Greetings guys! I posted the first picture in this thread in haste, on account of being not only busy, but also excited on account of the new helmet. Simply didn't have time for the full story, but here it comes - albeit in an abridged version otherwise I'll still be typing tomorrow evening

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This is not an original pre-WW1 helmet, but a meticulously handmade German reproduction of a "Mannschaft Eigentumsstück" that belonged to an ancient Düsseldorf relative of mine in the first decade of the 20th century. He died in an accident before the war (lucky bahstud), and his helmet remained in the family for a long time. Don't know where it is now - hopefully in somebody's collection. A richer relative of ours who knows about my Pickelhaube virus allowed me to have it replicated as correctly as possible with the scarce information about the original... an offer to which I did not say "No" (grin)! This is the result: a "poor other ranks Eigentumshelm". I can keep it and exhibit it next to my original "old Prussian lady" as long as I live, which as far as I'm concerned is long enough

! That helmet has been "kind of a thing" in the family ever since the original disappeared (we wanted it back!!!), but it's gone and this is the closest we can come to it now.
So though it was paid for by an individual whom for privacy's sake we will simply call "Onkel Fritz", I supplied the specifications to the manufacturer Jörg Dehn in Germany, and I must say he did a very fine job - which took him two and a half bloody months by the way. It's an honest replica of (I think) very high quality, yet when looked at closely (the inside) clearly distinguishable from original period pieces. The accompanying pictures illustrate this.
I was pleasantly surpised by f'rinstance the details of the eagle - I guess it's a good galvano copy (haven't looked at the reverse yet) with fine details, including the very fine stipples on the feathers.
The quality of the pics doesn't really do justice to the looks and the craftsmanship, which can be blamed on my palaeozoic mobile phone with which I took them.
Yes, I know - it
is and will forever
remain a replica... but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth (happy grin)!