I think that it is time for me to start publishing photo essays ( a new replacement phrase for "thread") of my collector restoration projects. This one is unique in my experience as, I have never worked on this type of helmet before. It is not military but has some unique characteristics which deserve to be brought to the attention of my collector friends around the world on this forum. The police and military in any society are never very far apart and this helmet is proof of this. Some before pictures:
Obviously, the front visor needs a restitch, note also, the missing scale on the left chin scale and the fact that the backing is broken allowing the end portion to flop around. It is a wonder that the end part of the scale lasted. By all rights, it should have broken off and been lost. The chin scales and liner of this piece suffer from red rot which is due to lack of humidity in the place that this old beauty was kept over the years.
Next a side view showing that the rear visor also needs restitching...there is approx 3 inches of loose visor on the left side, the whole thing needs to be fixed so that this piece survives intact for another 100 years.
The interior showing several things: The liner with red rot, see how the black dye finish has flaked off the liner, brass eyelets in the liner tongues, the brass prongs holding the lions head chin scale bosses on to the shell and a small leather wedge holding the spike base brad on to the helmet. This piece has a unique system for holding the spike base on, one I have never seen before. The wappen as seen, was held on by a piece of thin bamboo through the loops, again unusual.
Another interior close up:
Another interior view showing how the spike base brads have loops soldered to them whith leather wedges holding the base to the shell, different , once again. In addition, only 3 spike base brads, not 4 as on any cruciform military helme. Nothing holding the front arm of the base to the helme. To be continued.
Obviously, the front visor needs a restitch, note also, the missing scale on the left chin scale and the fact that the backing is broken allowing the end portion to flop around. It is a wonder that the end part of the scale lasted. By all rights, it should have broken off and been lost. The chin scales and liner of this piece suffer from red rot which is due to lack of humidity in the place that this old beauty was kept over the years.
Next a side view showing that the rear visor also needs restitching...there is approx 3 inches of loose visor on the left side, the whole thing needs to be fixed so that this piece survives intact for another 100 years.
The interior showing several things: The liner with red rot, see how the black dye finish has flaked off the liner, brass eyelets in the liner tongues, the brass prongs holding the lions head chin scale bosses on to the shell and a small leather wedge holding the spike base brad on to the helmet. This piece has a unique system for holding the spike base on, one I have never seen before. The wappen as seen, was held on by a piece of thin bamboo through the loops, again unusual.
Another interior close up:
Another interior view showing how the spike base brads have loops soldered to them whith leather wedges holding the base to the shell, different , once again. In addition, only 3 spike base brads, not 4 as on any cruciform military helme. Nothing holding the front arm of the base to the helme. To be continued.
