The Leather Chin Strap

[joerookery]

Great story! :thumb up:

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

Good stuff, thanks for sharing!

james

 

[Gustaf]

Sorry for join in this post late, but I'm new to the forum. I'm old enough to have known veterans and interviewed a few. My wife's Uncle had served in IR123 1916-1918. In one of my conversations with him I asked about helmets and we did talk a little about chin straps. According to him, there was a period when they were only issued the steel helmets upon entering the trenches. That there was a depot set up just behind the lines where they would draw helmets upon entering their tour in the trenches. Once their tour was over and they were sent back to the rear area, they would turn in the helmets. In the rear area they would wear the pickelhaube. He claimed that there was a shortage of chin straps and they were required to remove the strap from the pickelhaube and use it on the steel helmet and then switch it back again. He stated that the chin straps became a very guarded items by the soldiers.
I do remember seeing a steel helmet (M-16) that had cockades attached to the post under the strap. It was in the collection of a gentleman who began collecting in the 1930s. He claimed that it was a battlefield pick up and came with the cockades.

There is logic in that story, as when the chin strap is removed, the Kockarden will fall off, and what better way to keep track of them then on the chin strap posts on the M16

 

[b.loree]

A really great story indeed, nothing like original accounts from veterans. Veterans from either side. I think that it is obvious, that kokarden could easily be lost and chin straps easily broken.

 

[aicusv]

Often wondered if this switching of that straps may have been why so many helmets had them missing.

After reading about chin straps, I went and looked at some of the straps (and parts of them)) in my collection. I have at least two that stitched with only 3 holes and two that are riveted. Of the riveted both are done using different rivets. I don't like handling the chin straps too much, as they are showing their age.

 

[b.loree]

Ironic really that chin straps are so scarce and valuable today ($250) and even during the war they were a scarce guarded item. Another irony...the Brits as well had their steel hats initially issued as trench stores because of the initial shortage of production.....just as described above with the Germans. Obviously, the German design was better as shown by the profile of American and Canadian helmets used today. The Brit helme of WW1 was based on a Medieval design for infantry and archers.

 

[RON]

Closeups of the neusilber M1895 chinstrap that came with my Kaiserliche Schutzmannschaft Polizeiwachtmeister Pickelhaube:

 

[b.loree]

That is a great helmet and chin strap Ron! God only knows how much that strap would go for on Ebay on its own! The neusilber/white metal straps are extreeeeemely rare. Congrats.

 

[RON]

Thanks Brian. I knew you would love this addition to your post.

The helmet comes from Tony Cowan along with the spare Reichs NCO Cockade (near mint) and the Prussian Feldzeichen. Was quite lucky to find these, both from a trustworthy source!

However, the helmet's liner isn't in great shape; you can see it flaking like it's autumn and the outside shell was repainted somehow but still it's a very nice piece and I simply love that colonial Reichsadler as I mentioned many times already

 

[edwin]

Dear all,

After nearly a year I finally obtained a M15 chinstrap through ebay to complete my M15 pickelhaube. Its certainly not in mint condition because the metal parts have rusted and the leather is quite brittle but overall it goes well with my haube. Additionally, I have noticed that the leather of this strap is considerbly thinner relative to the standard M95 strap.


IMG_8501

IMG_8512

IMG_8497

Regards,

Edwin

 

[b.loree]

I have a similar thin one Edwin, I think its another example of trying to save on leather or perhaps use another different type of animal hide?? I also have a partial strap that is thinner in width as well. It has only one M91 fitting left which is riveted.

 

[aicusv]

I have a couple of very late made helmets, that also have very thin leather straps. Appears that as the war continued the quality of the straps dropped off.

 

[Jeff B.]

Regarding the variations in leather chin straps, when were the plain brown leather chins traps introduced and on which Pickelhaube were they generally found? Was the un-dyed leather simply a cost and time saving measure as the war progressed?

 

[b.loree]

Welcome Jeff, unfortunately, I have no answers to those questions.

 

[aicusv]

Regarding the variations in leather chin straps, when were the plain brown leather chins traps introduced and on which Pickelhaube were they generally found? Was the un-dyed leather simply a cost and time saving measure as the war progressed?

I have one that has a 1916 date, it is on a felt helm.

 

[poniatowski]

... Obviously, the German design was better as shown by the profile of American and Canadian helmets used today. The Brit helme of WW1 was based on a Medieval design for infantry and archers.

Also, the English saw the greatest threat to safety as being falling objects such as shrapnel or even rocks. Their thought was also that their helmet would provide superior overhead protection, but they ended up with an unwieldy piece of headgear. Maybe they'd have had better luck if they'd retained the deeper design of the medieval helmets. Anyway, it's amazing they kept that jaunty, but nearly useless bit of helmetry into 1944. I'm sure everybody here knows the M1 (steel pot) was designed from earlier prototypes derived directly from the German design (the US desired the same protection without the 'Germanic' shape).

I doubt that many would argue against the German steel helmet as he best design of WWI.

Ron

 

[aicusv]

It is my understanding that the US went with the "Tin hat" over the "Liberty Bell" design, due to the Liberty bell's profile was too close the German's.

 

[pickelhauben]

It has been over 2 years since anybody has posted on this subject .
I am sure that most of you know but there is an easy way to tell if your strap hardware is real or fake.
The buckles should have a rounded relief to them rather than a strait cut when stamped out.
Brass and steel .
The center of the buckle will be stamped out a little lower than the out side part
The front of buckle ( center) will look recessed and the back stepped out.
Maybe on the LATE WAR buckles this may not be true but of all the original buckles I have this is the case.

Scroll up to Ron's pictures and you can see what I am talking about

 

[argonne]

The one Officer's helmet I have is an M1915, it has the same chin strap as the OR's. the only difference is that it has officer's Kockarden and an inscription of the owner's name and rank in the liner.

Gus,
I am thinking this helmet is a quite normal M15 EM helmet. The cockade on it is a Portepee Unteroffizier one (Vizefeldwebel and Feldwebel ranks) with a single center ring (not double as for officer cockades). Such ranks always wore an EM helmet! It would be great to see the owner´s name and his rank in the liner! As the bavarian Kriegsstammrollen have not been destroyed, I could check the military carreer of this guy.

Here you have a typical M15 officer helmet with all of its particularities:





Philippe
:wink:

 

[b.loree]

Great pics of a classic example of the Officer M15 helmet. Excellent! :thumb up: