WW1 Brodie helmet shell

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I've owned this Brodie helmet shell for a good while now. But a few months ago it met with an 'accident' while clearing out the room for a long-overdue clean - and the remnants of the chin strap finally parted company with the shell. I eventually took the decision to install a reasonably made copy of a liner, as when I eventually meet my maker I didn't want the helmet to be thrown out as an old bit of junk. At least with the liner installed it looks more presentable to someone who knows bu**er-all about militaria! As far as possible, I used some of the original hardware for the strap.

I have always considered this to be a genuine raw-edge Brodie - even though it is non-magnetic. The rim has the characteristic 'ripple' in the metal, and the rim is not of equal proportions. There is a very heavily textured paint finish to the surface which appears to have another colour to it in places. and it is this paint finish which leads me to believe that it just might be a genuine raw-edge. The thick paint reaches virtually to the very edge in places, something which would be impossible to achieve if the rim were in place. I have tried to capture the makers stamp in the picture, but it is extremely difficult to make out. Have a look and see what you think.

[Jerry B]

The repro liner looks pretty good in it. I must remember to put a magnet on my rimless brodie to see if it is an original or a MKI that has lost its rim.

[birkie]

Nice Brodie. Looks like a thick sand texture with perhaps an overpaint? Hard to tell exactly from the photos. Where did you source the liner and chin strap? I'm looking for a decent chin strap. Cheers

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Although it looks a repaint, I believe it to be original. I have a habit of giving helmets a coating of beeswax cream polish - not the spray-on crap, and it tends to give the surface a bit of a sheen. The wax is easily removed with white spirits, so there is no harm done to the helmet. As for the liner, that came out of a repro helmet which I believe was used in one of the recent BBC programs on the Great War. Repro liners are out there from the likes of Soldier Of Fortune, but the one they show isn't the one you get - which is different and not a very good copy. Best bet is Prairie Flower Company in the US. They do two versions, the standard and the collectors grade (much dearer and not necessarily any better). The chinstraps they supply are best replaced with old leather cut to size.