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I'll look for you all at the group's tables and will stop by Thursday or Friday night for beer and company. No need to include me in diner reservations as I expect to be hanging with the steel helmet guys (HelmNet). I look forward to seeing you all there. Cheers, Mark Dillenbeck

Hi Danie, Thanks for posting the photos. I wasn't able to attend, but my mother was there (she lives in Locust Valley) and promised to send pictures. She said there was supposed to be an exhibit of relics and I was curious to see what they had put on display. When I was a youngster, just...

Right... I didn't notice that. I've got half the chinstrap hardware you need, but that's like having half a canoe; it's not going to get you very far unless you've got the other half. Cheers, Mark

Ron, Thanks. Here you go!

Hi Larry, It's looking good. Almost there! The chinstrap is interesting, unusual. Are you going to clean and polish it or leave it be? Cheers, Mark D.

Hi Larry, Thanks again for directing me to Cameron. The guy is a true craftsman. For a lot of collectors this would have been a parts helmet and I admit I wondered if I was doing the right thing. The end result, however, was really satisfying. Cheers, Mark D.

Here are some photos of my Hessian IR115 helmet just back from the restorer, Cameron Laughlin. I was fortunate in being able to find all original parts, including an original trichter and plume, so in the end didn't have to resort to any fakery. The restoration was as conservative as possible...

Excellent! I won't be able to be there myself, so I'm looking forward to seeing photos. Thanks, Mark D.

Update: When I bought this trichter I wasn't sure if it was correct for my helmet having never seen one. Now I'm pretty sure it's correct. The EM trichters were not fluted like the officer versions. Also... Does anybody know who bought the Hessian IR115 pickelhaube shell from Advance Guard...

Since we're on the subject of spikes for Hessian helmets, here's a spike that came off a Prussian M15 EM helmet. I assume this was a post-war mis-match, but wondered if this would have been used on a Hessian helmet? A Bavarian helmet? Both? Would the spike base have been round or cruciform...

Here is some recent news about the Locust Valley cannon. When I visited Locust Valley about a month ago the piece was under wraps waiting for the official unveiling, so I couldn’t get pictures. Mark D.

Alan, Very nice! It is REALLY rare to find these helmets in complete condition with chinstrap and even liner tie! Whether to clean it or not is a dilema. If it is mud is from a battlefield in Europe, then it might be best to leave it. On the otherhand if it is dirty from careless handling...

Interesting... The "out-of-the woodwork" Hessian 115th helmet I found was brough back by a US WWII vet from Germany, but I don't know where exactly. Mark D.

Larry, Congratulations on this great find! You can now join the club of Hessen Leibgarde Regt 115 restorers. Yours is in a nicer shape than mine (see "Hessen Leibgarde Infanterie Regt. 115 - Help!). I've been having good luck with finding original parts and hope to post a photo of the...

According to the description this is a World War TWO Prussian pickelhaube. They were different from the World War ONE Prussian pickelhaubes! :D

Hi Larry, Thanks. A few days ago I searched and found your old discussion thread on these folks, and had already put their contact information in my planner. If I can ever find an original rear visor, I might send the pickelhaube to them to stitch the pieces together. Cheers, Mark D.

Hi Tony, Ah yes... that one is a beauty! I did check out the "Bunker" a few days ago and have been studying this helmet. Thanks for the suggestion about buffed steel parts. I might give this a try. I'm trying to decide if I should polish the helmet, or just clean it. I wondered about...

Poniatowski, Many thanks for this link. This looks like a GREAT resource and may be the solution to most of my parts problems. I'm still on the lookout for an original rear visor. Sometimes collectors keep stuff like this around (from damaged helmets), so I'm hopeful that one will eventually...

PointyStuff- The idea of contacting a jewler is good. This would at least be a good starting point. The nickel plating services on the internet seem to be mostly for industrial scale work. Regarding replating original pieces, I'm disinclined to do this. For the chinstrap parts, I was...

Here's one that just came in the mail today. Fresh out of the woodwork! Unfortunately, the woodwork is not a good place to keep these things and this one is due for a bit of restoration. On the plus side the hard to find Hessen kokarde was still with the helmet along with the original reich...