M38 Preservation Advise

[69Barracuda]

Hello all,
I recently bought this M38 and am waiting for it to arrive in the mail. I've been reading, more than I care to admit, restoration and preservation articles, trying to decide the best thing to do with this helmet and decide which route to go. It was found near Holland and looks to have taken quite a hit from shrapnel or a small caliber round. I've been reading plenty of articles here about rust removal; oxalic acid, citric acid, vinegar etc. and the ways to preserve it after, such as bees or renaissance wax. The seller says, and I agree, it looks like there's some textured camo/ paint behind the rust. I'm wondering what other people would do if it was your helmet. Would you just wax it to stop the rust and preserve it in the current state, or would you try to use something to reduce the rust and show the original paint underneath? I'm not expecting perfect condition obviously as you can see a few places it has rusted through, however I do think seeing some of the original paint would be nice, and obviously preserving it after to stop from further deterioration. Looking forward to see what other people think, and what methods youve done to your own.
V/R
Erik

[Kateri]

Congratulations!
Looks great as it is.

[Irish1965]

Looks good. A very nice relic. Keep it dry. I would respect it as the battlefield find as it is.

Cheers Paul

[BrodieBartfast]

Normally I'd recommend you give it a tea bath, but with the leather remains in place I wouldn't do anything more than give it a coating of Ren Wax. Any attempts to bring out the paint remains will likely do more harm than good. Best to leave it 'as found'.

B.B.