(Salty pickelhaube)New Pictures

O

Oct

New member
This is my first pickelhaube
Some parts are missing like the leather inside and
also the splitpins of the helmetplate are missing(i wonder how they attached the plate)
But the price was very attractive
I don't heave better pictures at the moment.
All opinions/first impressions about the helmet are welcome.
Also, i don't know the exact type of the helmet and by whom it was worn.

thank you very much!
regards
oct



 
Welcome to the forum Oct,
The plate (Wappen) should have two wire loops on the back that go through the two holes on the front of the helmet, the Wappen is held there with two small leather wedges, that are about a inch long and ¼ inch wide at the big end down to a point, they are run through the loops to hold the Wappen on.
Best
Gus
 
Welcome to the forum! Thank you for posting your picture. Yes that is very salty and if you will continue collecting you will not want helmets of the same condition. However! There is nothing nothing in my opinion that will help you learn than putting your hands on one. Your ability to handle and inspect things will pay many many dividends. Especially since it sounds like you got this for very little. So you can play with it, look at it, use it for learning which will only lead to more questions. Your need for reference books will explode and at least you have something to compare it to. So my 1st impression is that this is exactly a good inexpensive vehicle to help you learn.

The other piece of congratulations is that you ask questions here and have not been afraid to post. This is free and there are a huge number of experienced individuals who can answer some pretty mundane questions. Always tremendous to ask the question before you buy the item. How many times have we seen someone lay down a large amount of money for something that turns out to be an embarrassment. I know I have done it before this forum was available. Congratulations and welcome to the addiction! This :army:
 
Hello Oct and welcome to the Forum.

I think Joe pretty much summed it up; you'll soon discover how beneficial it is to be part of the :army: on this great Forum.

To answer your initial question, it looks to me like you've got one very salty Other Ranks/Enlisted Man (EM) PRUSSIAN Pickelhaube. If the wappen (eagle plate), the spike and the rest of the metal fittings are gray, then this is definitely a wartime model (M1915). If the metal fittings are made of brass, then it would be the previous model (M1895). It is not only missing the inner (leather) liner but also the (leather) chinstrap and the National & Prussian EM kokarden (cockades).

The Prussian M1915 EM Pickelhaube was my first spike helmet and it was rather salty--not as much as yours though--before I bought it, but with some TLC and the addition of a leather chinstrap and a pair of EM cockades, it became a not-so-bad first pickelhaube.

See here for BEFORE & AFTER photos: http://www.pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5807" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Hallo guys
Thanks for the nice welcoming words.
It seems there is great knowledge on this forum!

Wel i don't heave a real intention for collecting minty pickelhaubes, i metal detect for war relics in general mainly in Flanders fields & the ardennes.
The only thing i was missing was a pickelhaube,
So i bougt this one from an antique dealer who thought it didn't fit in his
shop for a very low price.

I only wanna own an original peace of history and
I know the one i bought is very very salty and not complete but it gives me
a been there feeling.
So when it isn't messed up I'm very satisfied with it.
That's all i want
But i do understand a real pickelhaube collector wouldn't be satisfied with such a helmet.

But i post better pictures as soon as possible.

Thank you very much for your nice replies!
Regards
Oct
 
Welcome to the forum and you will find out that it was a good decision to join.

Regards,

Edwin
 
Tony without Kaiser said:
Oct said:
//i do understand a real pickelhaube collector wouldn't be satisfied with such a helmet.
Click to expand...

You are a real Pickehaube collector. You now own a real Pickelhaube. Congratulations. =D> Few do.
Click to expand...
Tony is right, like it or not, you are one of us now, and there is no cure. Your salty Haube is 100 times better than any reproduction, and it you find more Pickelhauben in your home, this one can always be a great model for an Überzug:)
Best
Gus
 
Congratulations on getting your first one. As mentioned above, collecting helmets can be addictive...very addictive.
 
Yes, the "first" one is always "THE ONE" in a collection, the beginning, the key of the own collecting adventure. No matter how it is looking like, the intention and the very personal symbol value is precious!!
Philippe :salute:
 
I must admit it is really attractive, a pickelhaube!
even in this condition!
Ok
Today i was able to take some better pictures.
The helmet is more complete than i thought, but the chinstrap is unfortunately a repro.
I wonder what you guys think of it, very salty but originall?












 
Now i heave a few questions i would like to ask.

I think the chinstrap and all the metal on it is repro?
Should i Look for an original replacement?, where should i find a good one? ebay?

the helmet plate is definitely glued on the helmet and out of the correct position,
what should i do? solder some loops/hooks on the back of it, so i can attach it like it should be with small leather strabs on the inside of the helmet? or should i look for a good original replacement?

What's the best way to clean/preserve this helmet?

Thank you all!

regards
oct
 
Indeed, the chinstrap seems repro and I am not sure about the cockades either. But all the other parts seem authenthic to me. Personally, I would not clean the helmet too much, except from removing some dust. Cleaning a delicate pickelhaube always bears a high risk of damaging it further. In addition, I would be reluctant to touch the wappen either even though its glued to the helmet because removing it and replacing it is not a simple task and requires expert-knowledge about pickelhaubes. However, this knowledge is absolutely available here on this forum and if you really aim for this you can find correct M15 wappens at ebay or via online dealers such as age of kings.

Best regards,

Edwin
 
Welcome to the forum! Indeed, many of us started by purchasing 'just one for the collection' and... well, the result is a nice collection of 'spikes'!
I agree 100% with Edwin, don't fuss with it at the risk of doing more damage. Now, if, in the future, the plate releases and falls off (the Wappen that is), then it would be time to consider soldering loops onto it.
Here's what I see: A lot of finish is missing (the lacquer), but trying to fix it may do more damage than good. So, like Edwin said, a gentle dusting would be good. Also, the stitching seems to be very sturdy (remember never to lift it by the visor or neck guard) and the shape is nice. Missing liner? Don't worry about it, it's gone. It's up to you if you want to find an original strap or not. The hardware on this one looks to be the correct thickness (not always the case with new repros) and though not original displays well.
Also, to me it looks as if somebody painted the spike silver, am I reading the photos correctly? I don't know if I could live with that on one of my helmets... if there's paint inside of the bayonet mount portion of the spike, I'd try a little thinner to see how it removes. FOR ME, I'd work on looking for ways to remove the paint. However, it's another case of weighing the damage that may be done by removing the it.
If you keep collecting, which you will, I agree that this will display well with other artifacts or under an uberzug. :)

:D Ron
 
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