Bavarian Leib Infantry Officer silver critique

W

weirdpyramid

New member
My latest purchase is this Bavarian Leib Infantry Officer helmet with frosty silver wappen and silver metal trim. I just wanted to share it with you guys and see what you think. The silver wappen is beautifully detailed and overall the helmet is in good condition with silk lining inside. The only issue i have is that the silver trim isnt as silver as some ive seen. Anyone have good/natural cleaning or polishing methods to get that silver back that are not too harsh or would compromise the authenticity of the helmet? Look forward to your input/critique of the helmet.

thanks,
weird one

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looks like a very nice helmet, I love Bavarian helmets!

Dust it off and put it on the shelf, do not polish!

Congrats!

James
 
It looks like a nice helmet indeed! I wouldn't clean it, you'll always see the parts you cleaned and only one little mistake can ruin the frosty silver...

Adler
 
I agree, there are many helmets out there that have had the original finish polished off because the owner wanted it to be shiney.
Best
Gus
 
If you "shine" it, you might as Gus said, remove the silver frosting and end up with a Bavarian helmet with brass fittings. Typically on officer helmets, the fittings were often made from brass and frosted in silver. Think carefully.
 
Thanks guys for the help and input. I will just dust it every so often and keep it as is. One more question and maybe James since you have a passion for bavarian helmets and Tony since your knowledge seems to go past what most books seem to offer but how does one distinguish this helmet between a Infanterie Leib Offizier helmet and a Chevaulegers Offizier helmet? is it just in the chainscales either being flat or arched? Both supported silver wappens and trim. Im cross referencing my Kopfbedeckungen der Kaiserzeit book and James D. Turninetti's Imperial German Headgear book. Any help?
 
Thanks, but without reference books, I would not be able to spell Pickelhaube. I'm at work and going off memory, but yes, the only difference between an Leib Officer and a Chevauleger/Bayer. 1. Schweres Reiter-Regiment, is that infantry chinscales are flat, while Cavalry chinscales are curved until 1914. However, on 20 February 1914 all Bayern officer Pickelhaube adopted rounded mounted-troop pattern chinscales. BUT, this is also the date they adopted the removal of the branches and bay-leaves on the bottom of the Wappen. However, it is very common to see a "mix" of parts past the date of a regulation (i.e. the "big" Wappen used on a wartime helmet). So if the chinscales are flat, its easy. Curved, its what-ever you want it to be.
 
Tony & Kaiser said:
Thanks, but without reference books, I would not be able to spell Pickelhaube.
Click to expand...

Ha ha Tony, but what you do not realize, a real expert is not someone who knows all the answers, it is someone who knows how to find the answers.
Best
Gus
 
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