The Humble M91 Side Post

b.loree

b.loree

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As a restoration person, I have assembled a number of parts in my travels. Here is a little foto essay on the parts and some of the variations of the famous M91 side post. (Photos replaced Jan. 2020)
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The basic parts of the M91 post all of which are soldered together. Lacking any official descriptors of the parts, I will make up my own: the tin backing plate, the post head, the wire prongs, the "V" point and the center post, the tines which, are bent back over the backing plate. Note that the one center post in this pic has the V point remaining while the other does not. This style slid into a slot in the post head of some M91 models.
Four variations of the M91 post head, there are probably more and another reason why, my fellow collectors that $250 original Ebay chin strap won't fit on your hat!!:
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The back side:
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Another very unusual M91 variation which I will call the "stitch on" M91. This came off an M15 Garde scrapper. The other post was the usual M91. This was stitched on to the shell with heavy duty cotton un dyed thread. Note the lack of detail compared to the other posts shown here.
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Thanks for starting a interesting set of threads! The variation in pickelhaubes and their parts still amazes me after several years of collecting. Its never safe to generalize on these matters.

Regards,

Edwin
 
Hmmm...have not seen that on military hauben. Anyone have a picture? I do know that it is common on Bavarians to have only one wire prong plus the centre post holding the post on the shell. All others have the typical 2 wire prong set up.
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A selection of M15 posts showing the subtle differences that can be encountered.
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The simpler wide brad side post.
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The helmet from which these came.
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Photos replaced Jan 2020.
 
see this thread for an example of an issue Prussian helmet having M91 side lugs with wide split tabs.

http://www.pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8200&p=54720#p54720" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Very useful thread Brian! :thumb up:
There's a couple more examples down this thread: http://www.pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6456&hilit=Prussian+Infantry+Officer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/scarce-Luftschiffer-Bavarian-tshako-original-Air-force-/271226712348?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f265f311c" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Split post tabs on a shako.
 
Thanks for this very informative post Brian. I spent an hour in line at my local post office today reading through your threads on side-posts, spines, cockades, even spike discs.

I do have a question about the M91 side-posts. From this photo, I don't understand how the pieces fit together:

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Specifically, how does the center-post with the "V" (on the right, above the piece of wire) fit with the overall M91 side-post, which seems to have the "V" as an integral part (below)?

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Maybe I just need to get my hands on one of these to understand, but I've read through Kaiser's Bunker and this site, and I can't quite get it yet. Any help you can give me will be gratefully received.
 
Not a problem Trevor, I will try to explain and you are correct, the fact that as yet, you do not have one/a set, is the crux of the matter. The "V" point column with its split brad ends fits into a slot in the head of the M 91 post. This column (for lack of a better word....perhaps tube???) along with the wires are soldered into the M 91 post head. One of the posts on your helmet still has the "V" tube remaining but the M 91 post heads are gone. So lets now think of the M 91 post, as a solid soldered unit...we have have "Mr. V tube" with split tangs on the tube end , 2 wire prongs and the M 91 post head. There are 3 holes in each side of your helmet, a big one for the end of the "V" tube and 2 small ones for the wire prongs. In manufacture, the tube with its split tangs, is inserted in its hole along with the wire prongs. Next, a tin washer (shown in my pics here) is placed over over each of these 3 and the tangs plus wire prongs are bent over to lock the M 91 post against the helmet shell. There are pics here on the forum of the inside of a side post locked into position. Hope this helps.
 
Well Trevor, your excellent questions have got me looking at the pictures again and re thinking. There are actually 5 parts to the humble M 91 post: the post head, the "V" ring, the tube with split tangs and the wire prongs. If memory serves, on your helmet you have a tang tube on one side and on the other a tube with V ring.
 
Here's a totally "newby" question. How was the Kokarde kept in place by the M91 side post?
I can see how on some Pickelhauben a Rosette would hold the Kokarde in place with prongs, but what about the M91?
Does this have anything to do with magnets??
(Just kidding about the magnets) :D
 
Tarquin, there were M91 kokarden that had a "V" cut out in the side of the hole punched for the post. This was matched up to the "V" point on the post then slipped on then moved. The "V" point on the post helped lock the kokade on. We have a kokarden thread here in this section so you can see pics of this type of kokarde. I think we have established that the Prussian tin kit helmets all had these "V" kokarden originally. The Saxons also used this kokade. It has been my experience, that only these 2 states used the "V" cut out kokade but if any other member has one from an additional state, I would like to see it.
 
i have one tin blech pickelhaube and it has those v-cut cocardes and these arr pruisian ones
did not even know that these special ones existed until i buyed this helmet
is there a reason known that only pruisian an sachsen used these cocardes and not the other states
or should differend manufacturers be the answor

jonas
 
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