I am offered this helmet

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by wk2ss, Sep 22, 2008.

  1. wk2ss

    wk2ss Guest

  2. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    URLs do not work - the site is either down or non-accessible. Please attach the photos to the post.

    To do so, click the "Go Advanced" below the message box. Then scroll down to "Manage attachments", and upload them from your computer. There is a size limit to the attachments, so if an error occurs it usually means that they need to be reduced in size
     
  3. penance

    penance New Member

  4. wk2ss

    wk2ss Guest

  5. martinww2

    martinww2 New Member

    To me its a German helmet.
     
  6. Kitty

    Kitty New Member

    Does look to be an authentic German helmet thats been rotting in quite wet ground for some years. Takes a lot to get steel to start going like that on the edges.

    However, please be certain it was merely found after being discarded. please do not encourage nighthawks by buying from them when they are only interested in raiding battlefields/mass graves and making a profit from whatever they can steal
     
  7. wk2ss

    wk2ss Guest

    right kitty, he says he found it in the spreewald. Anyone have any information on battles that were there? I learned the hard way to buy the item and not the story so the help is greatly appreciated
    Thanks!!!
     
  8. wk2ss

    wk2ss Guest

    also if you would like to know some other good forums
    wehrmacht-awards.com
    militariacollecting.com
     
  9. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

  10. wk2ss

    wk2ss Guest

    any tips on preservation?
     
  11. penance

    penance New Member

    No idea sorry, but if it was me I would be seeking professional advice. Maybe contact a museum?
     
  12. SSTk

    SSTk Member

    As an avid German helmet collector I would advise you to pass on this helmet. First, it does not appear to be a period M40 German helmet. Second the wire is post war added and aged to look ground dug. Third, the helmet has also been post war repainted.

    If you want a true helmet collectors forum then I would recommend
    German Helmet Walhalla German Helmet Walhalla where the top helmet collectors gather daily.

    I hope you have not paid good money for this helmet yet.
    As for preservation, they need none. Store a helmet in a room with negative humidity and dryness. Set it on a shelf. Dust once in a while, thats it.
    If you have a rusted out helmet, not much you can do to stop nature other than watch your investment rot away with time (which is why relics are considered not very collectible).

    Also, many "diggers" will raise a helmets value by adding a fake SS decal on the side, bury it in vinegar and uric acid for a time, and sell you a rusty piece of garbage with an "authentic" SS decal on the side for several hundred dollars, which sadly a lot of collectors fall for as real SS helmets on nice shells go for several thousand dollars and up.
     
  13. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    The rust could be treated with a rust converter but the whole point of that is to repaint which you won't want to do with an original helmet. Putting it in a mollasses-style bath with current will also sort things out but you won't have much helmet left as it'll attack/eat any corrosion. There's probably not much you can do without affecting the originality because you'll have to treat or remove the rust somehow.

    I'm talking from an old vehicle restoration point of view where the aim is to repair/replace for further, safe use.
     

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