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Hi Joe, Thanks. I think you might have nailed it. Another possibility would be militia of some sort, but I think you're probably on the right track. For one thing, it's an odd helmet for the Odd Fellows, no? The side button looks like a mule. Looks like somebody was having fun with this...

I just purchased this pair of pickelhaubes as part of an auction lot. They look like Model 1881 American helmets, but a strange device on the front (or is it the back?). It occured to me that they might be foreign, i.e. not US. Or maybe even theatrical pieces. Any ideas? This is out of my...

Hi Ron, You know steel helmets are my bag! Very nice specimen. I like the regulation camo colors and the nicely executed pattern. It's great that you were able to find an original replacement chinstrap. These are hard to lay hands on! I can't tell what's going on with the liner draw string...

Hi Chris, Thanks again for these interesting observations. There is some technical problem with our forum that's preventing me and possibly others from replying to personal messages. If you'd like to communicate directly with me, you'll need to drop me a line via email: [email protected]...

Here's a photo of a helmet that has been in my father's collection since 1961 - purchased for $60! It has some issues. The shell is battered and the bolts holding the eagle to the base are not right. My father has always assumed this was a put-together piece because of the mix of officer's...

One interesting detail on my GdC is that the cape, or lobster tail, is pressed out of one piece made to look like three pieces. I've been told that a three piece construction is more typical for officer's helmets. One person told me that this less-common one-piece construction is a...

Very interesting story. I see the count became a prince. The photo of the heavily bemedalled count in his later years was great to see. What an interesting life! Mark D.

Hi Joe, Thanks for posting the photo and the interesting information about the Count. Is this a photo purloined from your collection? When I first saw this photo portrait it made wonder what happened to this person. He looks young, thoughtful, and maybe not too warlike. The picture was...

Thanks RON. The liner was something that Turner, Laughlin, & Assoc. had on hand. They've got some original spare available for their client projects, including obscure and weird stuff like the little buckle that holds the leather portion of the chinstrap together. This was a vintage item that...

I got the helmet back from Turner, Laughlin & Associates. I really like the result the restoration work. Actually, I’ve been mesmerized by this object ever since it arrived in my office a few days ago. The restorer had to address several very tricky problems. Straightening the crown and the...

I found a correct Reich kokarde for this piece and traded the Saxon Reich kokarde to a happy collector friend in France to complete a Saxon helmet in his collection. I decided to leave the front plate as is. I added another spike comparison photo. This one compares the spike on my JzP...

Hi Ron, Thanks. Opinions are running about 3:1 in favor of replating at this stage. I haven't decided yet about this. Cameron Laughlin is mulling how to un-squish the crown. I've been warned that these are fragile. The most challenging thing will be locating a clover leaf (also "trefoil"...

Thanks. Interesting. I didn't know that. I think we have those reference books in our family library. I'll take a look. Mark D.

Well... That's part of the fun, isn't it? Finding the parts and restoring the piece to its former glory.

I've already sent the helmet to Turner Laughlin & Associates for cleaning and restoration work. I'll post photos when I get the thing back in my hands.

Thanks. I think there are more holes than would be necessary for a standard spike base. This could be explained if the helmet originally had an other ranks type eagle with a non-officer base requiring a different configuration of holes. This, I believe, might have been possible if the helmet...

Hi Ron, Thanks. It seems strange that such a thing would surface in Buenos Aires in the 1930s. I had some communications with an Argentine collector a while back. He had found a Russian Model 1915 steel helmet (French Adrian type) in an antique store in Buenos Aires - a rare thing. I asked...

I don't think it get's any better than this in our hobby... Here's an out-of-the-woodwork officer's Garde du Corps helmet. Missing a couple of pieces, but OK! It was found in Buenos Aires 80 years ago and belonged to a former Argentine ambassador. Anybody have a cloverleaf device or some...

What would be the price range for one of the gendarme helmets like the one at the top of the thread? Mark D.