Gents,
This was a recent acquisition - a Model 1860 Dragoner with German silver fittings The dragoner wappen with silver fittings was used by Regts 4,5,6,10,12 and 15). All original components but the helmet had been neglected over the years and when I received it was in a sorry state with both visors separated, rear visor cracked along the stitch line and split in two parts, the visors wired back on through holes punched in the leather, the spike and cruciform bent, and all of the silver fittings covered in a yellow residue (150 years of tobacco smoke?) making it appear brass rather than silver. Fortunately, in spite of the bad photos on the listing I could see what it was and took on the repair job. So, holes plugged with old leather, visors re-stitched, stitch-line restored, spike re-aligned, and yellow residue removed (I personally never clean the fittings on helmets but in this case it needed one cleaning to remove the potentially damaging residue and bring out the silver finish. I will now let it tarnish naturally). A rare and highly desirable helmet now in good shape for its next 150 years.
I am still missing the two silver domed pins for the visor and one of the oval shaped domed bolts for the rear visor. If anyone can help out of their spare parts box, I would greatly appreciate it.
Mike
The sorry before shots:
This was a recent acquisition - a Model 1860 Dragoner with German silver fittings The dragoner wappen with silver fittings was used by Regts 4,5,6,10,12 and 15). All original components but the helmet had been neglected over the years and when I received it was in a sorry state with both visors separated, rear visor cracked along the stitch line and split in two parts, the visors wired back on through holes punched in the leather, the spike and cruciform bent, and all of the silver fittings covered in a yellow residue (150 years of tobacco smoke?) making it appear brass rather than silver. Fortunately, in spite of the bad photos on the listing I could see what it was and took on the repair job. So, holes plugged with old leather, visors re-stitched, stitch-line restored, spike re-aligned, and yellow residue removed (I personally never clean the fittings on helmets but in this case it needed one cleaning to remove the potentially damaging residue and bring out the silver finish. I will now let it tarnish naturally). A rare and highly desirable helmet now in good shape for its next 150 years.
I am still missing the two silver domed pins for the visor and one of the oval shaped domed bolts for the rear visor. If anyone can help out of their spare parts box, I would greatly appreciate it.
Mike
The sorry before shots:
