Helmet Horde?

[dhermann1]

Tin Types? Metal Heads? Steel Magnolias?
Does anybody have a steel helmet of any sort out there? I got this at a stoop sale in Brooklyn many years ago. (Stoop is an old Dutch word for front step, used in New York for about 400 years now.) I spent either $5 or $2.50. My wife thought I was crazy. To which I'll plead guilty. Since I'm a searcher in my office's Emergency Watchamacallit Team, I've used it work a couple of times. For some reason it elicited more derision that awe.

Actually, I'm pretty sure I've posted this baby here before, but what the hey.

 

[DerMann]

I bought a British Mk.IV "turtle" helm from IMA-USA a while back for use in airsoft. The helmet itself was only $16, but I paid $5 extra for "hand select." Best $21 I've ever spent, the thing was probably brand new.

Probably the most comfortable helmet I've ever worn. The liner feels like a very thick sock covering foam.

My brother has an American steel pot. Not sure of the date, but there's a man's signature inside of it. That always freaks me out.

 

[Eyemo]

Eerrrh.. I've got one or two

 

[Colby Jack]

I went through basic with one....

 

[Eyemo]

If any ones has any military type helmets, cap hats for sale.. let me know! Must be WW2 though..:cool2:

 

[Fletch]

M1917 Civil Defense air raid warden's helmet, in need of whitewash and a new insigne.

 

[thunderw21]

This is from 3 years ago.

I've obtained a few more since then. See if you can spot them all.

 

[Eyemo]

Cool collection.. Anything your after?

 

[thunderw21]

Cool collection.. Anything your after?

Thanks. Not really after anything special, I've actually put militaria collecting on the back burner for a while. Not enough room or money.

 

[Edward]

This is from 3 years ago.

What's the full face mask on the left?

I don't have any photos, but I went through a stage of collecting militaria when I was about 10-13 or so. I have:

- British Battle bowler, WW2 era I believe (complete save the chinstrap)
- US issue helmet, I think 1960s - this was given to me, via my dad, by someone from the Inniskiling Rifles. He'd swapped helmets with a US Majorf who'd seen service in Vietnam. The helmet is complete and in excellent condition - save a big dent in the top, made by a VC bullet. The other five shots went into the Major, but the helmet saved his life.

I've also got several Stahlheims I bought from IMA a few years ago - mid 30s era, pressed up on German moulds for Franco's fascists. For my sins, they were bought to be sprayed silver and turned into a costume piece for the Eddie character in Rocky Horror, but I'm toying with the idea of restoring one of them, either to how it would have looked in Spain, or as a replica of a Waffen SS or Panzer Division helmet as would have been worn marching into the Rhineland. Might atone for 'butchering' the other!

 

[MattJH]

Stoop is an old Dutch word for front step, used in New York for about 400 years now.

The term "stoop" is extremely common here in Philadelphia as well, especially in South Philadelphia. One of the common neighborhood images in the "Rocky" movies are people sitting outside on their stoops.

 

[David Conwill]

Alas, like the rest of my militaria collection, my stuff is packed away. I've got a few, however:

1) Belgian Army "tin hat" in the British/M1917 style.
2) c.1940s-1950s Swedish Army steel pot.
3) 1970s-vintage US M1.
4) WWII-era Swiss "Liberty Bell" style.

I think that's about it. The "tin hat" was used as a mould to produce paper machie (sp?) helmets for a high school production of a WWII sci-fi that I wrote for an English class. The Swedish model was used, along with a British camo net, as a Japanese model in the same production. I think our intreped OSS agent wore the M1 (less cover and plus a WWII leather chinstrap).

Gosh that was a long time ago.

The Swiss model is actually my brother's, but I mention it because it's an unusual helmet. I read someplace that they were actually developed by the US Army for WWI but not used because they were too close in appearance to the German model. I've seen at least one photo to back this up.

