ww1czechlegion
Well-known member
I've decided to offer this helmet up for sale, since my M15 Ulan tschapka and the M95 Guard helmet do not seem to have any interest here, unfortunately.
To quote Brian: "This is an extremely rare helmet from the “Motor Vehicle Driver" Battalion.
Brian did another expert re-stitching job for me on this helmet, as both the front and back visors were totally detached when I found it a little over a year ago.
His work is shown here:
I added a nice, rare to find nickel silver trimmed leather chinstrap to the helmet. I value the chinstrap at $500 to maybe as much as $600 in today's market. When can you find an original nickel silver fittings leather chinstrap on the loose these days? A pair of these excellent condition original kokardes sell on eBay every week for $200-$250 by Bill Shea of the Ruptured Duck. These 3-important parts are realistically worth $700-$850 if you were going to buy them separately on the open market today.
The leather liner shows wear and age. It is flaking a bit on the right and left side edge of the helmet above the wearer's ear area, as seen in the photos.
The helmet has pair of Arsenal plugged holes for what I would guess was for a regular silver color Prussian line eagle, prior to the changeover to the Guard style wappen that replaced it.
Brian placed 2-leather patches over the 2-arsenal plugged holes, as seen in the photos he took while re-stitching and restoring the helmet.
I placed a neusilber split brad on the wearer's left side end of the front visor trim piece, since one was missing when I acquired the helmet. At one time the broken front visor appears to have been spot soldered on the back side, and possibly on the front side of the break area. Both sides of the visor trim piece seem to stay in place on the visor fairly well. I'll leave it to the new owner whether or not they want to repair or replace this front visor trim piece.
Helmet has super nice markings: "BAG 1911" Guard depot issue, "K.B" for Kraftfahrer Battalion, "2.K." & "1911", & "I" condition rating by the depot.
There is crazing lines on the helmet. They are more like "grooves" in the black finish of the helmet. The finish is solid and intact and does not give any indication that it will flake off, as we often see on helmets with a different type of spider web crazing that has splits to the cracking of the finish. This finish seems to be in good shape, even in light of the groove line crazing. The crazing here is more like the grooves on an old vinyl music record.
This helmet will make a nice addition to your collection.
Price: $1,250 or "Best Offer" plus Postage.
I prefer payment via PayPal "friends and family".
USA Postage: $20 via Priority Mail with Tracking
I know how to use the correct Customs Postal Code so that if anyone who buys this who lives outside of the U.S. should not have to worry about receiving the helmet in good order, and that from my extensive shipping experience mailing to Canada, Europe, Australia, NZ, and Singapore, my experience tells me that you likely will not pay any customs at all, or if any, it will be a very little amount.
Canada Postage: $40 via 1st Class International Mail Package with Tracking.
Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Italy United Kingdom postage: $50 via 1st Class International Mail with Tracking.
Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore postage: $60 via 1st Class International Mail with Tracking.
Thanks,
Alan
The wooden hat form is peeking from under the side of the helmet as seen in this photo. I have kept it on a leather hat form since Brian restitched it this past January.
To quote Brian: "This is an extremely rare helmet from the “Motor Vehicle Driver" Battalion.
Brian did another expert re-stitching job for me on this helmet, as both the front and back visors were totally detached when I found it a little over a year ago.
His work is shown here:
Another restoration project from Alan S. The "before" photos:
This is an extremely rare helmet from the “Motor Vehicle Driver" Battalion. I have seen numerous photos of these individuals in their "driver uniforms" which are often leather "car coats". Unfortunately, I have never seen a driver wearing a pickelhaube. Perhaps one of our members can post one here. This helmet is date stamped 1911 an is in the M95 style of helmet.
Both visors on this piece need to be restitched. As we see above the front visor has been glued on in the past. Unfortunately, the...
This is an extremely rare helmet from the “Motor Vehicle Driver" Battalion. I have seen numerous photos of these individuals in their "driver uniforms" which are often leather "car coats". Unfortunately, I have never seen a driver wearing a pickelhaube. Perhaps one of our members can post one here. This helmet is date stamped 1911 an is in the M95 style of helmet.
Both visors on this piece need to be restitched. As we see above the front visor has been glued on in the past. Unfortunately, the...
I added a nice, rare to find nickel silver trimmed leather chinstrap to the helmet. I value the chinstrap at $500 to maybe as much as $600 in today's market. When can you find an original nickel silver fittings leather chinstrap on the loose these days? A pair of these excellent condition original kokardes sell on eBay every week for $200-$250 by Bill Shea of the Ruptured Duck. These 3-important parts are realistically worth $700-$850 if you were going to buy them separately on the open market today.
The leather liner shows wear and age. It is flaking a bit on the right and left side edge of the helmet above the wearer's ear area, as seen in the photos.
The helmet has pair of Arsenal plugged holes for what I would guess was for a regular silver color Prussian line eagle, prior to the changeover to the Guard style wappen that replaced it.
Brian placed 2-leather patches over the 2-arsenal plugged holes, as seen in the photos he took while re-stitching and restoring the helmet.
I placed a neusilber split brad on the wearer's left side end of the front visor trim piece, since one was missing when I acquired the helmet. At one time the broken front visor appears to have been spot soldered on the back side, and possibly on the front side of the break area. Both sides of the visor trim piece seem to stay in place on the visor fairly well. I'll leave it to the new owner whether or not they want to repair or replace this front visor trim piece.
Helmet has super nice markings: "BAG 1911" Guard depot issue, "K.B" for Kraftfahrer Battalion, "2.K." & "1911", & "I" condition rating by the depot.
There is crazing lines on the helmet. They are more like "grooves" in the black finish of the helmet. The finish is solid and intact and does not give any indication that it will flake off, as we often see on helmets with a different type of spider web crazing that has splits to the cracking of the finish. This finish seems to be in good shape, even in light of the groove line crazing. The crazing here is more like the grooves on an old vinyl music record.
This helmet will make a nice addition to your collection.
Price: $1,250 or "Best Offer" plus Postage.
I prefer payment via PayPal "friends and family".
USA Postage: $20 via Priority Mail with Tracking
I know how to use the correct Customs Postal Code so that if anyone who buys this who lives outside of the U.S. should not have to worry about receiving the helmet in good order, and that from my extensive shipping experience mailing to Canada, Europe, Australia, NZ, and Singapore, my experience tells me that you likely will not pay any customs at all, or if any, it will be a very little amount.
Canada Postage: $40 via 1st Class International Mail Package with Tracking.
Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Italy United Kingdom postage: $50 via 1st Class International Mail with Tracking.
Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore postage: $60 via 1st Class International Mail with Tracking.
Thanks,
Alan
The wooden hat form is peeking from under the side of the helmet as seen in this photo. I have kept it on a leather hat form since Brian restitched it this past January.
Last edited:
