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Help with M16 helmet

Article about: Hello everyone, I am in a family trip in Argentina, so I decided to buy something as a souvenir. So I went to a "Militaria store" and I bought a WW1 german helmet for 75 bucks. It

  1. #1

    Default Help with M16 helmet

    Hello everyone,

    I am in a family trip in Argentina, so I decided to buy something as a souvenir. So I went to a "Militaria store" and I bought a WW1 german helmet for 75 bucks. It was heavily rusted and repainted (the paint used was cheap and disgusting) so I decided to remove it. To my surprise, while removeing the paint, I found some oil paint (note that the paint remover I used was pretty potent, I washed it with a special antioxidant and I also scraped the remainig paint with a steel sponge) which appeared to "stick" to the metal (and survived). Now: I don't know how to hand age things, nor I think this helmet to be a repro (adding that I am on a country which forbids importing military surplus equipment since 1983, making it almost impossible for someone to bought this online, then paint it and re-sell it). Sadly, I could't find any markings or heat stamps on the shell (plus, it's heavily rusted, so any numbers left were long gone). What do you guys think?
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Help with M16 helmet   Help with M16 helmet  

    Help with M16 helmet   Help with M16 helmet  

    Help with M16 helmet   Help with M16 helmet  

    Help with M16 helmet   Help with M16 helmet  

    Help with M16 helmet   Help with M16 helmet  

    Help with M16 helmet   Help with M16 helmet  


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  3. #2

    Default

    Hard to tell by these pictures but to me it looks like there’s paint inside the rust pits on the camo paint, maybe someone attempted a camo scheme themselves and gave up on it? I’d say it’s been repainted post war but I would wait for some others to chime in aswell.

  4. #3

    Default

    Hello, thanks for your reply. Do you think the shell is original?

  5. #4

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    It’s an M16 of either 66 or 68 in size. The camo paint is post war applied.

    Andy

  6. #5

    Default

    The shell is original.

  7. #6
    ?

    Default

    Trying to be a machine gunners helmet:

    WW1 german helmet

    Regards
    Brett

  8. #7

    Default Update on damaged Stahlhelm

    Hello Everyone,

    A while ago I posted a thread where I explained that I found an old WW1 Stahlhelm, badly repainted, with a Fake camo cover, for an absurdly cheap price.

    After 2 years of carefully repairing it, I can safely say that I am satisfied with the end product.

    (IMPORTANT NOTE: I didn't use any harmful chemical on the helmet, I took all the remainig paint away manually).

    Despite that, I still have some inquiries regarding the helmet:

    1) Is it real? (I know this must sound dumb, but it was so cheap and so damaged that I didn't minded if it was real or not)

    2) While cleaning it, I decided to keep the "Camo" look. At first I thought it was fake, but after founding underneath the "fresh" paint some even older paint (in a state so old it actually fused with the steel), I started thinking that it actually might be real.

    (please compare the remainig "fresh and vivid" paint with the more "old and faded" paint)

    But then this question arises: Who is so dumb to repaint an original camo?

    3) Which size it is? I tried to size it with a sewing tape measure, and the reslt was a "size 67". But I don't know if that's closer to a size 66 or 68.


    Many thanks for any responses!
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Help with M16 helmet   Help with M16 helmet  

    Help with M16 helmet   Help with M16 helmet  

    Help with M16 helmet   Help with M16 helmet  

    Help with M16 helmet  

  9. #8

    Default

    You have done a good job of removing the horrible grey/silver paint from the inside but I still think that the outside was painted after 1918.

  10. #9

    Default

    It’s an original shell.

    You are correct about it being either a 66 or 68 as sizes above 64 were all made without the step to accomodate the stirnpanzer on the smaller size shell as the stirnpanzers were manufactured as a one size fits all piece of equipment. It’s also an M16 shell i.e. made in 1916 but may have had either a leather liner band or steel model M17 band. There were said to be size 70 helmets made as well, although I have yet to seen an example.

    I agree with BlackCat regarding the paint which has simply been applied over a pitted surface. Furthermore, it shows no field grey paint at all. You would expect to see some. Looks like someone has tried to present it as a scarce Gardekorps helmet with a Kompanie number added on the rear.

    Like Third Reich helmets, camo Imperial Steel helmets are highly sought but expensive and not as numerous as the regular Heer/Luftwaffe/Kriegsmarine helmets etc. Unfortunately, the fakers, particularly one in Latvia has seized on the opportunity presented and creates fake camos that are cheaper than period applied camos, with which to trick the unwary into parting with their money. Perhaps the biggest tragedy of this, aside from new collectors being ripped off and potentially turned away from the hobby, is the fact that 100’s of original untouched helmets are now being destroyed due to this. It’s getting to the point where field grey WW1 German helmets will be more scarce than camouflage painted examples. For this reason, if I see an interesting field grey WW1 German steel helmet in complete untouched condition, I seriously consider adding them to my collection.

    At the end of the day, it’s a shame it wasn’t left as a relic, but it’s still a piece of history and reminder of the Great War.

    Andy

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