He also has an M1 (his has an anchor on the chinstrap - Navy?) and a Swedish helmet.

I've also got a toy M1 that I bought when I was real young. It came with a camouflage cover that was like a shower cap, but underneath it looked like the shiny Cold War-era helmet liners. Naturally, I put four silver stars across the front and went as General Patton one year for Halloween in Junior High.

-Dave

 

[thunderw21]

What's the full face mask on the left?

It's a Navy cold weather deck mask. Blue on one side, white on the other. The Army had one for its moutain troops, I believe. It was similar.

 

[Feraud]

Just to stray off topic a bit more..

I got this at a stoop sale in Brooklyn many years ago. (Stoop is an old Dutch word for front step, used in New York for about 400 years now.)

The term "stoop" is extremely common here in Philadelphia as well, especially in South Philadelphia. One of the common neighborhood images in the "Rocky" movies are people sitting outside on their stoops.

Sadly, the stoops are almost totally gone in L.I.C., Queens. Contractors have been buying up our private homes and putting in apartment monstrosities that have yet to sell.

Did anyone ever play "stoop ball"?

 

[DominusTecum]

I've got an old German helmet from WWII. An elderly veteran in my hometown gave it to me when I was 10 years old. Sadly, the markings are very worn, so I don't have much to go off of if I wanted to research exactly what sort of service it pertained to, and so forth. I know very little about WWII helmets, of any variety.

Side view

Other side -a closeup of the faded insignia

Interior of the helmet -note the still-attached leather neck guard, which I have not often seen. It fastens to the leather interior by means of little leather "plugs" attached to the interior which push through holes in the top of the neck piece.

I would like to preserve the leather from decaying, does anybody have thoughts on what ought to be done? Vintage militaria is not my area of expertise, though I find that I've inherited quite a lot, by "normal" standards.

 

[thunderw21]

I've got an old German helmet from WWII. An elderly veteran in my hometown gave it to me when I was 10 years old. Sadly, the markings are very worn, so I don't have much to go off of if I wanted to research exactly what sort of service it pertained to, and so forth. I know very little about WWII helmets, of any variety.
...
I would like to preserve the leather from decaying, does anybody have thoughts on what ought to be done? Vintage militaria is not my area of expertise, though I find that I've inherited quite a lot, by "normal" standards.

Nice, DominusTecum. Here's an excellent website to get you started.
http://www.german-helmets.com/

At this link we see that yours is a 'civic square dip' helmet. Most likely used for firefighting in civilian areas because of the leather neck guard. Though, of course, anything is possible. Could have been used by anyone at the end of the war for anything.

To help keep the leather from rotting away I would suggest Pecards leather lotion, though regular leather shoe lotion should be okay as well. Apply sparingly, you don't want the leather to be oversaturated.

Nice helmet!

 

[DominusTecum]

Thanks Thunderw21, great link! Much obliged.

 

[rgraham]

The leather in that helmet looks amazing. If it is original, do not put any kind of leather product on it. Read the information on that German Helmets .com site. I used some Lexol on my helmet leathers and they are now ruined. Forever......

 

[Edward]

It's a Navy cold weather deck mask. Blue on one side, white on the other. The Army had one for its moutain troops, I believe. It was similar.

Ah! Thanks. Kinda sinister looking - I like the style.

 

[thunderw21]

The leather in that helmet looks amazing. If it is original, do not put any kind of leather product on it. Read the information on that German Helmets .com site. I used some Lexol on my helmet leathers and they are now ruined. Forever......

Lexol is meant to be used on car upholstery, not militaria. Too much of it will cause the leather to turn into goo.

Myself and other militaria collectors have had much success with Pecards. If the leather is getting too dry, there is no harm in applying a thin layer of Pecards or other leather lotion to help keep it flexible. However, if the leather if still in good condition you shouldn't need to put anything on it.

Here's an ongoing thread talking about Lexol and Pecards:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=31893