Rough KM up for debate

[RustyRelics]

Good morning everyone.

I check Ken Niewiarowicz's website nearly every day to see what goodies I can stare at an not be able to afford. Well for the first time since I started collecting, I found a KM that is actually affordable. I can hear y'all pooh-poohing it already, but I just want to hear what y'all think anyway.

It is an SE64 M35, made with 1940 standards with rough textured paint and single decal. The eagle is definitely de-nazified, which is a crying shame, but it could have been a vet bring back and the vet did it. I guess we'll never know. It is also named to "Kreyza". There is a tag in there as well, but I don't know what it means really. There is no liner, but the band is there.


Here are my pros and cons to the helmet. Feel free to add anything.

Pros.

1. It's affordable.

2. It has good character, and can be a talking piece.

3. I love named helmets.

4. I love salty/unique/"unloved" helmets.

5. It comes from a reputable dealer.


Cons.

1. It has no liner or chinstrap.

2. It's decal is technically ruined.



Thank you for your opinions!

[PaddyD00]

Hi Relics
Its a de-nazified KM w no Leather. I dunno brother. I personally would save whatever this costs ....put that cash in my pocket....continue to save and then pounce when a nicer KM becomes available. I was taught very early on to go for quality first and to use a bit of patience. Its just an opinion. I would not want this on my shelf.
Z

EDIT: no idea how much this costs either. I know the feeling of wanting to get your hands on a helmet and even more so a KM!!! but in a few years as your collecting continues you may look at it and say "oh yeah ....theres this thing I have ...hmm." Patience is hard but in the long run I think it will serve you better

[Adravor]

Although the liner is missing and its denazified, i still think its a nice helmet. Sadly you dont see the leather in most cases anyways.

Regarding the decal being ruined - if that is ruined i dont own any non - runied decal. Every helmet i own has damage to the decal, a big scratch here, a small scratch there... i dont think that ruins anything. We collect Historic artifcacts, not modern cars. These damages are part of the item. A probably shortly Post-War done denazification takes nothing of the collectability of a helmet in my Opinion, it should however effect price.

Looks to me like the liner has simply rotten away. I remember a similar helmet where such a rot was attributed to a KIA, as likely the blood on the liner had lead to its deterioration.
I especially like the name in the skirt, and the nametag, these matter more then a missing liner to me and make, in my opinion, up for it.
-> Gave the name a search on Volksbund, there are only 2 fallen with this last name listed, it would be worth to research that further.

If you like the price, i would go for it! It will definitly display nicely!


Edit: Found out what the N 6403/41 ET means. Its the Marinestammrollennummer (Basically the Navy Dog Tag number), N should mean he served in the North Sea, havent found the ET, but it should be his Job. I have only found sources claiming E means supposedly Ersatz - so replacement, while T stands for Technical Service - so probably Replacement Technical Service? The 41 is the date he joined the Navy.

[RustyRelics]

Hi Relics
Its a de-nazified KM w no Leather. I dunno brother. I personally would save whatever this costs ....put that cash in my pocket....continue to save and then pounce when a nicer KM becomes available. I was taught very early on to go for quality first and to use a bit of patience. Its just an opinion. I would not want this on my shelf.
Z

EDIT: no idea how much this costs either. I know the feeling of wanting to get your hands on a helmet and even more so a KM!!! but in a few years as your collecting continues you may look at it and say "oh yeah ....theres this thing I have ...hmm." Patience is hard but in the long run I think it will serve you better

$375, which imo isn't bad for it. He also has an M35 that someone post war painted tan, and scratched the DAK logo on the side. It has liner, chinstrap and original paint underneath, but if that fellow scratched the original paint underneath, it'll look like crap with the tan paint removed.

[RustyRelics]

Although the liner is missing and its denazified, i still think its a nice helmet. Sadly you dont see the leather in most cases anyways.

Regarding the decal being ruined - if that is ruined i dont own any non - runied decal. Every helmet i own has damage to the decal, a big scratch here, a small scratch there... i dont think that ruins anything. We collect Historic artifcacts, not modern cars. These damages are part of the item. A probably shortly Post-War done denazification takes nothing of the collectability of a helmet in my Opinion, it should however effect price.

Looks to me like the liner has simply rotten away. I remember a similar helmet where such a rot was attributed to a KIA, as likely the blood on the liner had lead to its deterioration.
I especially like the name in the skirt, and the nametag, these matter more then a missing liner to me and make, in my opinion, up for it.
-> Gave the name a search on Volksbund, there are only 2 fallen with this last name listed, it would be worth to research that further.

If you like the price, i would go for it! It will definitly display nicely!


Edit: Found out what the N 6403/41 ET means. Its the Marinestammrollennummer (Basically the Navy Dog Tag number), N should mean he served in the North Sea, havent found the ET, but it should be his Job. I have only found sources claiming E means supposedly Ersatz - so replacement, while T stands for Technical Service - so probably Replacement Technical Service? The 41 is the date he joined the Navy.

Man, that was some quick research! That's my problem, I know limited amounts of German, so it takes me longer to find/translate anything, lol!

[Adravor]

375? Personally... i would definitly pick it up for that price, seems like a good price for it! For just a shell it would be to much, but it has the Original linerband... i say go for it if you like it! I´ve seen unnamed heer shells go for the same prices!

[Dos]

No helmet guy here.. But i like it! Kriegsmarine helmets will always be a bit more rare since the numbers of them were less. A named helmet is always a plus. If you like it and are not planning on selling it in the near future then why not? The price seems reasonable. For the high end collector this helmet will probably be much less attractive and you should consider this if you are partially buying this as an investment. Goodluck,

-Dos

[PaddyD00]

If these minuses dont bother you Relics than by all means go for it brother. Thats pretty cheap! .... you are talking to someone who had 2x diff KMs that I sent back .....all original great condition helmets because I didn't like how the pins looked inside. an EF w an ET decal (rare) and another SE KM. Everything else with them was perfect. I'm the type that would sit in bed and say "oh ... I dont know about those pins" and I would say the same about a shell with an incomplete inside. It is an extreme on the other side of the scale LOL

There is no right answer ..... its all the way you want to collect As stated above just an opinion.

Heres the two fallen heroes ..... never posted because they were sent back. BUT it took alot of restraint to ship them back

[Adravor]

Dam, that are 2 beautys Paddy, but if the split pins where questionable i can understand you sent them back, helmets have to be unquestionably original for me aswell.
I sent back an beautiful named M16 once because it had been slightly touched up - was also hard to part with that one.

[PaddyD00]

Dam, that are 2 beautys Paddy, but if the split pins where questionable i can understand you sent them back, helmets have to be unquestionably original for me aswell.
I sent back an beautiful named M16 once because it had been slightly touched up - was also hard to part with that one.

Dude! It was hard! One liner named 3 times. But as we are saying .... If I were ever in a pinch and wanted to sell or just post it for people .... I would always have to disclose this was not an original and they way I chose to collect was just that. As stated above ... no wrong or right. Glad you agree
Z

relics helmet is a different case. Just made me think of such things