What is your favorite helmet?

[Louis]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to ask what everyone's favorite helmet is, pickelhaube or other, whatever era or regime.
Mine is Prince Alfons of Bavaria's personal field-grey ersatz helmet for officers. It was part of Karel's collection, I just thought it was so interesting, and also the form-fit canvas showed me just how advanced pickelhaube-making technology was back then.

 

[Khukri]

Yes indeed! I remember his Prinz Alfons display when visiting Karel years ago. Is this a Cork helmet? Even the stars. Fine craftsmanship. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Sandmann]

Mine is the M1889 officer helmet for the cuirassiers. I love the shining white metal and the golden applications. But the parade version of the GdC is also very spectacular.

 

[2nd.Leibhusar]

Difficult question Louis because there's so much choice...
But I'm a sucker for JzPf.helmets

 

[Peter B]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to ask what everyone's favorite helmet is, pickelhaube or other, whatever era or regime.
Mine is Prince Alfons of Bavaria's personal field-grey ersatz helmet for officers. It was part of Karel's collection, I just thought it was so interesting, and also the form-fit canvas showed me just how advanced pickelhaube-making technology was back then.

Funny how much effort they went to - to hide the helmet shiny bits - except the chin scales....

I have seen pictures of ones that are also covered though.

 

[Amybellars]

I have many fine helmets but this one holds a special place. It's my very first helmet that was given to me by my late husband as a birthday present. The helmet got me interested and started my haube mental illness.

 

[Sandmann]

Funny how much effort they went to - to hide the helmet shiny bits - except the chin scales....

I have seen pictures of ones that are also covered though.

With introduction of the M15 (or M16 in Bavaria) also officers should wear a chinstrap when a helmet cover was prescribed. But covering the chinscales seemed to have been tolerated too.

 

[John Josef]

Great topic.
My first love as a child was the great battles of the Napoleonic period and the uniforms ect... I won't bore anyone with the history of the units or battles that formed that interest, believe me I'm doing ya a favor LOL. I've always dreamed of owning several items from the period two are helmets.
One is the Saxon Garde du Corps:




The second is the Bavarian Garde du Corps 1814 but would settle for the same helm from the period of 1825 or 1832 if that was an option



Or this beauty



Or this version, from a bit later.




All of this are my personal dream helms and If I ever had to own just one helmet one of this would be it. I doubt that will ever be a choice I have to make. lol. There are few others from the Napoleonic period that I'd also love to own and I'm sure collectors who are familiar with the period would know what they are. If the thread was limited to Pickelhauben I would have posted a different answer. Happy hunting John

 

[NON YX]

It's got to be the STAHLHELM for me.(only M16/17 M18)
This pohto in my collection
I really, really like it
In old photos. They have a different feel to me

 

[2nd.Leibhusar]

Oehhhh a squar dip !!

 

[Amybellars]

Oehhhh a squar dip !!

Sharp eye..I didn't notice it

 

[Khukri]

Kürassier-Regiment Kaiser Nikolaus I. von Rußland (Brandenburgisches) Nr. 6. Would like to find one. Other Ranks would be fine!

 

[SCHUPO]

An open ended loaded question sure to bring out some interesting helmets. Erich Radecke, "Polizei-Abzeichen Helme - Heraldik - Historie" 1.Band - bis 1918 talks about this Zittau Polizei helmet on page 56 of his book. He shows the helmet star that is on my helmet with the gilt emblem of Zittau backed with green leather placed on a Neusilber police star insignia. My helmet has a black leather body with Neusilber fittings as shown on other similar Sachsische kommunalen Polizei helmets. The spike is the short ball topped spike with a pearl ring at the base as seen on other municipal German Police spike helmets of the period. The spike base has four lobes secured with plain bolts. The chinstrap is leather covered with flat scalloped scales with a distinctive screw-bolt fastening. The interesting red and white cockades are the same on both sides and are in the city colors of Zittau instead of the state colors of Saxony. This is correct for Saxon City Police helmets according to Radecke.

My pick is a very nice example of a City Police (Stadtpolizei) helmet.

