Is this Stahllelm real or fake?

[yorgi]

Was recently invited to a backyard BBQ. My non-milsurp-collecting host liked my CGN T-shirt and asked if I would like to see his German military helmet he bought some years ago.

The owner does not know if the helmet is original or not, my knowledge on the subject is sorely lacking....

So what say your learned experts, fake or real?

 

[JP]

Looks like an original M-42 o me.

 

[yorgi]

Looks like an original M-42 o me.

Thank JP, you made my host very happy!

 

[XRCD011]

...

 

[XRCD011]

I suggest you spend some time looking into helmets listed at The Collectors Guild, tons of insight to be had.

https://www.germanmilitaria.com/galleries/helmets.html

 

[Fred Flintlock]

Looks like an original M-42 o me.

I concur

 

[VuDu666]

Looks like an original. If it's a repro than somebody spent quite a bit of time making it look like an OG.

 

[Ed Smurf]

Or here...

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/steel-helmets/fake-german-steel-helmets-2104-10/#post160052

 

[Brookwood]

Looks good to me, my only concern would be the loose headliner split rivets. They're pressed tight at the factory and don't 'work their way loose' by themselves. Either than that, from this side of the computer screen no major alarm bells go off, it checks all the boxes as being authentic.

 

[CanadianAR]

Looks good to me, my only concern would be the loose headliner split rivets. They're pressed tight at the factory and don't 'work their way loose' by themselves. Either than that, from this side of the computer screen no major alarm bells go off, it checks all the boxes as being authentic.

They work themselves loose with combat and use. Any true veteran will have loose pins. Have you seen how they work? They are not a solid method of attachment in my Opinion. There are tens of thousands of helmets with loose pins. The truth is to look at the pins for tan wrong and being retensioned..

 

[VuDu666]

Looks good to me, my only concern would be the loose headliner split rivets. They're pressed tight at the factory and don't 'work their way loose' by themselves. Either than that, from this side of the computer screen no major alarm bells go off, it checks all the boxes as being authentic.

Liner could've been replaced in the field, there is a guy in my WW2 reenactment unit who does it with hand tools. He restores German brain buckets for fun. Does awesome job too.

 

[SA85M1]

Early single decal M42 from the look of it....the leather liner looks aged about right..need a closer pic of the decal. .

 

[Steve1987]

I run a website that sells militaria, this is 100% the real deal.

A nice example like that is worth $1000+

Great find, congrats to the owner.