Real MK1 British helmet?

**RasgoneEnig** · 09-03-2022, 09:35 PM

Hello everyone,

First, I'm sorry if some of the question I'm gonna ask are "dumb", but this is the FIRST TIME I BOUGHT A BRODIE HELMET, so naturally I have a lot of inquiries.

1) How do I know if this is real? At least for me the paint is in a state too preserved to be +100 years old, and as far as I know a lot of countires used the brodie helmet, especially post WW2. Also it has an MLS stamp, which when resarched came without any results.

2) The liner was part of the helmet, but detached from it as soon as I tried to displayed it on my colecction. Also, I read somewhere this types of liners had ASBESTOS, so what do I do about it? (also, the article said that it was safe IF the liner was undisturbed, but as you can see the liner is deeply disturbed). Should I coat it in something? Or put it in a kind of "ziploc" bag?

Finally, I bought it without any knowledge & trusting what the seller told me, because he was selling it for only 20 dollars. Did I got myself a steal or was I stealed?

Many thanks for any replies!

**BrodieBartfast** · 09-03-2022, 09:49 PM

For twenty Dollars, you've done well. It appears to be an original WWI Brodie helmet of British manufacture. You can tell it from American production by the split pins used to attach the chinstrap bails; American-made helmets used rivets. Paint appears original too. The MLS marking indicates the steel for the helmet was supplied by Miris Steel Co Ltd of London. They also used 'MS'. This particular helmet would have been produced either in 1916 or 1917. Presumably the '16' next to the steel supplier's mark is a date.

The liner pads of these helmets do indeed contain white asbestos. However, it's unlikely to do you any harm unless you stuff it up your nose or try to eat it! If you want to be safe, you can seal it in a ziploc bag, seeing as it's already detached from the shell.

Even with the missing liner, this is a pretty good find. Congratulations!

B.B.

**paul kennedy** · 09-03-2022, 10:06 PM

That is a nice British shell.

**Jerry B** · 09-04-2022, 04:35 PM

genuine great war brodie, good price too.

**RasgoneEnig** · 09-04-2022, 07:05 PM

Many thanks everyone!

It seems I got a good deal here. I was really skeptical at first: I had low illusions and little hope that this was real, I never imagined it was from the first world war. I thought it was a European clone or part of the commonwealth alliance.

Now, would you recommend me to restore it? As in, buying a new helmet liner with the pad (without asbestos obviously)?

And where could I find one that ships internationally (I think Prairie Flower Leather Co. doesn't ship overseas)?

Many thanks again everyone!

PS: I found it on Buenos Aires (Hence asking for a place wich ships overseas, since I will return to the states on mid 2023) which was weird knowing the poor relations these countries have nowadays. If it was an american shell, I woudn't have question it. Maybe a relic of a better time when they helped each other financialy and military?