Milsurp Related - Anyone Collect Helmets?
- Thread starter MarkCNP
- Start date
There are all kinds of militaria collecting/refinishing sites on the 'net. A net search should get you the right colours etc. Mind you, I suspect a lot of 'em will call you names if your hat is in anything close to decent shape. Seems to me there are sites that sell replicas of the stickers too.
Stop!!!!
Lets see some pictures before you go and refinish it.
I agree, if you do this alot of people will call you names. If you are doing this for reenacting there plently of repros that will do.
A Helmet is poor condition is always worth more than a refinished one. Just like bubbaing a gun, it can be done to militria as well.
Cam
Lets see some pictures before you go and refinish it.
I agree, if you do this alot of people will call you names. If you are doing this for reenacting there plently of repros that will do.
A Helmet is poor condition is always worth more than a refinished one. Just like bubbaing a gun, it can be done to militria as well.
Cam
helmet question
Take a look at this site:
h t t p://www.kaisersbunker.com/
If you hunt around, there is an entire article about cleaning/restoring helmets. This guy really seems to know what he is talking about, and he could probably give you a good idea about how to proceed with what you have. My advice is, if you aren't sure, you probably shouldn't touch it.
Take a look at this site:
h t t p://www.kaisersbunker.com/
If you hunt around, there is an entire article about cleaning/restoring helmets. This guy really seems to know what he is talking about, and he could probably give you a good idea about how to proceed with what you have. My advice is, if you aren't sure, you probably shouldn't touch it.
I started collecting. It's a pricey hobby.
I only collect real 100% authentic helmets (you learn see the bad apples or repo's)
Here's my collection.. (Most of those (except for the german)) have a rank,name,service number printed on the inside..
Funny thing was I looked some of these guys up, theyre still alive!
My goal; collect a few from every war.. -- I just started this summer.
They are;
Vietnam era dated 1974 ; Operation iraq freedom (2003) sent to me by a s/sgt after switching to the new style which is called a MICH-TC2000 as of 2004
Below is a Gulf war I helmet.. ; British forces helmet
German ww2 air defence helmet ; USGI ww2 helmet was also used in korea and early stages of veitnam
P.S repainted helmets / parts are a no-no
I only collect real 100% authentic helmets (you learn see the bad apples or repo's)
Here's my collection.. (Most of those (except for the german)) have a rank,name,service number printed on the inside..
Funny thing was I looked some of these guys up, theyre still alive!
My goal; collect a few from every war.. -- I just started this summer.
They are;
Vietnam era dated 1974 ; Operation iraq freedom (2003) sent to me by a s/sgt after switching to the new style which is called a MICH-TC2000 as of 2004
Below is a Gulf war I helmet.. ; British forces helmet
German ww2 air defence helmet ; USGI ww2 helmet was also used in korea and early stages of veitnam
P.S repainted helmets / parts are a no-no
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- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
Have a few British from Kevlar back to WW2.
Funniest one is the WW2 "Fire Watchers" helmet. The design looks like it could have been at the battle of Crecy, As a matter of fact, when they were making Henry V they took a bunch and polished off the paint. The chinstrap is a shoelace!
Funniest one is the WW2 "Fire Watchers" helmet. The design looks like it could have been at the battle of Crecy, As a matter of fact, when they were making Henry V they took a bunch and polished off the paint. The chinstrap is a shoelace!
I bought the helmet from a board member. Below are the pictures of the helmet that he took (no point in me taking the exact same pictures). From what I've been able to gather, the Czechs used these after the war for civil purposes. They refinished the German helmets after the war by painting them black and fitting new liners of their own design. I supose to someone out there, this helmet may be a collector's item in it's own right as-is, but I bought it with the intention of making it a refinishing project. I won't bother changing the liner, but I have purchased reproduction liner pins as the Czech ones are not of the same proportions.
I have thought of using Rustoleum Deep Forest Green as the top coat with a textured paint underneath to give a rough surface. I have considered puting a Heer decal on the left side of the helmet, but it was far more common for the M42 to have no decal at all. I'm undecided, but a decal would add interest.
No one with any knowledge will mistake my reconstruction as a genuine untouched helmet. It's just to give me something to do.
