Ww2 finnish 35/38 helmets for review.

[ruddersrangers44]

Hi everyone these two examples have hit the bay (same seller) and wanted to know general feelings/opinions on these hungarian exported helmets to the finnish miltary.i checked out the "world-war-helmets" site but according to them all liners/chinstraps we're switched out once received to the leather banded liner like seen on ww1 german m16 helmets and the chinstraps we're riveted not stitiched.but one example has original style liner while other has leather banded type,and also looks like one set has been repainted and other has had leather liner and chinstrap dyed.one is a DR and the other is DM.these helmets i struggle with as the information seems quite limited and varied on the web.any help or guidance would be so appreciated.all the best Jake.

[Greg Pickersgill]

Well then, we need a serious Hungarian collector on the job here, but these look to me like real original Hungarian helmets with original straps and liners. See the HUNGARY page on WWH - World War Helmets - Casque Modele 35/38

They were undoubtedly reworked later - in service quite a long time - but in the first instance 75,000 of them were bought off the shelf by the Finns in 1941 (Roudasmaa's book) and they would have had Hungarian fittings. I think (not 100percent certain) that WWH has confused the intial purchase with later differently lined batches - or even the Finn-reworked ones. Hard to believe as WWH is *very* good.

If I'm right these are pretty uncommon helmets in very good condition. If I had any money I'd be bidding on them, so I do hope someone can point out where I am wrong. It'll be easier to bear the 'loss'.

[ruddersrangers44]

Many thanks Greg was kind of hoping you would spot my thread and chime in.If you look at the first liner with leather band and dyed that is a finnish fitted liner copied from the German M16 style,but they haven't messed with the chinstrap just dyed that as well,now the second example definitely has it's original hungarian factory fitted steel banded liner and chinstrap,but here's what's odd,on the WWH site they state that on recieving these contracted helmets they we're repainted in a very matt grey/green colour now with the second example you can clearly see that but I'm concerned about the paint on the first example with the dyed leather parts?looks too smooth and new looking don't you think so? well I agree also about the rarity including the home army and civil types for Hungary itself.and yet i spent months trying to sell my example but never had any real interest shown which for something that isn't seen on the market very often is a bit of an anomaly.thank you as always Greg always appreciated.

[Greg Pickersgill]

Thanks for the thanks, I just try to help, even when as in this case I don't know enough. I've not had hand and eye on any Hungarian/Finnish helmets so this is all guesswork based on photos and usually credible books and websites.

I should have referenced this excellent thread on the Hungarian original - ww2 Hungarian helmets - but unfortunately some of the photos seem to have vanished. Also, if you can see it, this one - Sorry, you do not have permission for that!

Member 'easternwarfront' seems the go-to guy for this, I hope he's still with us and might give the possibly conclusive answer.

[ruddersrangers44]

Sad to say Greg he's MIA for five years now and took some twenty plus pages of images with him.why is anyone's guess,real shame as it was such a valid and reliable source of material to go to.thank you as always for your help...

[WWH]

Hi Greg,

This WWH page is very old and must be reworked.
The finnish one is actually more recent.

[Greg Pickersgill]

Sad to say Greg he's MIA for five years now and took some twenty plus pages of images with him.why is anyone's guess,real shame as it was such a valid and reliable source of material to go to.thank you as always for your help...

I was thinking that he'd vanished; I took a look at that thread just this morning to include the URL in my message and I was surprised that most of the pics were gone. That's rather poor. On the other hand I have saved copies - including the images - of most of the pages in that thread, so if there's anything you'd like to see I might be able to repost it.