French cuirassier helmet 1872

[Irish1965]

Hi everyone,

I just unboxed my new French cuirassier helmet model 1872. I can still smell the horse on the horsetail. Weird to see that they were used up until 1915. Like knights in shining armor against machineguns. Symbol of the end of an era in.

I hope you'll like it.

Cheers Paul

[Adravor]

Beautiful helmet, congrats! I only own a French cuirassiers frontal chestplate, which i got for cheap once, and which was made in 1848 in Klingenthal. Its really facinating how such Units still fought at the beginning of WW1.

[Irish1965]

Thx Adravor,

I think you mean WW1 or am I mistaken?

Cheers Paul

[TABSTABS1964]

Wonderful. Congrats.
Santi

[toot]

not in WW2. usage was over by then.

[Adravor]

Edited it. Yes i meant WW1, the war not ending all wars, but changing all future wars.

[Irish1965]

I suppose I have to save up for a cuirass plate armor. But maybe go to a Jager zu Pferd 1915 model to balance the collection. Choices, choices....

Paul

[Adravor]

Yeah... the plate armor is really beautiful tho. Its a really massive piece, and the way it shines when polished is really magnificent, one can only imagine the fear these shining riders struck in the enemy.

[Irish1965]

Must be very hot in spring and summer. I know from experience that wearing modern armor is exhausting enough in high temperatures. This must be worse.
In the Napoleon wars they were known as the Iron Fist. Tanks on horseback. Recruited were only large men. In 1914 and 1915 they only made large shiny targets for long range mausers and MG's.

Paul

[Anderson]

Beautiful helmet, though limited protective use by 1872, and later. I recall reading that even the earlier pattern (I think the 1810) at times during the Napoleonic wars wouldn't stop the blow from a British P1796 light cavalry sabre, it went straight through it. Interesting photo here from 1914, helmet in cloth cover to minimize that shine.