7. Thüringisches Inf.-Regt. Nr. 96 III Btl.

[edwin]

Lovely helmets!

Thanks for sharing

Regards,

Edwin

 

[festwagner]

Thanks, Philippe.

If the hammer you quote is correct, Regimentals realized a tidy profit on the helmet, but not exorbitant. Naturally, I had no knowledge of the Soissons auction. Bidding against a dealer presents its own perils as they have deep pockets and sometimes force one to overbid. C'est la guerre… At least this helmet represents one of the "good things" from the auction.

I was able to improve the Pickelhaube in one respect. The Landeskokarde was Preußen. However, more than a decade ago, I acquired an original Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Kokarde with a scrapper M95 Garde Pionier helmet. I joked with J.LeBrasseur that I was buying a helmet to complete a Kokarde. :wink:

Chas

Thanks for the specification about the Landeskokarde because I noticed too that the pictures of the Soisson auction show a helmet with a different Kokarde. The lack of the genuine Kokarde, very hard to find, explains the final price at the auction. It is a real challenge to manage to draw togeteher so scarce Kokarde and good regiment marks.

Here is the picture of my M 91 helmet transformed in M95. There are the same weakness of the leather around the grommets. Here, a real hole has appeared...

 

[Lost Skeleton]

Here is the picture of my M 91 helmet transformed in M95. There are the same weakness of the leather around the grommets. Here, a real hole has appeared...

Exactly so, festwagner. :thumb up: I assembled this composite to provide greater detail of the IR 96 grommets and the stress caused by the retrofitting. The M95 Hinterschiene is noticeably bullnose where it meets the spike base, and the impression left by the original M91 spine can be seen where it was secured to the neck visor:

This is the Landeskokarde. It is non-ferrous and the alloy appears to be Tombak. The reverse is painted flat black. The paint on both sides was applied by paint sprayer.

Chas

 

[festwagner]

Thanks, I never studied the grommets of M91/95 but the comparison is clear.
Has the JR 96 helmet still the sewing of the leather under the Hinterschiene ?

 

[Lost Skeleton]

Has the JR 96 helmet still the sewing of the leather under the Hinterschiene ?

No, the helmet is not stitched in the back. However, it does look like this (I was correct in estimating the Kopfweite as 54). :wink:

The grommets from inside

Finally, and most interesting, one of the enormous backing plates for the Knopf 91. I will have to check other helmets in my collection for discs this size

This has been a fascinating helmet to analyze with the forum. Thanks for all your input.

 

[argonne]

Has the JR 96 helmet still the sewing of the leather under the Hinterschiene ?

To my understanding, M91 helmet did not have a sewing under the rear non ventilated trim, because they did not have to be cut down when modified after 1895. The shell had the same high as the M95.

Philippe
:wink:

 

[festwagner]

Thanks Philippe for this precision which ist very interesting for my helmet

 

[Tony without Kaiser]

To my understanding, M91 helmet did not have a sewing under the rear non ventilated trim, because they did not have to be cut down when modified after 1895. The shell had the same high as the M95.

The last Model of Pickelhaube to be sewn together was the M1867.

M1871, M1887, M1891, M1895 were all pressed from boiled leather. Any of those models found with a rear seam where the leather is joined, is usually an indication that it was a pre-1871 Pickelhaube that has been upgraded.

 

[Chip M.]

The Aisne auction (in Soissons) was made up primarily of the collection of Stephane Dekerle. I think you can still go to their website and see all of the Pickelhauben that were for sale. It was a big collection and contained a wide spectrum of imperial German uniforms, gear and insignia.