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Very nice helmet, congratulations :) There has been a period where collectors used a lot of "care" products on their leather collectables, softening the leather short-term, but hardening and warping it long-term. At least your chinstrap looks very natural and not warped. Regards, Lars

Looks heavily restored to me

Welcome to the forum, I agree with Sandy's assessment. Strangely enough, the value of a standard Pickelhaube like this one comes mainly from the Wappen (around 80 euro these days), Kokarden (easily 130 euro for a Prussian pair), and the chinstrap (around 250 euro). The actual shell with spike...

The low quality of the Kokarden and the chinstrap is another giveaway. Officer helmets were high quality items, and I don’t see that here.

Hi, Doesn’t look good to me, the letters on the Wappen seem to have different sizes and are not properly lined up. Not a good idea to buy a Pickelhaube without seeing the inside. The name of the seller suggests some connection with India, a known source of reproduction Pickelhaubes. Regards, Lars

I thought “Rekr. Depot” or something like that

I often wonder about that, sellers must realise that better pictures normally mean higher prices. 10 years ago, this is the picture the seller posted and I took a chance for 40 euros: And this is what I got, the seller could have sold for a lot more: And something similar in 2023, this is...

The Bekleidungs Instandsetzungs Amt VII (of the 7. Armee-Korps) also repaired equipment, I have seen BJA marks on backpacks, and I have a belt that was repaired by BJA VII, and marked accordingly. On your frog the holes for the middle rivest are still visible, so for me the back of the frog...

Steve, My collection is based on the items visible in the photoalbum of my German grandmother, which contains pictures and post cards of her three older brothers who were all in the German army, as well as post cards and death cards from friends / acquaintances. Even though the main objective...

Steve and John, Thank you for your replies. Regards, Lars

I've bought these shoulder straps, and would like your opinion regarding originality. My concerns are mainly about the seam stitching, larger stitches than what I have normally seen, and it is the same on both shoulder straps (thread colour and stitching distance) even though the fabric seems...

Hi Peter, I agree with Coert, and I also see the little “f” here on your helmet. Regards, Lars

Hi Wojtek, Please “bore” me with your work, I always find it very interesting to see how you bring these old items back to life :) Regards, Lars

Hi, Yes, but the seller states clearly: "Alter unbekannt. Ich bin kein Experte. Privat-Verkauf.", translates as "age unknown, I'm no expert, private sale" (private sale means that under German law the seller is not obliged to take the item back). Reading the descriptions is critical. Regards, Lars

Hi Nev, The way the Feldzeichen has been stiched, and the stitching, colours, piping and stamps of the jacket. The cord of the Erkennungsmarke looks incorrect also. Regards, Lars

Hi Nevb, Are these items presented here as originals? I hope I'm wrong, but the grouping raises a lot of questions with me. Regards, Lars

Hi Rhys, I think you did very well in the auction :) My assessment was based on the unfinished look of the sliders (especially the sides on the 1st picture) and the unfinished look of the eyelets (sharp metal edges on 2nd & 3rd pictures). I had a look at my own M15 chinstraps and they looked a...

Hi Rhys, Nice helmet! Imo the chinstrap is a replica, but the rest is original. If the spike has the same colour as the disc they most likely belong together, otherwise the spike comes from a different helmet. As these helmets were used without the spike in the field, and the spikes left behind...

Hi James, I'm not an expert on Tschapkas, but for me the following things stand out: The liner looks ill-fitting and very uncomfortable, with folds in the leather that would lead to pressure points, and in addition it looks like it is dirty all over, imo it is an artificially-aged reproduction...

Hi, According to the Bekleidungsordnung from 1903, both 1. reit. Batterie FAR Nr 2 and 6. Batterie FAR Nr 3 wore this Wappen. Regards, Lars