split pins

[LAS VEGAS]

Is the standard split pin on german helmets the one and only design on m35s too m42s?i am talking looking at the 3 of them from the outside of the shell or was there slight variations,in anyway?LV

[Adrian Stevenson]

Very early ones were brass. The design itself did not change. Slightly differing shapes are down to different contractors.

Cheers, Ade.

[LAS VEGAS]

ADE IV GOT AN M40 IN RELIC CONDTION WITH BATTLEDAMAGE.IT HAS ONE SPLIT PIN LEFT.AS WE KNOW SPLIT PINSFROM THE OUTSIDE ARE ROUND AND SMOOTH.THIS ONE IS THE STANDARD SIZE OF PIN BUT THE AREA WHICH HOLDS THE BENDABLE SPLIT PIN ON THE INSIDE IS SHOWING ON THE OUTSIDE ON THE USUALLY SMOOTH AREAOF THE PIN.ITS LIKE A little square section on the outerpin.i hope short of a photo you understand what i mean.im concerned as iv never seen this before.lv

[Jerry B]

Very early ones were brass. The design itself did not change. Slightly differing shapes are down to different contractors.

Cheers, Ade.

Hi,
I read in a book (so it must be true) that early types were made from four parts, the so called 'solid' head rivets, though from 1941 onwards some manufacturers used only 3 parts to create 'hollow' head rivets.

Jerry

[LAS VEGAS]

Ade, guys ,i came across the same rivet on a helmet we discussed before.its in branaslavs radovics book on german helmets of the second world war page 139.its the very rare m35/40 with the scalloped side german helmet ,side like the telephone m16.if you look at that helmet you will see two standard split rivets and one like the one on the relic m40.the relic is from stalingrad with written provinence.i statred to worry when i seen an non standard rivet until i seen it on the helmet above and now im very satisfied.it makes it that more interesting.the m40 is in relic condition with some battle damage.the other two rivets are missing and the one in question remains.my guess is that because the standard split pin was always breaking ,they tried a new design like the one i have hoping it wouold be stronger.i think they have found it was the same strentgh and reverted to the standard type.the exsperiment type where used on helmets, and not mass produced,so very rare i hope anyway.would be interested in your opinions.its interesting in that the way the helmet has rusted ,was virtually the same as a stalingrad relic i sold .hope its to do with the type of earth in the volgograd region where they where buried,which is another hint to me this is a genuine stalingrad relic.