Help Needed: Identifying My M95 Pickelhaube – Is It Genuine picklehaube or a Child's picklehaube?

Losse A

Losse A

New member
Hello everyone, I am new around here.
I recently bought a picklehaube and I'm looking for some insights to help determine its authenticity and whether it's a Kinder Pickelhaube or a Child's picklehaube or not.
Here’s what I know about the helmet:
  • Markings: 66.R.J.R.3.B, which I believe corresponds to the 66th Infantry Regiment.
  • Date: It’s marked as made in 1905.
  • Dimensions:
    • Height: 21 cm
    • Length: 23.5 cm
    • Width: 16 cm
Now, the helmet seems quite small compared to others I’ve seen in the forums, Which makes me wonder if it’s a child’s Pickelhaube. However, I’m also considering the possibility that it could have shrunk over the past 120 years.

I’d love to get some input from anyone who’s familiar with these types of helmets. Does this sound like a genuine Pickelhaube? And could the size be an indication that it was meant for a child, or might it have shrunk due to age? Any help would be greatly appreciated!Thanks in advance!

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Hi Losse,
Welcome to the forum.
I don't think children's helmets would be regimentally marked :) , people were smaller then, with smaller heads. Some shrinkage has probably taken place as well, as you can see at the rear spine.
The helmet looks original to me, model 1895, with a nice regimental marking to Reserve Infanterie Regiment 66, 3rd Bataillion. It is missing the Wappen, Kokarden, front visor trim and pins, and the chinstrap, as you probably already know. Not in the best condition, but it looks untampered with which is something I like.
In peacetime the German army already had stocks prepared for the Reserve and the Landwehr troops, which sometimes came through the active troops, and sometimes ordered directly for the Reserve and the Landwehr troops, which seems to be the case here.
Congratulations with your Pickelhaube,
Regards,
Lars
 
Yes, a soldier's model 1895 spiked helmet. The children's helmets were made of cardboard, and the fittings did not comply. You'd have to look in the head-cover or in the schell to see if the size (head size) is missing. I have a size 52 helmet, which is very small for an adult.
What's more, as you yourself mentioned, this helmet has shrunk with the weather. Normally your helmet should be oval. 0r you can see that the front has remained relatively intact, because of the brass edge of the visor, but it has shrunk quite a bit on the back, on the neck cover side. This gives it a pear shape.
It must be completed with its front eagle (with or without Landwehrkreuz), its pair of roundels and its chinstrap. The hardest part will be finding the right size brass visor trim and the 2 small side rivets.
The RIR66 fought mainly in France. https://wiki.genealogy.net/RIR_66
 
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Hi everyone,
Thank you for the warm welcome and helpful replies!
It’s reassuring to know it’s a genuine M1895 model. The shrinkage over time definitely makes sense, especially given the shape.
I’ll also keep an eye out for the missing parts like the front eagle and chinstrap as I continue to restore it.
Thanks again for all the insights!
Best regards,
Losse
 
I just have to say I disagree with my learned friend . The misshape is the shape of the soldiers head after a long period of wear. Rob
 
Hey everyone!
Thank you for the helpful replies.
I hope you're all doing well! I’m on the hunt for a Wappen to go with my pickelhaube, but I could use a bit of guidance before I make a purchase.
I’m curious about what type of Wappen is appropriate. Should I be looking for one from a Reserve or Landwehr Regiment, or will a standard infantry regiment Wappen do the trick? Also, I've stumbled upon some M91 type Wappen and am wondering if those would fit the M95 pickelhaube I have read some sources that suggest it fits an M95 pickelhaube but I wasn't able to confirm this, so I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks in advance for your help! Looking forward to your insights!

Cheers!
 
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Losse A said:
Should I be looking for one from a Reserve or Landwehr Regiment, or will a standard infantry regiment Wappen do the trick?
Click to expand...
I have a helmet which was ordered directly for L.I.R. 53 (so no hand-me-down from an active regiment), but has a normal eagle without a cross. The Germans don't seem to have been that strict when it came to the Landwehr cross on the Wappen for Reserve and Landwehr troops.
 
Thanks for sharing, I guess it will then come down to which ascetic I prefer, the Landwehr Wappen is less common so I may opt for that on my Pickelhaube. Thanks again!
 
It belongs to Vize Feldwebel Hattenhauer, wounded on the 20th Septembre 1914 near Soissons and dead in a hospital on the 28th October in Namur. Your helmet might come from the same battle, whre lots of men of RJR 66 were killed ou made prisonner or from the battle of the Ourcq beginning Septembre 1914 where RJR 66 had to face the french counterattack of the Marne and suffered too heavy losses.
 
Hello festwagner,
Thanks for sharing those awesome pictures and the historical info about the RIR 66! It's really neat to see a pickelhaube from the same unit.
I have a quick question regarding the wappen. I noticed that your pickelhaube features a Prussian wappen positioned above a Saxe wappen, which closely resembles a Saxony wappen. To accurately recreate this look, would I need to purchase a Saxony wappen along with a Prussian wappen that has the appropriate holes for attachment?

Thanks again for all your assistance!
 
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