Pickelhaube chinstrap real?
- Thread starter Oct
- Start date
RON
Well-known member
The pickelhaube (and M1916 Stahlhelm) leather chinstrap (M1915 or M1995) is one of the most copied items in the Pickelhaube followed I would say by the cockades.
Therefore, one must carefully examine it and even then one can get easily fooled.
There's a thorough tread Brian has dedicated for the chinstrap (http://www.pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5770); I suggest you read it through.
Back to your strap...
The pictures are too low in resolution to tell for sure; if the seller sent you these in this quality, it is already a bad sign. He probably doesn't want to show you too many details that could give it away as a fake. Another reason could be the excess of 'fresh' rust/oxydation which was probably artificially induced. It also seems dyed black from the inside as well which is another red flag (see above-mentioned thread for more on this).
Conclusion: IMO, this is a FAKE M1915 Pickelhaube Chinstrap (M1915: Metal parts are gray steel; M1895: Metal parts are brass; same logic as for their Pickelhaube counterparts).
Therefore, one must carefully examine it and even then one can get easily fooled.
There's a thorough tread Brian has dedicated for the chinstrap (http://www.pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5770); I suggest you read it through.
Back to your strap...
The pictures are too low in resolution to tell for sure; if the seller sent you these in this quality, it is already a bad sign. He probably doesn't want to show you too many details that could give it away as a fake. Another reason could be the excess of 'fresh' rust/oxydation which was probably artificially induced. It also seems dyed black from the inside as well which is another red flag (see above-mentioned thread for more on this).
Conclusion: IMO, this is a FAKE M1915 Pickelhaube Chinstrap (M1915: Metal parts are gray steel; M1895: Metal parts are brass; same logic as for their Pickelhaube counterparts).
Hey Oct,
If you look at the top and second photo, you can see the back side of the chin strap, it looks as though the back of the strap is dyed the same colour as the front, this is a bad sign, as the originals should be only dyed on the front. As with all rules, this can be broken, if some one has messed with an original strap, or you encounter a reproduction that has been made correctly, but to me, this one does not look good.
Best
Gus
If you look at the top and second photo, you can see the back side of the chin strap, it looks as though the back of the strap is dyed the same colour as the front, this is a bad sign, as the originals should be only dyed on the front. As with all rules, this can be broken, if some one has messed with an original strap, or you encounter a reproduction that has been made correctly, but to me, this one does not look good.
Best
Gus