Czech VZ 53

[Greg Pickersgill]

ever heard of this genre of czechoslovakian helmet classed as the VZ 52 and not the 53 or is it just some confusion amongst collectors

Confusion, I believe. Perhaps with the vz.32 which was the general issue helmet before WW2, and maybe even with the actual vz.52 which was a Czech rifle which was, coincidentally, put into service at the same time as the helmet. NB, the 'vz' bit is an abbreviation for 'vzor' which translates as 'model' or type' and may well be simply a numbering system given to Czech military equipment, numbering consecutively on point of issue. Probably.

[James C]

[QUOTE=Gunny Hartmann;1706168]Only heard of it being called the VZ 53!...[/QUOTE
Thanks Again Paul and Greg ,i have always referred to this model type as the 53 but recently recall seeing a few collectors call the helmet the VZ 52 and thought best to double check i wasn't missing something right under my nose Well there is no harm in asking i guess

[James C]

Another question dare i ask but notice there is no Czech crossed swords acceptance stamp on my Ssh 40 and also the one i originally posted on this thread now i did consider two options ,the first is both are un-issued but seem to show some minor age /wear the second is I've heard slovakian examples are devoid of any stampings which makes perfect sense but on the other hand both are way to early to be post 1993 examples with usage for slovakian army allthough the standard vz 53 does have a more textured paint finish

[Greg Pickersgill]

Another question dare i ask but notice there is no Czech crossed swords acceptance stamp on my Ssh 40 and also the one i originally posted on this thread now i did consider two options ,the first is both are un-issued but seem to show some minor age /wear the second is I've heard slovakian examples are devoid of any stampings which makes perfect sense but on the other hand both are way to early to be post 1993 examples with usage for slovakian army allthough the standard vz 53 does have a more textured paint finish

Hmm. I'm tempted to just say "I dunno, boss". But this is interesting anyway. For a start I have never noticed any difference in the texture of the paint finish of any vz.53. Is this a real thing or just an isolated example?

And so far as Slovak used examples lacking the swords stamp, would they really have gone to the trouble of removing it? Highly unlikely. Their half of the kit would have simply come from already existing stores.

What's actually *more* likely is that unstamped examples were export products, not actually accessed into Czechoslovak stock at all. Pretty substantial numbers of these helmets were exported, especially to the Middle East.

Bear in mind I'm just applying imaginative observation here; there may be actual facts of which I - we - are unaware!

[James C]

Thanks for your thoughts Greg This Op helmet is the first I've handled with a rougher finish than my other examples and have read somewhere of the slovakian examples having a more textured finish ,having said that my Ssh 40 is devoid but has a very smooth finish so perhaps just a Radom observation that i have noted as gospel and has somehow stuck into my psyche

[danhashman]

Hey mate..

some years ago i opened a czech V53 Helmet thread which got quite intersting comments.. i post the link here, maybe you´ll find something new or useful there..

Czech Vz-53 (M53, Ssh39) helmet - An EBay Story

[James C]

Dan i remember your thread well and takes me back Thank you for the reminder ,can i ask if the helmet is still in your collection

[Tinhat]

James, I'm late the the party on this one as usual, I finally got around to digging my VZ53 out which has the same strap configuration. I can't answer any of the questions (except the sky hooks).
The helmet is a 52 acceptance stamp making it nice early example, and it's had many owners in it's time. at some point it had the additional straps added, cutting the existing strap to pop through the plastic pins. On my helmet the two neck straps are secured to the helmet by re-using the rivets that hold the liner to the liner band.

In my mind it's pointless modification, because really doesn't add any stability to the helmet, maybe there was some Warsaw Pact jamboree in the early 80s and it was a fashion statement.

Steve.

[James C]

Steve always a pleasure to hear from you I'm really taken by your fine example and the love contrast between the original two point and sky hook modification and would gladly add this example to my collection . Thank you for sharing
Regards James

[Tinhat]

Thanks James, this helmet was a helmet of shame for me for a number of years, I bought it as teenager in '83 / '84, I'm not sure whether I was mislead or not corrected by the dealer, but I thought at the time is was a WWII Russian helmet and it wasn't cheap. This was before the internet and all the information we have available today.
A few years later I realized what I had, and Warsaw Pact stuff was hard to find..... and then they were everywhere.

Marzetti's book, (I have the 1984 edition) he states this chinstrap variant as Albanian, but it so similar to your factory issued version there has to be a question mark over the validity of that statement....always more questions than answers.