An uncommon ersatz helmet

911car

Well-known member
I normally do not collect these ersatz models, but when this one - unearthed in France "out of the woodwork" - was offered to me I could not resist, because of the rarity of these variants.

Inside, it is just a feldgrau felt Pickelhaube. Nothing special.

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These blackened felt helmets are rare. To the point that their actual existence has been even questioned. I have only seen one other example, and a period photograph of Saxon soldiers wearing these models. From a distance, they look like regular leather helmets.
 
What an amazing find Bruno!!! Bravo!!! If you didn't have this example I would have said that it didn't exist!

John
 
Bruno, it´s an interesting found!
Such felt haubes were such fragile (they lost their form by heavy rain) that they were soon returned back to the Ersatz-Bataillon, only to be worn in the garrison (G).
Very few of them have been then "bitumed" (Erdpech or Birkenpech) with some solutions based on mineral (natural asphalt) or wooden material (birch tree).

Philippe
;)

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Many thanks to you all for the nice comments.
Philippe, special thanks for this useful information I was not aware of. I have the saxon helmet picture you posted, that was sent to me by someone we both know...
 
I have worked on several lacquered Officer helmets but have never seen a government issued piece such as these, very rare! 👍
 
Bruno, when I look closer at your pictures, it seems that all the metal fittings have been overlaid with some grey, greenish gray finish. Also the chinstrap fittings. Can you confirm?
I am wondering too, how the front trim is being hold on the visor, because I do not see some bent tongues at the inside of the rounded bolts. Are they riveted?
I just love those close- up pictures!
Philippe
;)
 
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In the magazine "Kunststoffe", volume 5 from 1915, there was something about these helmets. I don't own it, but found a snippet of it via Google. On page 107 it was written:
“Durch Matrizen werden Helm-Formen aus Filz hergestellt, die mit einer leicht und rasch trocknenden, deckenden, schwarzen Grundierpaste in Oel überzogen werden. In der Regel sind mehrere Grundierungen notwendig, da der Untergrund sehr porös ist.“ (Translated: „Felt helmets are made with matrices, which are coated with a light and quick-drying, opaque black primer in oil. As a rule, several primers are necessary because the substrate is very porous.“)
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Source: „Kunststoffe“, Volume 5 (1915), page 107 (www.google.books.de):
 
Bruno, when I look closer at your pictures, it seems that all the metal fittings have been overlaid with some grey, greenish gray finish. Also the chinstrap fittings. Can you confirm?
I am wondering too, how the front trim is being hold on the visor, because I do not see some bent tongues at the inside of the rounded bolts. Are they riveted?
I just love those close- up pictures!
Philippe
;)
I cannot confirm, but you may well be right that metal fittings received some coating. The color is more of a warm golden hue, with dark green shades. It can be seen principally on the spike and visor rim. I can only see oxydation on chinstrap trim

G1070258.JPGG1070266.JPG.
Here are pictures made in day light:

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Bruno, when I look closer at your pictures, it seems that all the metal fittings have been overlaid with some grey, greenish gray finish. Also the chinstrap fittings. Can you confirm?
I am wondering too, how the front trim is being hold on the visor, because I do not see some bent tongues at the inside of the rounded bolts. Are they riveted?
I just love those close- up pictures!
Philippe
;)
Yes, riveted.

G1070269.JPG
 
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