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Sanitater helmet m35 size 68

Article about: Hello all, I think i have an interesting helmet here, i wasn't entirely sure if i should post it here or in the relic section, because it has lots of paint left, so please excuse me. What i

  1. #1

    Default Sanitater helmet m35 size 68

    Hello all,

    I think i have an interesting helmet here, i wasn't entirely sure if i should post it here or in the relic section, because it has lots of paint left, so please excuse me.

    What i have here is a helmet i bought from the online marketplace for 70 euro, it was a ground dug relic found near Amersfoort trainstation 7 years ago, along with 2 (intact) bombs. The previous owner was the man who dug it up with the excavator, other than that he didn't know much about it.

    When i received the helmet yesterday, i decided to start cleaning it, but before i started i noticed the shape of a luftwaffe eagle on the left side. See pictures for the pre-cleaning state. I then thought i was simply dealing with a luftwaffe relic size 68, pretty cool but not that special. It has the linerband mostly intact btw.

    Anyways, i then proceeded to brush it and eventually put it in a big bowl of oxalic acid solution. After an hour or two (it took quite long for the acid to start working) i noticed the helmet had suddenly gone from rust brown to... white? Not luftwaffe blue as you'd expect in this case. Me and a fellow collector thought it might be a winter camo, but it would be a very strange location to find a winter camo.

    I decided to leave it in for a few more hours and when i pulled it out again, i noticed a big red cross on the front that was clearly hand painted. Then i realised this is a Sanitater helmet, and its remaining white paint still covers the luftwaffe decal. Right now i'm letting it sit in a Baking Soda solution to neutralize the acid, and then i'm hoping to preserve the paint with some Ballistol. Anyways, this wasn't really a question of some sorts, i was just so excited i had to show you guys. Please see the included pictures. If you guys do have some good advice about conserving the paint as good as possible please let me know, i want to be very careful with this piece of history.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Sanitater helmet m35 size 68   Sanitater helmet m35 size 68  

    Sanitater helmet m35 size 68   Sanitater helmet m35 size 68  

    Sanitater helmet m35 size 68   Sanitater helmet m35 size 68  

    Sanitater helmet m35 size 68   Sanitater helmet m35 size 68  

    Sanitater helmet m35 size 68   Sanitater helmet m35 size 68  


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  3. #2
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    A very interesting discovery. Absent any other ideas, in my opinion, this probably is a medic helmet but odd how thin and off centered the cross is.

    Nice find!
    "Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated

    My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them

    "Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)

  4. #3

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    Nice and interesting find. I will get a lot of grief but I am happy you decided to clean it.
    John

  5. #4

    Default

    Personally I liked it better in the first photo with the eagle in place. Not sure how this white goo came from under there , a strange chemical reaction.

  6. #5

    Default

    Thanks for the replies everyone,

    It has been drying overnight and now looks a bit different but in fact i like it even more now, i'll post some new pictures.
    Luckily somehow the front side with the cross is also in the best condition, other parts of the helmet are not that impressive.
    Theres a few rust holes in the dome at the back of the helmet so i guess that's where most of the corrosion happened.

    About the (suppressed) luftwaffe decal, my theory is that the decal is still there underneath the white paint and that the paint in that section managed to survive longer because the rust couldn't reach under it (because of the decal). You can still see the eagle shape clearly even after cleaning, however because the surrounding area is now white instead of brown/rusted it's a bit harder to see. Check the picture of the left side. I do not intend to 'liberate' it, so no worries. The strange chemical reaction that Schwerpunkt mentioned (the bubbles) happened all over the helmet. Little bumps with pockets of air inside, they easily came off. Was this perhaps because of rust forming? That other Quist helmet i have also has these 'rust bubbles' but not nearly as big as this one.

    I will probably receive a spraycan of Ballistol oil in the mail today or tomorrow, what is the best way to go ahead with this?
    I'm afraid that if i don't do anything the paint will go drier and drier and eventually chip off.
    Should i spray the ballistol directly over the helmet? Or should i use a towel and dip it into the oil and gently wipe it across the helmet?

    A thing that happened to another helmet of mine was that the ballistol oil got underneath the paint (it's a 'penetrating' oil), removed the rust there which caused the paint to also come off (because it lost its grip), and that would be terrible.

    Anyways, enjoy the new pictures
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Sanitater helmet m35 size 68   Sanitater helmet m35 size 68  

    Sanitater helmet m35 size 68   Sanitater helmet m35 size 68  

    Sanitater helmet m35 size 68   Sanitater helmet m35 size 68  

    Sanitater helmet m35 size 68  

  7. #6

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    Interesting.

    I would not oil the helmet.

    Cheers, Ade.
    Had good advice? Saved money? Why not become a Gold Club Member, just hit the green "Join WRF Club" tab at the top of the page and help support the forum!

  8. #7
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    I have a relic winter helmet that I purchased 10 years or so ago. Roughly similar condition to yours. I have not treated it in any way, I refrain from actively handling it, and keep it out of humidity and direct sunlight. Over that period I has remained the same.

    Based on my experience, I would recommend you leave it as is

    Sanitater helmet m35 size 68
    "Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated

    My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them

    "Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)

  9. #8

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    That’s an amazing helmet! It’s nice to see a real one floating around

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