It would seem that there's been a release of the various I.S. bits and that there's now stillages of the bloomin' things everywhere....visors, brackets, visor covers, nape protectors....for years you didn't see them...and now hundreds come along all at once
Unfortunate that there isn't a similar outpouring of those liner retention rivets. While I am not averse to paying for them - by the bag - I absolutely refuse to accept the blatant profiteering of that character on Ebay who is selling them for a huge multiplication of their actual cost. If I had access to something like that I'd actually *give it away* to collectors even if I had paid as much as oh probably a fiver a bag (likely a lot less) in his case, for them. Good will is worth more than money, more often than many think.
Going back to Post 85 re split chin cups v.... errr.....chin cups....I've looked at quite a few 6s, 6As (and some 7s) over the last month or so.....I've found 4 "Splitters" ('technical term....direct from the MoD :-) ) spread across all 3 helmet types but I've yet to identify a pattern other than they were all on lids which had been used by the "Look-I'm-different-and-therefore-special" Brigade. So I got the USB Microscope out...this particular example is from the chin strap of a "special" (Para-used) Mk7 (A).......and yes, I know that's not a 6!
This first pic is a close-up of the chin cup. All edges of the leather look quite rounded but this is probably the result of regular wear.....there are shape irregularities though...
This one shows an irregularity in that the leather liner edge is not parallel to the stitching....
..and this is where we get all Tomorrow's World (or Jetsons)...this microscope shot is a close-up of the....errr....close-up...and it appears that the leather has been crudely sliced off
...and this last one shows how the edge of the leather and the stitching line correlate....and it looks pretty rough along both INNER edges. It's clear that the inner edge of the chin cup is rougher (rougherer?) than the outer edge....'s'funny how the leather cutter did a great job on the outer edges but perhaps was having an off-day when they did the inner cuts...and the poor old Stitcher (Stitchest?) was left to tidy up the job as well as they could......
Now, before the QC for the Defence starts up...this IS only one example...it IS from a Mk7.....and it IS a "Special" Mk7 (and we all know how precious those guys are about being different)....and sadly I can't get to snap a "guilty" Mk6. I'm not saying "case closed".....
....I'm suggesting that this isn't a Factory issued variant.....but please prove me wrong...get your 6's out and look at the straps!
NB all tests were undertaken under Laboratory conditions. Other straps, helmets and chin cups are available. May cause drowsiness, sickness, vomitting and boredom. No straps were harmed during the photographing process. Investments and straps can go up and down. Care should be taken to ensure these photographs aren't confused with close-up pictures of Eagles left claws - all similarities between the helmet shown and the far more interesting and documented German helmets are purely coincidental and the views expressed here are of interest only to a small number of Specialists...well, I say "Specialists" but to be honest, if they ARE special they'd be collecting TR stuff right.....we're not worthy to share their space...we are the Morlocks...and they are the perfect happy Eloi (look it up!).......eating their fruit....while we work hard below...day and night.....delivering such treasures as the "Mk7 Brow Pad Debate", the "Phwoaw, look-at-the-liner-pads-on-that-MICH" and the classic "Green Vinyl Straps"......why do we bother......
From a retired REME veteran. No interior labels left unfortunately. For your interest and delectation.
Whoops! I think I should have put it in the 6a section?
...talking of chin straps......'picked up an early Shiny with an RBR-esque plastic chin cup attached (woven onto and somehow fixed to) - these cups, or similar were used when trialing the 6 'though I think that's purely coincidental here.....but who knows????
.
....and no, I don't think the inner tube band has lasted for 36 years years either.......
Sorry for the delay in posting this variant....I've been replying to all the other posts about the Mk6 and all the other Composite helmets posted here...it really is a Compo-Fest on WR isn't it?...'turn your head and 4 new ones get posted....and don't get me started on the straps!
Anyway, Blue - discuss....
Gotta be a commercial item (no number, colourful label, nice shiny blue hue (Barney Mcgrew..well, someone had to...)...Press? Journo's?....wrong colour for UN and they had covers anyway. Post-"smoothie", late pattern harness......
We've seen white, yellow and now blue.....and there's a rumour that they also came in a delicate burgundy paisley with burnt sienna harness....who knew?
...does anyone actually give a FF about non-TR non-metal lids here?...hey, perhaps it's experimental Luftwaffe.............
Police issue?
The non-military-used 900's have a different label from those which seem to have been used by the troops - red on white.....so this tends to support non-military...and we do see blue riot helmets....so maybe ????
I'm not going with police, unless it was a *very* small test run. We have seen a large number of different types used by the police, from several makers (including NP) and pretty much all of them are both black (or very very dark blue depending on your colour vision) and PASGT form. Excepting of course the very early Bristol helmets which are blue (ish), not this shade.
My best guess is Press, and likely unused as there would probably be traces of a 'PRESS' sticker on the front and probably rear. What we can be reasonably sure of is there weren't many of these things - I have never seen another and I look for this sort of thing.
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