Article about: I picked this up earlier this year, a complete black Droop Bill helmet. An ANG, but the stamp, which I tried to show in the second to last picture, is so light it is nearly impossible to see
I picked this up earlier this year, a complete black Droop Bill helmet. An ANG, but the stamp, which I tried to show in the second to last picture, is so light it is nearly impossible to see. The liner was oiled a long time ago, but is complete and original to the piece, affixed by hollow core rivets. The roller bar chin strap is typical of this style helmet. There are no markings on the liner to identify the branch - SS(?), Police(?), Crossing Guard(?) - who knows. It is the type of helmet worn by the SS, and I like droop bills, so I picked it up when it was offered to me by Jules last October just before my birthday. Hope you like it, Jim G.
Interesting you call it a 'droopbill' sorry Jim I don't see it I was offered one 25yrs ago the price was high so I passed. I've never thought of them again until recently and welcome a lesson.
Baer shows an M16 style Austrian but doesn't mention the maker (I.Hardy).
Interesting you call it a 'droopbill' sorry Jim I don't see it I was offered one 25yrs ago the price was high so I passed. I've never thought of them again until recently and welcome a lesson.
Baer shows an M16 style Austrian but doesn't mention the maker (I.Hardy).
Regards
Eric
Hi Eric, This is an interwar commercially produced helmet with a VERY lightly struck ANG maker mark over the right ear. The basic shape of the shell (even though there is less of a severe droop than on some I own), the use of hollow core rivets to secure the liner, and the absence of washers on the interior of the vent lugs confirm unequivocally that it is a commercial shell, of the M18 style, that I, and I believe most other collectors, characterize as a commercial droop bill style shell. It is most definitely not a WWI Austrian helmet. All WWI vintage Austrian shells, and all German manufactured WWI vintage helmets for that matter, have a washer on the interior of the vent lugs, and Austrian shells have rivets on each side of the apron, near but below the break, that fasten the chinstrap bales to the interior of the shell. Some droop bill shells have similar rivets, like those on my Black Parade SS helmet (also a droop bill style shell), but they are typically above the break. The first droop bill helmets did not have these rivets because the chinstraps were attached to the liner bands, but they were cheaply made and the straps often failed. When this became too much of a problem, the manufacturer started attaching the straps directly to the shell, like on the SS shell I have added to the thread. ANG manufactured many, if not most of the so called droop bills, and as I said above, the no decal thread starter has ANG ear stamped in the apron. It is, I guess, simply semantics, but I have always called these droop bills. Best regards, Jim G.
No Decal Black Droop Bill Helmet - Complete
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by Unterstand
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