A Ssh39 with a strange chinstrap

[Bernhard]

My fellow collectors ,

This Ssh39 came in yesterday and I like it a lot.
I have four other ´39 helmets , but this one has something
that I have not seen before.

I bought this helmet because of it´s especially nice patina on the
outside.
I knew from the auction fotos that the liner was missing so I did not invest real big money.

This helmet has two features that I really find interresting :

All of the `39 that I have owned and still own had the usual LMZ
stamping in the rear.
This helmet does not have any and seems to never ever have had any.

Second feature is that this helmet features is the small leather tab
sewn to the end of the chinstrap.
All my other `39 have the usuall U-shaped metal fitting.

Anyway - Hope you like it !

[Sovimusic]

nice helmets

[Wesley's Dad]

Helmet may be a ZKO... I say this because of all the Ssh-39 I have seen, it has always been ZKO that have demonstrated a tendancy for fading stamps. Many are so faint even on mint helmets that they cannot be read.

I also say this maybe a ZKO because in my opinion the leather tab was field made to remedy a frayed chinstrap end. I have never seen a wartime ZKO with the metal termination on the end like an LMZ... only stitched on the end with thread to keep the end from fraying.

[Sovimusic]

look like a parade helmet strap is the exacly the same ?

[Bernhard]

Michael ,

Thank you for your comment.Very interresting insight !
I never thought about ZKO being a maker of this style
helmet , because I have never seen one.

For the strap being a possible parade strap I have no idea.



Regards

Bernhard

[Dom]

Hi ,

How to recognize a ZKO ??
(I ask the question but I have noticed something, let's see if someone confirms)
Below 2 helmets with the same type of chinstrap

[Dom]

Second test (sorry)

[Dom]

Lysva factory

[Wesley's Dad]

Lysva factory

Dom,

LMZ with early finger liners also lack the metal termination on the chinstrap. From what I know at present time, ZKO only made Ssh-39 with the final liner type, the cloth type with graylex sweatband. It is these ZKO helmets that seem to lack the metal chinstrap termination compared to the same liner type helmet made concurrent at LMZ.

I could be completely wrong in this theory as well of course. Not sure what your first helmet is... LMZ versus ZKO. Without a stamp, I have not found a absolute way to tell the two apart but I keep looking. I simply say that Bernard's helmet could be a ZKO because of a faded stamp and a chinstrap without metal tip.

I am all ears if there is more information to be had.

[Dom]

Hello Mike,
I noticed the following (3KO factory).
At the end of the batch number, there is one - and a Cyrillic letter that is not found on production LMZ.

you can check out the links below (Partner Forum)

1 batch number 3KO factory :
http://www.aboutww2militaria.com/Jan...20%2815%29.jpg

WW2 Russian Soviet helmet

2 batch number LMZ factory
http://www.aboutww2militaria.com/Jan...20%2826%29.jpg

WW2 Russian Soviet helmet

second example

http://www.aboutww2militaria.com/Jul...%20%285%29.jpg

WW2 Soviet helmet