you have to say.

Many thanks in advance!

(EDIT: I'm sorry for the tilted image, I didn't upload it like that.)

Hi, if you mean is the paint original, then yes, I think it is, just over cleaned, i feel that this is simply a good ex- HEER helmet. Leon.

[ShapedSteel]

Hi, if you mean is the paint original, then yes, I think it is, just over cleaned, i feel that this is simply a good ex- HEER helmet. Leon.

Hello Leon,
In which way would it have been cleaned? I hope it wasn't scrubbed like the others said (but I couldn't find any scrub marks except on the skirt).

[PotatoDigger]

Yeah, I agree, looks like there was a decal that has been removed.
Luis

[ShapedSteel]

The chance that it is a reissued SS HEER helmet is also minimal I assume?

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Could simply be years of "Mr Sheen"!

[M38]

Not all scrubbing is with abrasives like steel wool or sand paper so scrubbing does not automatically mean there are marks in the paint. A helmet can be "scrubbed" by strong household cleaners like Soft Scrub, or paint thinner, turpentine, brush cleaner, etc. Any of these methods leave behind thin paint.

Cheers,
Terry

[HoundsTooth]

My very first helmet, M42 ckl (ET) Heer also has pretty worn paint like yours. IMO, your paint looks okay.

M42 Heer Helmet

Nick

[ShapedSteel]

Could simply be years of "Mr Sheen"!

Not all scrubbing is with abrasives like steel wool or sand paper so scrubbing does not automatically mean there are marks in the paint. A helmet can be "scrubbed" by strong household cleaners like Soft Scrub, or paint thinner, turpentine, brush cleaner, etc. Any of these methods leave behind thin paint.

Cheers,
Terry

Ah, but I always thought that that would change the texture of the paint? Because from what I can see it still has the same texture as other ET M42 HEER helmets.

Thank you for the help!