 

[michiel]

My favorite helmet: as said quite a difficult question,
earlier I told about a ordinary EM reserve Prussian pickelhaube I was offered by a colleague (anesthesiologist) that was found by on orphan (his father) under the roof of an orphanage in Belgium and when the guy was an adult he left the orphanage with the haube as his only possession, I can't attach a photo as the haube is in Belgium in our holiday home,
I will always keep that helmet but it is not my favorite,
I have a lot of favorites, but if I have to choose: I am very fond of tschapka's and the Hanoverian Ulan regiment with the ornamented guard plate is in my opinion the most beautiful, I will settle for that one:

 

[b.loree]

One of my favourite helmets, a Garde Infantry Officer:

I have owned this helmet since the mid 90’s. Obviously, this is a wartime production piece with zinc chin scales. The spike and wappen however, are pre war quality brass. The helmet was purchased by me from the grand nephew of the CN medial officer who originally brought it back after WW1. This individual lived in a small Ontario town called Kincardine on the shores of Lake Huron. My parents who are both deceased lived there for over 30 years. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would find a helmet from this small town .

One scale is missing obviously but the rest of the helmet is near perfect.

The silk liner is in excellent condition.

Another favourite JR 115. Again I have owned this for decades and it came out of British Columbia CN. The fittings were stained a brownish colour from nicotine. The spike top was missing as well as the kokarden and I had to restitch the front visor. I first saw one of these on the cover of Lacarde’s vol. 1 and I never thought that I would own one. However, the lesson here is that you never know what will come your way when collecting these helmets.

 

[Peter B]

One of my favourite helmets, a Garde Infantry Officer:
View attachment 36986
I have owned this helmet since the mid 90’s. Obviously, this is a wartime production piece with zinc chin scales. The spike and wappen however, are pre war quality brass. The helmet was purchased by me from the grand nephew of the CN medial officer who originally brought it back after WW1. This individual lived in a small Ontario town called Kincardine on the shores of Lake Huron. My parents who are both deceased lived there for over 30 years. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would find a helmet from this small town .
View attachment 36987
One scale is missing obviously but the rest of the helmet is near perfect.
View attachment 36988
The silk liner is in excellent condition.
View attachment 36989
Another favourite JR 115. Again I have owned this for decades and it came out of British Columbia CN. The fittings were stained a brownish colour from nicotine. The spike top was missing as well as the kokarden and I had to restitch the front visor. I first saw one of these on the cover of Lacarde’s vol. 1 and I never thought that I would own one. However, the lesson here is that you never know what will come your way when collecting these helmets.

Wow!

 

[KAGGR#1]

My favorite helmet: as said quite a difficult question,
earlier I told about a ordinary EM reserve Prussian pickelhaube I was offered by a colleague (anesthesiologist) that was found by on orphan (his father) under the roof of an orphanage in Belgium and when the guy was an adult he left the orphanage with the haube as his only possession, I can't attach a photo as the haube is in Belgium in our holiday home,
I will always keep that helmet but it is not my favorite,
I have a lot of favorites, but if I have to choose: I am very fond of tschapka's and the Hanoverian Ulan regiment with the ornamented guard plate is in my opinion the most beautiful, I will settle for that one:

I agree with Michiel
U R 13 IMO is the best of the Uhlans
Here are my two
Steve

 

[KAGGR#1]

One of my favourite helmets, a Garde Infantry Officer:
View attachment 36986
I have owned this helmet since the mid 90’s. Obviously, this is a wartime production piece with zinc chin scales. The spike and wappen however, are pre war quality brass. The helmet was purchased by me from the grand nephew of the CN medial officer who originally brought it back after WW1. This individual lived in a small Ontario town called Kincardine on the shores of Lake Huron. My parents who are both deceased lived there for over 30 years. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would find a helmet from this small town .
View attachment 36987
One scale is missing obviously but the rest of the helmet is near perfect.
View attachment 36988
The silk liner is in excellent condition.
View attachment 36989
Another favourite JR 115. Again I have owned this for decades and it came out of British Columbia CN. The fittings were stained a brownish colour from nicotine. The spike top was missing as well as the kokarden and I had to restitch the front visor. I first saw one of these on the cover of Lacarde’s vol. 1 and I never thought that I would own one. However, the lesson here is that you never know what will come your way when collecting these helmets.

The I R 115 is super
Here is my shot
Steve

 

[b.loree]

My thanks for your kind comments everyone. Pete, the pieces that you have found on Kijiji amazes me. Steve, that 115 filz helme is an absolute killer!

 

[dixmude 14]

Le 115 feutre est superbe