Adrian from my basement

Jaap Verduijn

Jaap Verduijn

New member
Rummaging in my basement where some rusty stuff from my dozens of vacations in the Verdun and Meuse/Argonne area is still resting, I also encountered this long forgotten French helmet: the well-known Adrian, with the "Soldat de la Grande Guerre" emblem. I must have flung it downstairs long, looooong ago and never looked at it again. I seem to remember that originally it was nice horizon-bleu, and all the leather was in a decent shape. Pity I didn't take better care of it, but after I had to part with my second Pickelhaube collection I couldn't (out of pure self-pity :oops: ) stand the sight of anything military anymore. Besides, anything not-Pickelhaube was just the icing on the cake, never the cake itself so Stahlhelme and Adrians finished up in the oddest, dustiest and/or wettest places of my house and even garden. Unloved.

And then, bloody hell, on the internet I encounter a not too bad looking Pickelfake, I buy it for a pittance, and immediately I'm lost. Helplessly back in the iron grip of Pickelhaube Fever, even to the extend that I have recovered this helmet plus a German M17, and four military knives that were once part of yet another collection: military cutlery.

And then there's the sad illustrated story of the flattened spike, which I will tell you in another section of this forum. It's only human to occasionally enjoy some "Schadenfreude", which you undoubtedly will after reading the story of the flattened spike :D ! It will be coming up later today, or possibly tomorrow.

Frans2.jpg

Frans1.jpg
 
aicusv, if you'd like to have this one, we might be able to work something out. I've got some more stuff (non-Pickelhaube) that may be longing for a new forever-home on account of not being sufficiently loved by its present owner AKA yours truly. In fact I'm quite prepared to send this particular Adrian off for only the postage costs.

I'll gather some things, and put them in the relevant section of this forum.
 
Together with some other stuff, like a more or less buggered up M17, I'll place it into the section "Miscellaneous items for sale", later today. I'm not looking to get rich, I'm more leaning towards either an exchange for an "experienced" and hence cheap Pickelhaube (I am aware that this would require me to also add some money on account of Pickelhaubes being more expensive), or simply saying "Oh, whaddafugg" and doing somebody a favour by shoving the bloody thing into a box and posting it to wherever the excited recipient might live.

I've also got some knives, like a rather well-preserved Fairbairn-Sykes Third Pattern and a couple of other remarkable things that I would be glad to get rid of in favour of Pickled things. Yes... I've been bitten by the Pickel-bug again, and there's no vaccination against it :x

Bloody fugg... I had such a peaceful life until, about two months ago, I stumbled on the internet upon a dirt-cheap replica and decided to buy it with some money I had been given for my 72nd birthday. The bug that I thought was dead stung again, and here I am: shamefully exposed as an addict, for all the world to see :D. Lawd have mercy!
 
Hello Jaap, a very nice Chasseur Adrian you got there! =D> Looks like a truly original veteran helmet, I got several Adrian helmet's, I like them a lot.
Last week I bought a nice Belgian example to join my 2 French infantry and 1 Artillery one, wich also has the veteran plate. (the Belgian is posted in the steel helmet section)
If you want to sell it I'm also interested in it.




A picture of my collection, if it works anyway...

Groeten van een andere kaaskop!

Have a nice day, Coert. :)
 
Hi Coert!

That's not a bad collection you have there mate! Looking good!

On account of you living close to myself (eveybody lives close to everybody in the Netherlands) it makes sense to sell my Adrian to you. But frankly, I don't have the faintest idea what to ask for the bloody thing. You're more an expert in this field than I am, so I guess you can make a good suggestion. I'm indeed willing to sell.

Take care, matey!
 
Hi Jaap, I'll send you a PM this evening, with several options, since I also have an experienced pickelhaube which is in a state, but original.
And some other stuff regarding WW1. The picture I put in my message doesn't cover my whole collection, so maybe we can work out a nice deal, being collectors amongst each other.
By the way, I also collected years ago, stopped because of my wife and having a boy who's grown up now. But the bug returned on me too! Beware, you'll never get rid of it.....
But first I have to cook my food, just returned from the daily grind at work, :)

Greetings, Coert :thumb up:
 
Right oh, Coert! So you've stood in my shoes (wide grin)! Yep, the Pickelvirus can't be cured - it's completely resistant to the passing of time (and money) :D ! Alright, take your time, enjoy your dinner, and in due course I'll see the PM appear. eet smakelijk, makker! :thumb up:
 
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