How to destroy a Haube

[b.loree]

Some of the older reference books and articles suggested using the following methods to reshape your hauben. DO NOT use them.....fill a sink with warm water and emerse the helmet until it softens. This will destroy the liner and cause the finish to flake off. Apply baby lotion to the inside of the shell to soften then block the helmet. Does not work and the haube smells like baby. Apply rubbing alcohol to the inside of the shell to soften the leather and reblock a collapsed helmet top. This leaves stains and the leather hardens like concrete. I have tried all of the above so don't go there!!
Use Neatsfoot Oil to soften liners....this stuff rots the liner eventually, avoid it like the plague. Apply petroleum jelly to the outside of the shell to keep the helmet pliable......believe it or not, I actually met a collector who did this and he was a lawyer! A big NO to that method! Glue visors back on instead of restitching them...as a restorer, I have encountered this several times. Last, leave your haube on a shelf covered in dust and sitting on its visors. NOT! Oh and if you want to make a lamp out of your haube....cut off the top of the spike and put a base and rod up through it. Then attach a light bulb fitting. This had been done to my PB29 helme. It took me 3 yrs to find an original pioneer OR's spike.

 

[poniatowski]

I think your tag line goes well with this... pillage then burn.. ... maybe add 'rape'....

I've been in museum storage areas where they've actually stacked helmets atop each other.

Ron

 

[b.loree]

Not into rape Ron....could involve jail time and then I could not collect. Pillaging a museum though...tempting especially that one in the Verdun area of France!

 

[911car]

I think your tag line goes well with this... pillage then burn.. ... maybe add 'rape'....

I've been in museum storage areas where they've actually stacked helmets atop each other.

Ron

I have seen the same in the shop of a famous dealer you all know...

 

[edwin]

I think your tag line goes well with this... pillage then burn.. ... maybe add 'rape'....

I've been in museum storage areas where they've actually stacked helmets atop each other.

Ron

I have seen the same in the shop of a famous dealer you all know...

R(sh)ittmeister? However, this is also the case in Fort de la Pompelle judging from pics that were posted somewhere else on this forum.

Regards,

Edwin

 

[b.loree]

Time for a true confession.......those techniques involving baby lotion, rubbing alcohol and water emersion. I have actually tried them on scrapper hauben shells that I picked up years ago. No need to attempt those at home! Sorry, repeated myself here..just reread the original posting......old timers' disease!