M18 eco helmet

[Irish1965]

Hi everyone,

A while ago I posted a M18 ECO on the forum. I was still in the negotiation fase with the seller. At last I bought the helmet for a decent price IMO. I couldn't resist of stripping the paint from the seventies or eighties.

Well, I hope you like the helmet.

Cheers Paul

Before





After

[emileverbunt]

That stripping was well done! Looks very good indeed!

Who in his right mind did the olive paint job?

My compliments for saving this beauty.

Cheers,
Emile

[HARRY THE MOLE]

It looks good... congratulations!

[Irish1965]

That stripping was well done! Looks very good indeed!

Who in his right mind did the olive paint job?

My compliments for saving this beauty.

Cheers,
Emile

Thx for the reply. The helmet came out of an collection of a French collector. He started collecting in the fifties. He himself was a French resistance veteran of the second worldwar. He past away recently and the collection was sold. As I was told this collector liked to make his helmets look nice. So he repainted a lot of his helmets. Result is that the hardware was preserved very well. Nowadays collectors want untouched examples. In the old days they put on a shiny lackered layers or repainted the helmets so they looked good.

A lot of these old collections are surfacing now since the old garde is passing away. But a big salute to the old caretakers of historical items. Without them there would be a lot lost.

[AndyM35]

Great job stripping the paint Paul! From these photos, the original feldgrau looks to have survived very well! Did the liner survive OK too?


Andy

[Irish1965]

Great job stripping the paint Paul! From these photos, the original feldgrau looks to have survived very well! Did the liner survive OK too?


Andy

I didn't touch the liner. It's still in good condition. I'm afraid I couldn't find very clear ET64 markings. but the steelmill stamp is clear R1815. The chinstrap is unmarked. Rare but it did happen.

[BlackCat1982]

Looks much better without the paint and I like its display with the body armour.

[AndyM35]

I'm wondering if the previous owner has treated the leather?? These were always chromed tanned, especially being a 1918 helmet, even though early on some of the M16 steel banded helmets can be found with a variety of chrome tanned and brown dyed leather as stocks of the earlier type of pad were used up. The leather also appears a little thick or is that just in the photos? Being that he painted the shell, I would think it likely that that is what he may have done.

I really like those carbine clip chinstraps too!

Andy

[Mordecai]

Now that is a bloody nice set if I do say so!

[Irish1965]

I'm wondering if the previous owner has treated the leather?? These were always chromed tanned, especially being a 1918 helmet, even though early on some of the M16 steel banded helmets can be found with a variety of chrome tanned and brown dyed leather as stocks of the earlier type of pad were used up. The leather also appears a little thick or is that just in the photos? Being that he painted the shell, I would think it likely that that is what he may have done.

I really like those carbine clip chinstraps too!

Andy

Possible the leather was treated. Compared to my other helmet liners it is a little bit thicker but these were stored very dry. It has the patina of aproximatly the right age. Another scenario would be that the helmet was refitted for the Reichswehr before 1931 and stored in a better environment. But all is speculation.

Cheers,

Paul