Picked up what looks to be a good example of a m1916 camo Stahlhelm. But it also could be an aged fake.
m1917 steel liner with pads. Each pad has a maker stamp showing:
Carl Menzel
Luckenwalde
1917
Anyone see this maker mark (or any maker mark) on a liner before?
First time I see a maker's stamp engraved on the leather pads...
From what I've learned here, there were 13 German M16-18 stahlhelm manufacturers in WW1--including Eisenhüttenwerke Thale A.G. [E.T.] which made your shell--but I'm guessing the (leather) liners were made by separate suppliers?
The first thing I would do is test the liner under a UV/black light the minute I get it and see what happens.
Ronny - You have the best ideas! No glow of anything under black light flashlight I have. Stitches don't glow, pillows don't glow. Heck, maybe I did OK afterall??
Pads with maker stamps rarely turn up, but the one in this thread is a good example of the few that do. I've owned two helmets with maker stamped liner pads - one E.T. 60 with Carl Menzel named pads and an E.T. 64 with Otto Koch pads.