Garde Reserve Officer Restoration
- Thread starter b.loree
- Start date
ww1czechlegion
Well-known member
You are a true craftsman Brian! Great work indeed! =D>
I am amazed how this is progressing, and have only the smallest understanding of the amount of patience that must be involved with a project like this in order to do it right. :salute:
Thanks for sharing this with us! :bravo:
Best Regards,
Alan
I am amazed how this is progressing, and have only the smallest understanding of the amount of patience that must be involved with a project like this in order to do it right. :salute:
Thanks for sharing this with us! :bravo:
Best Regards,
Alan
Thanks everyone, this takes patience on my part but also on the part of the customer and James knows what this takes. Restoration is a step by step process which can not be rushed and then sometimes you get a curve ball thrown at you like the extra finishing that is now being done along the back of the helmet. I was ready to restitch the rear visor and be done but now I can't until those 2 spots are filled in. This new problem will set me back almost a month.
How are the pieces of old finish glued on to the shell? They are glued on using new finish. The large bare spot was sanded to give a "grip" surface for the new finish. Next a layer of new finish was spread on and the old pieces were set into this. The more old finish that can be "glued" on to fill in, means less time to fill in the bald areas. I would like to remind everyone, that there are 2 sides to the skin of any animal, including us humans. There is the smooth hair side which is exposed to the elements and then there is the rough flesh side which rests against the inner tissues and muscle. All hauben had the finish sprayed on the rough flesh side because it provides more "grip" for the finish to stick to. Every time, you look into one of your helmets, you are looking at the smooth hair side of the cow hide. When you look at an officer sweat band or OR's liner the smooth side goes against your head and the rough side is hidden which makes sense, you want the smooth touching you not the rough.
How are the pieces of old finish glued on to the shell? They are glued on using new finish. The large bare spot was sanded to give a "grip" surface for the new finish. Next a layer of new finish was spread on and the old pieces were set into this. The more old finish that can be "glued" on to fill in, means less time to fill in the bald areas. I would like to remind everyone, that there are 2 sides to the skin of any animal, including us humans. There is the smooth hair side which is exposed to the elements and then there is the rough flesh side which rests against the inner tissues and muscle. All hauben had the finish sprayed on the rough flesh side because it provides more "grip" for the finish to stick to. Every time, you look into one of your helmets, you are looking at the smooth hair side of the cow hide. When you look at an officer sweat band or OR's liner the smooth side goes against your head and the rough side is hidden which makes sense, you want the smooth touching you not the rough.
Ok....finally was able to stitch the rear visor back on today. These officer helmets can be such a hell run, the stitching is so fine. We are talking about 1/16 to 1 mm. between holes and 4.5 hrs of work (112 stitches X 2) not including the hour it takes to clean out all the old thread. So....send me you holsters, OR pickelhauben and I will gladly work on them!! 
. Anyway, this went pretty well and again, I am using 100% cotton thread so no black light problems. Some fotos:
This was taken after the first "pass" as I call it. I started on the right and worked left and now I am going back. Anyone, stitching saddles, tack or any other modern piece has the luxury of using 2 needles and thread. However, there is no room in a haube for and extra needle and thread which enables you to only go over the stitch line once.
Done, the stitches appear uneven and they are but you have to realize that we are dealing with 100+ yr old leather. Some have pulled through because the small bit between the holes could not support the new thread. The stitch line will be filled in with shoe polish to even things out and protect the new thread. There is only one restitch in any helmet!
The rear spine is now back on. There are still some finish problems to deal with so I am not ready to apply the final coat of polish and put the rest of the fittings on. Hang in there James.....it will be worth the wait!
. Anyway, this went pretty well and again, I am using 100% cotton thread so no black light problems. Some fotos:
This was taken after the first "pass" as I call it. I started on the right and worked left and now I am going back. Anyone, stitching saddles, tack or any other modern piece has the luxury of using 2 needles and thread. However, there is no room in a haube for and extra needle and thread which enables you to only go over the stitch line once.
Done, the stitches appear uneven and they are but you have to realize that we are dealing with 100+ yr old leather. Some have pulled through because the small bit between the holes could not support the new thread. The stitch line will be filled in with shoe polish to even things out and protect the new thread. There is only one restitch in any helmet!
The rear spine is now back on. There are still some finish problems to deal with so I am not ready to apply the final coat of polish and put the rest of the fittings on. Hang in there James.....it will be worth the wait!
Looking good my friend!!
James
James
Well, it has basically taken 5 months to complete this restoration. The entire helmet except for the visors has been refinished and the rear visor was of course restitched. The helmet was put in the post yesterday and is on its way back to James. So lets look at the completed helmet as it is now:
This was the worst side of the helme, missing most of its finish.
The chin scales refused to come clean to match the other fittings. I have no idea why, with things 100 yrs old sometimes it just refuses to cooperate
.
This was the worst side of the helme, missing most of its finish.
The chin scales refused to come clean to match the other fittings. I have no idea why, with things 100 yrs old sometimes it just refuses to cooperate
.
Pontiac9999
Active member
Wow, amazing!
Thanks it did turn out well, but I sent James an email the day I posted it entitled "Free at Last Lord Free at Last!!" Frankly, I had had enough of it and it was one set back after another in the process. Here is one that I failed to mention because I caused it and it is embarrassingly stupid but I learned a lesson! Oddly enough, it seems I learn my lessons on Jame's helmets all the time. The piece was finished 3 weeks ago and as usual I took it outside for the "after" fotos. I had the helmet on a headform and unfortunately, chose a padded chair to place it on for the shoot. It fell over and hit my deck knocking about an inch of finish off :x. an area which had not been missing finish!! The air was blue with my curses! Anyway, another email to James explaining my stupidity and 3 weeks more of filling in the spot :-? I suppose now, no one will send me their hauben?? Please believe me I have learned the padded chair lesson! Five months is the longest I have spent on any Haube....Free At Last!
but I learned a lesson! Oddly enough, it seems I learn my lessons on Jame's helmets all the time. The piece was finished 3 weeks ago and as usual I took it outside for the "after" fotos. I had the helmet on a headform and unfortunately, chose a padded chair to place it on for the shoot. It fell over and hit my deck knocking about an inch of finish off :x. an area which had not been missing finish!! The air was blue with my curses! Anyway, another email to James explaining my stupidity and 3 weeks more of filling in the spot :-? I suppose now, no one will send me their hauben?? Please believe me I have learned the padded chair lesson! Five months is the longest I have spent on any Haube....Free At Last!