I have thought of using Rustoleum Deep Forest Green as the top coat with a textured paint underneath to give a rough surface. I have considered puting a Heer decal on the left side of the helmet, but it was far more common for the M42 to have no decal at all. I'm undecided, but a decal would add interest.
No one with any knowledge will mistake my reconstruction as a genuine untouched helmet. It's just to give me something to do.
PerversPépère
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Shawinigan (Quebec)
Claven2 said:I'm not a helpmet collector, but I have a couple nice helmets. I particularly like this WW2 French Hadrian
I still remember my grandfather's WWI helmet rotting away, hanging by some iron wire, some roots already pushing through the rusted bottom from flowers my grand-mother had planted in it.
Women never understand fully what men's symbols are. This one had made it through Verdun, one of the worst meat-grinders of that war, only to fall between Gran'Ma's hands...
PP.
NB.nagantsniper
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- northern nb
MarkCNP said:
ok i just restored an ex bikers helmet ( m-42 german, painted fire engine/enamel red, with a homer simpson made liner an velcro chin strap i converted back to at least looking ww2 german issue.
it was a ww2, from shell size an various stamping.
1
i used easy off oven spray and / or proper spray paint remover to get the red off.
2
removed liner and tossed it. got on ebay an got a czech modern but look alike aluminum liner and leather .
3
got helmet pins also ebay.
4
searched and bought spray paint at wally-mart........closest color in my opinion after looking alot on the net...........is a color called fiddlers green. i put about 5 coats outside 3 or 4 inside. waiting as per instructions between coats.
5
installed liner an leather with proper style buckle .
6
made a chin strap , or you can buy one , again on ebay.
total money spent ......... .helmet 20 ( yard sale!!)
czech liner an leather .................... 30 ebay
stripper steel wool an needed paint 15 wal-mart
chin strap ............................. 10 local leather shop
helmet pins .........................................10 ebay
total................................................85$
time about 1 week not including waiting fer parts to arrive/research
as to decals..............m42 helmet can have none or 1 would be more rare if it had 2 since they stop putting decals round the time this helmet was on /beginning to be issued.
can not post pics sorry..............my 10 cents hope it helps
IF IT/ YOUR HELMET HAS ANY REMAINING FINISH /ORIGINAL LINER OR DECALS I WOULD SAY DO NOT TOUCH IT.
Al Flipo said:Are these 9 mm shotgun shell holes in the helmet?
I don't understand why we need to be so anal about this refinishing, your helmet would look a lot better refinished (professionally)
This is the same argumemt as bubba'ing a historical rifle.
In this particular case, the helmet would look nice rfinished because of what had been done to it. However there are some instances where people refinish helmets because they think that they are doing it justice when it will just ruin the value.
Say if you had an original leather liner that was dried and cracked, replacing it with a new repro one would drastically ruin the value.
This is why people are so anal about it. Same goes with people who reblue an AC41 P38 because it has one or two scratches.
Hope this helps,
Cam
Surely refinishing the helmet if already the Stahlhelm surplus version of Bubba'd see german for Bubba possibly Heinrich. This surely has to be the same as un bubba ing a service rifle.
I had a Despatch rider shape hemet,, actually armoured crew dismount, when we were issed the 1944 pattern and I bought mine with the normal strap. I was trying to have it drilled to take a para chinstrap, 3 position when we were issued the kevlar Mk6. I wasnt a walt, it was easier to fire the Charlie G with that than the 1944 pattern due to the diameter being smaller it meant I could use the sights without the issued p1ss pot tipping all over the place. anyway i loaned it out in wainright for DS on a Field firing and that was the last I saw of that. no matter at £10 in 1985 I had a good year from it before getting the Mk6.
I had a Despatch rider shape hemet,, actually armoured crew dismount, when we were issed the 1944 pattern and I bought mine with the normal strap. I was trying to have it drilled to take a para chinstrap, 3 position when we were issued the kevlar Mk6. I wasnt a walt, it was easier to fire the Charlie G with that than the 1944 pattern due to the diameter being smaller it meant I could use the sights without the issued p1ss pot tipping all over the place. anyway i loaned it out in wainright for DS on a Field firing and that was the last I saw of that. no matter at £10 in 1985 I had a good year from it before getting the Mk6.
