German Kaiserliche Marine-Infanterie Tropenhelm

[RON]

Hope you're all having a nice and quiet Sunday?

First time I see such a pith helmet... What model/to which period would it be?

http://www.derrittmeister.com/productpages/33253.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[stuka f]

Looks a lot like the Italian WWII pith helmet, with one vent hole insted of the two.
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[RON]

Hello Kris,
My thoughts exactly!
This "Kaiserliche Tropenhelm" looks alot like the M1926 Italian pith helmet. Even the 'pocket' to insert the plume is there on the wearer's right side only hidden by the so-called "Kaiserliche Kokarde":

 

[Peter_Suciu]

Seriously!

That helmet is absolutely in no way a German helmet. I'm seeing this more and more with dealers. In the past six months this is the third time I've seen a dealer try to pass off an Italian helmet as German.

I called out one dealer - I have the exact same "rare pattern" - in my collection and sent photos. The kicker was the website said: "Have never seen another even in books," but somehow the sellers also knows it is therefore German? When I mentioned it, they said, "there is a 1905 stamp so it must be German."

 

[joerookery]

"there is a 1905 stamp so it must be German."

Peter, as usual you are far too simplistic. You absolutely missed the mustard stains made when the original owner was eating bratwürst. Any chemical analysis of the mustard stains would show conclusively that this was indeed German. No other nationality ever uses mustard. You don't really think that a dealer would misrepresent an item do you? [-( [-( [-(

 

[Zebedeus]

Hi guys, I'm italian and I like very much brutwürst. The pith helmet is however a italian pith helmet mod. 1936 and couldnt' have a 1905 stamp on it. :-#

 

[Peter_Suciu]

Hi guys, I'm italian and I like very much brutwürst. The pith helmet is however a italian pith helmet mod. 1936 and couldnt' have a 1905 stamp on it. :-#

The helmet I saw on the site did have the stamp, which could be an arsenal stamp and not a date. Someone also said some Italian troops in Ethiopia sometimes had their birth year stamped inside. There was other information. I don't have photos of the helmet unfortunately but it absolutely was the Italian M28 pattern.

What made that one unique is that it was the locally made version without the canvas cover, so it was basically a straw helmet. The seller claimed that the Germans used a variety of theater made items in Africa in WWI, which of course was true. But they weren't making such stuff nine years before the war broke out. In other words the sellers own logic didn't match up.