Rarest to most common German Stahlhelms of WW1

[Helmetz]

Hey ya! The good old GHW days!!!

Yup!

 

[Josh1336]

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This was just part of my stahlhelm collection after I thinned it out but before I sold it all and left the hobby.

That collection is incredible! I would have loved to have seen those all in person

 

[Doug B]

That collection is incredible! I would have loved to have seen those all in person

Thanks, it was scheduled to all go into a 3 part book on my former collection however time proved against me! Many did see it in person and it was a lot of fun to put the collection together.

 

[Doug B]

Yup!

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Oh now that brings back a lot good memories!!!

 

[Grabenmaxx]

Austrian Stahlhelm versions were very similar to the German counterparts. What color is the paint on that unknown ones? Typically Austrians were a brown tone with canvas chinstraps and leather liner. They also have remnants of the army inspection ink stamp that could still be on the skirt underside.

Here pictures from the inside of the helmet.
It's definitely a German one.

I took another look on the markings and they're all on the steel part of the liner. There's nothing marked in the shell itself where it should be, but this would also be a helmet from F.C. Bellinger none the less.

 

[Helmetz]

Oh now that brings back a lot good memories!!!

Good times!!!

 

[pionierhorn]

very interesting

 

[Stahlhelm]

I know of only one, and perhaps two BF helmets that are marked FB, so extremely rare unless you have other information or can prove otherwise. Many long time collectors don’t even know of their actual existence.

Excellent idea for a thread. I was fortunate to find one F.B. stamped Bellinger helmet, a size 62 battle damaged 10th Company Garde-Division helmet. I've also only seen one or maybe two others in collections.

 

[Stahlhelm]

Here are two examples of Körting & Mathiesen (K&M) helmets. This company was apparently contracted to make only shell size 68 helmets for a very brief period in 1916. Surviving examples are incredibly rare.

Hans

 

[Helmetz]

Excellent idea for a thread. I was fortunate to find one F.B. stamped Bellinger helmet, a size 62 battle damaged 10th Company Garde-Division helmet. I've also only seen one or maybe two others in collections.

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Wonderful Helmet with a lot going on! Thanks for sharing. I have an FB myself, I'll post shortly.

 

[Helmetz]

F.B. stamped Bellinger M17 helmet, size 62 - I know of only one or two others so marked and all are size 62. This particular one was mailed home. Has the Bellinger signature drips in multiple locations and ink stamped 62 on the rear skirt. Also has a faded ink stamp under the liner pad.

 

[Stahlhelm]

Beautiful example. As you say, as far as I recall the other F.B. stamped helmets I've seen were also size 62 shells. I especially like the paint runs on the helmet, which is an often seen feature on Bellinge Stahlhelme.

 

[Stahlhelm]

Here is a very early version of an E.T. 66 "Square Dip" M16 Stahlhelm. Lurking in the background is an early Production Model E.T. 66 M16 for comparison.


Square Dip E.T. 66 stamp:


Production Model E.T. 66 stamp for comparison:


This particular Square Dip is very likely one of the earliest prototypes made late in 1915, as it has the 3 finger liner pads illustrated in Friedrich Schwerdt's patent drawings. Other liner systems were field tested at this time including the 2 finger pads and single pads.


Production Model E.T. 66 liner system for comparison:


A couple more picture of the Square Dip:



Production Model, same angles:

 

[Stahlhelm]

E.T. 62 Square Dip,left, and Production Model E.T. 62, right.


Prototype 2 finger liner pads.



The extra holes in the liner band allowed for the liner system to be inserted "backwards" during trials.


Square Dip:



Production Model M16:

 

[Mappa]

Very interesting thred, Josh

For even more information, i highly recomend this book

 

[coert65]

Indeed a masterpiece!
I have volume 1 to 9 in my reference book collection.

 

[Stahlhelm]

Hi Josh,
What about the survival rates of these helmets? The M18 cut-out for example you have as "extremely rare", yet in the Reichswehr they seem to have been quite abundant...
Regards,
Lars

The M18 ear cut-out was introduced in July or August 1918 alongside the standard M18 Stahlhelm. The ECO M18s were repainted and reissued by the Reichswehr in significant numbers. Interwar reissued examples are plentiful.

The first ECO M18s were issued with an experimental paint containing flocking "wool dust" Wollstaub in an attempt to create a felt like matte finish and reduce glare. It's unclear how many were issued this way and it is likely that other finishes were used on later issued examples.

M18 ECOs in this WW1 configuration are extremely rare. It took me 25 years to finally land a complete example in good condition that hadn't been post-war reissued or altered by collectors. Some collectors have had more luck in this regard I'm sure, but they are incredibly hard to find in their original WW1 issue condition.

 

[Doug B]

Beautiful ECO!
Here was one of mine. For whatever reason it’s not letting me upload other images of it…

Edit - Looking at the images it appears you bought my old one as they are the same helmet! I didn’t realize that till I just posted my old one now lol.

Looks like it went to a great collection.

 

[Stahlhelm]

Thanks Doug. If you hadn't decided to let it go those many years ago I would probably still be looking for one like it.

 

[Grabenmaxx]

That M18 Ohrenausschnitt is outstanding. The pictures really capture the great color and patina. Superb!