SS Helmet Coating Question - All Helmets Actually

[Rich Moran]

I've been looking at SS helmets for a long time and realize how little I really know even studying everything I can about them. I've been stung before and back when that happened SS helmets were no where near what they are asking and selling for today. So out of caution I am asking for some help...again!

Could someone please help me better understand helmet coatings as books seem not to address this question.

As seen in the attached image the outer finish coating is chipped and below that it appears as if there is another coating. I do know that the semi gloss original coatings were painted over to further subdue the finish. But for a coating to be correctly applied over another coating a certain amount of surface abrasion is needed to insure excellent bond of the fresh finish coating.

It seems to me that the chipped edges have been over coated eliminating the sharp edges associated with paint chipping....or am I seeing and imagining some thing that's not there? With chipped coated surfaces rust oxides eventually arise, and item that if older than me, 78 years old to be exact for this example does not display any corrosion that I can see around the damaged outer coating.

Not saying it is impossible but how can that be? To me it defies logic about how coatings, specifically spray applied or brushed coatings perform and especially over a correctly prepared surface for best coating adhesion. Thus the question about this mystery. Has this helmets finish been touched up?

Than you in advance for any help you may have with this.

[MAP]

In the original wartime videos of the helmet manufacturing process, it appears that only one layer of paint was applied at the factory. But maybe the video doesn't show all the steps. Still in the section where they are spraying the helmet, it appears to be on bare metal

Very rare footage of a German helmets manufacturing factory during World War II - Stock Video Footage - Dissolve

That said, in the video you see the helmets coming out of some type of wet bath and then put in a centrifuge. Maybe this bath was some type of anti rust coating. There is another video about the manufacture of WW1 helmets and they make mention of some type of anti rust coating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puz64JdypAQ

[Rich Moran]

Watched the videos. It looks to me like each stamping procedure had the metal dipped in a hot lubrication solution. Then dipped into a compound that removed the lubricant and perhaps etched the steel. But seeing the helmets stacked into the centrifuge would mean the interior would meet against the next helmets exterior in the stack of helmets. Perhaps to compound was an etching compound as well as a degreaser.

Back in those days the EPA and OSHA obviously were not an entity.

Be it German or what ever country the environmental pollution not a concern so the coatings were much, much more durable. The person painting wore zero protection which is always seen in these how it's made old videos.

I am stumped though as the images posted earlier show that the chipped areas appear over coated and not by brush as no brush strokes are seen. The coating damaged neck/ear shield area even more so seems to be obviously over coated with something to upgraded & enhance the condition. Definitely not a good sign to me.

[Schwerpunkt]

Hard to say something about the photos shared I prefer to view a helmet in its entirety.
Also the paintjob itself is standard , not specific to SS. Heer , KM , Police all have the same paintjob.