What a Doughnut!

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At the risk of opening old wounds, would anyone care to comment on this expired listing....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6612679191&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

...and place it within the context of this debate?

http://www.pickelhaubes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5798&highlight=#5798

The hole where the spike once reposed appears far larger than the customary diameter.

Chas.
 
Hi Chas,
I do not see any problems with this Haube. other than it lacks the spike, base chin strap and cockades, It looks to be a rather nice M1915 in a small size. We can have the buyer post som photos when he recieves it to further discus it.
Gus
 
Hi Gus:

Thanks for piping up. What intrigues me most about the helmet is a spike base designed not to have a spike. This is an M15 helmet, but there is no way that base was ever fitted with a bayonet mount, or a spike, for that matter. If you compare it with M15 Pickelhauben in your collection, you'll see what I mean.

It's an interesting specimen to ponder.

Chas.
 
Hi Chas,
My first impression was that during the stamping process of forming the base, it was weakened at the shoulder of the inner ring and that the inner part fractured off leaving it as it is, It will be great if Fg42 can post some more photos and his opinion when it arrives.
Gus
 
I was really watching this one, and almost put in a bid to get it! I agree with Chas, this one is interesting, condition is great, but looks like it never had a spike?

Another ersatz example?
 
Hi James:

I'm afraid I don't subscribe to Gus' interpretation. Tony has provided excellent pictures of the round M15 spike and base:

http://www.kaisersbunker.com/pe/m1915.htm

Every M15 base in my collection has this same raised center. The eBay base does not.

I think the eBay example is unique and purpose made to be as it appears. However, what that purpose was intended to be is our X factor.

It is possible this is a partial base for an M15 Tschapka. If so, the addition of it to a Pickelhaube could mean a post war Liberty Loan prize assembly.

Chas.
 
We have the maker's mark!
Flehr.jpg


I am the minority guy and like Brian believe in the outside support ring. This helmet I think is nothing more than put together. Had it been worn, the rain would go in the top. I have many pictures of no spikes like this Saxon but all with bases like this.
saxonnospike.jpg
 
epsomgreen said:
It is possible this is a partial base for an M15 Tschapka. If so, the addition of it to a Pickelhaube could mean a post war Liberty Loan prize assembly.
Click to expand...

Good a guess as any. What-ever it is, it is certainly missing the center. Absolutely no way a soldier would wear anything with a big hole on the top in the field. Anyone who thinks so has obviously never been a soldier. Joe, your photo, could that be a Private-Purchae helmet with the spike top removed in that photo?
 
Hi all,
I am going to stand by my frist impression, I am aware that all m15 spike bases have a raised center, I guess that I did not make myself clear, but I believe that this is and example that suffered metal fatigue during the stamping process, and the raised center portion had fractured at the sharp bend in the area where the raised center comes up from the flat base. It will be interesting if fg42 can let us know if the center of the flat plate on top of the helmet is cut of fractured.
Gus
 
Joe: It looks like the guy in the photo is from IR103. If that is the case the helmet in the photo is most likely a private purchase piece as issue helmets from the 103rd did not have screw off spikes.

Reservist1
 
R1 True! But it also could be M15 tw2ist off. Tough to tell. I'm with Gus and would like to see more pictures.
 
Joe: It certainly could be an M15 with the spike removed. I thought about that when I first looked at the photo. What gives me second thoughts is that the top is the spikebase visible in the photo looks very flat across the top. The top of the M15 base is very much convex. Additionally, the vent hole that is visible looks round. The vent holes in an M15 base are pretty large ovals. One thing is certain, we will probably never know for sure what model helmet is under the cover.
 
Hi Joe and R1,
I believe that the helmet in Joe's photo is an M15, there is not enough of the hole (vent) visable to tell if it is round or oval, and the "spike base" visible in the hoto is the seam around the spike hole in the Überzeug that has curled up to give that impression. Everything in Joe's photo would lead me to date it post 1915
Gus
 
Gustaf said:
//the "spike base" visible in the hoto is the seam around the spike hole in the Überzeug that has curled up to give that impression.
Click to expand...
Yes, that is the seam around the spike hole, but why it is sticking up so high? A M15 spike lug is very short. This seems to be sticking up well above the outline of the shell of the helmet as it curves up on both sides.
 
Its an M1915 2 piece Uberzuge with re-movable spike cover (notice the flaps on each side of the helmet in the photo for the chinstrap to pass through). This particular version (but not all M1915's) had a very large "donut" ring on the top. In the photo, its just the way the cover is sitting on the helmet. I have an identical example in my collection.. will try to post some photo's over the next couple of days. If I shoot the image at the same angle.... I should be able duplicate the same view as what you see in the picture. I'm going to go shoot some pics of it now!
 
This M15 has wierd stampings on it what unit is R25 ?
As for the photo and private puchse ,was that up to the individual soldier ? issued means issued . Is it possible that the photo studio provided the haube ,as the photo may have been taken vet late in the war?
Don't mean to be so ofront just rambling off questions.
Mark .G.
 
Here's what I mean.. I took one photo with-out the spike at sort of the same angle as the period image, you can get the idea. Will get a better close-up photo of the "donut" later... Sorry about the watermarks, but If I don't some crook will have it listed on e-bay in 5 minutes :D

29thRgt.jpg
 
joerookery said:
Now that is well done even a dummy like me got it. Thanks! Nice uberzug too!
Click to expand...
Hey Joe,
Don't put your self down, you are not as dumb as you look.
Gus
 
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