Distressed felt pickelhaube, restoration candidate ?

RustieNZ

Member
Good morning. I have the chance to purchase this felt 1915 with a view to restoration. Whilst its shape is still very good, im concerned about the possibility of ever finding some felt to match the missing visor. I have all the required hardware but would be looking for a repro liner. Sorry for the poor photos but they are from the sellers website. Thanks for looking.
 

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You would need another damaged felt to restore it.
And not much of a chance matching it.
But at one time it looks to have been a grey garde helmet
As always I would be interested in it as well.
 
After looking at this Fitz sitting forlornly, visor-less and unloved on my shelf, i thought whats to lose ? It has a nice shape to it, size label and the remnants of an issue stamp. Plus i dont own any other Fitzhelms....so i will have a go at giving it a new lease on life, so to speak !
As its never going to be an original example, and not worth a heck of a lot, i aim to use only parts from my spares bin.
Part 1

First off, that lack of front visor !
Judging by the remains of two small holes either side at the start of the tear,it was originally fitted with a visor trim.
This means i will have a way of supporting a replacement visor.
I happen to have a broken brass trim, coincidentally off a Fitzhelm.
Plus some stiff felt off an old hat, green in color.
So...first step, to construct a method of attaching the felt visor to the helmet shell.
I used a strip of cotton webbing, and glued it to the inside of the front. This will be glued and stitched to the visor.
Using tiny bits of felt i cut from the top of the shell, i tidied up the front.
Then i repaired the broken trim and adjusted it to fit correctly.
Temporarily fitting the trim allowed me to cut the visor to shape.
No...that wont do, the color mismatch is too great. I cant live with that.
Im going to have to rethink what i use for the visor material.....i have a plan !
 

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I used some field-grey fabric glued to cardboard to fashion another visor. Once glued and stitched into place , the colour match was quite close.
Next job, fashion a liner. Using a piece of 1mm thin black leather, i cut out a liner.
This was stitched into place after renewing all the needle holes around the shell.
 

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After stitching in the liner i made a leather drawstring. With the same old leather i rebuilt a chin strap.
This i fitted with a pair of repro cockades.
Among my collection of Wappen i had an original Guard Prussian Eagle, also brass. As it didn't have its center piece, i aged a repro one to suit.
Next, a suitable brass spike. The brass one i have was badly damaged ,having a crushed top. Using twin part putty, i refashioned it and also aged it suit the rest of the metal hardware. A light gold wash on the 1915 grey side posts finished it off.
Im pleased with the result, it certainly looks the part displayed along its brother leather Pickelhaubes.
 

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Here is a grenadier helm .
Basically the same eagle as a Garde eagle but without the star.
Look at the shape at the top of the wings.
 
The plate used on the felt here is from an Ulan helmet and thus unfortunately, does not belong on your helmet.
 
I see the difference, i wouldn't have noticed it, thanks for pointing it out. My only Wappen with the correct loop spacing is this Prussian.
 

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