British Mk6 helmet

**Composite** · 02-24-2020, 12:26 PM

'picked up a nice little set at Stoneleigh....'85-dated NP-made Smoothie....with all the trimmings.....and from the look of the side bracket it looks like those fitments have been on it for years!

....and all for the price of the neck-guard on it's own....dontcha just love Fairs!

Whilst on this topic....James raised an interesting question a while ago which I don't think has received suitable attention......he noted that he had a Mk6 helmet strap with a suede chin-cup....'nowt special about that...but that he also had one which was effectively hollow...so the two straps were lined with suede (one presumes) but NOT part of a "cup"...the middle bit was missing......'anyone?

**James C** · 02-25-2020, 12:59 PM

Nice find Ade

,I'm going to try do a group picture of my Mk 6's, I am sure they have multiplied since last time checked, I'll try and find that hollow chincup example again also, totally forgot about that one, it's been a while since I asked the question

**James C** · 02-29-2020, 05:32 PM

Well i had good intentions on dragging out my mk6's for a dusting and photo but failed to take into consideration the time scale to haul them out Coupled with the temperamental British weather at the moment .
I did how ever scan over them looking for the hollow chin cup example until after a while remembered the Mk6 strap was in fact fitted to a Para Lightweight so once the sun was smiling took a few pics alongside an afghan war example ,pretty much identical between the pair and perhaps the cup was cut away but if so very neatly done and seems to have a raised edge so still not certain if a blade was used or not

**Composite** · 02-29-2020, 05:52 PM

I wonder if this is a Para-isation or an Ally-isation of a standard strap by simply (and carefully) slicing out the middle section??? ‘Starting to look like we should all be checking our straps......

**Greg Pickersgill** · 02-29-2020, 06:15 PM

That's exactly what I thought. I am not going to be doing any checking of straps. I have a monograph on INDUYCO to write.

**Composite** · 02-29-2020, 06:41 PM

...looks like I've had one all the time......

closer investigation is now called for....is it a cut....or a deliberate gap/difference?

**James C** · 03-01-2020, 05:01 PM

My MK6 Grouping although two A's have made it in there and hard to tell them from the standard 6's when looking at the camo covered exterior ,nothing really out of the ordinary here ,most are Early to mid 80's and beyond and either N.E.I Electronics LTD or National Plastics .
One thing i did note was the brow pad on the troop trials mk6 mixture of part material part leatherette ,well i say Leatherette as i am not even sure what the material is for certain unless it has been discussed elsewhere and found one of my been there Gulf war 1991 mk6's has no leatherette brow and rear pads only a type of absorbent material ,not sure if this is of any significance or maybe it points to a particular manufacturer but can't confirm as there is no label present

**Composite** · 03-01-2020, 05:11 PM

Interesting...I posted a question about cloth brow pads instead of the standard leather ones a while ago and got no response.......looks like you’ve got one....thought I was going mad.....

**Greg Pickersgill** · 03-01-2020, 05:17 PM

At this time I do not believe for a moment there are cloth pads of any kind factory-fitted in any Mk6. Obviously what happens after that is down to what the end-user thinks they can get away with. It is entirely reasonable to suppose that more than one soldier thought cloth might be more comfortable than vinyl.

**James C** · 03-01-2020, 07:20 PM

Thanks for your Comments Ade and Greg and i must have missed your earlier post on the Brow pad material Ade .
I wonder if this material is just the bare bones of the pad having the outer leather covering removed in some way ?.The material does feel wafer thin and would probably not give much comfort to be honest