Soviet Tankists helmets.

[Nack]

Leather helmets came into vogue again towards the very end of the war when the "parade machine" cranked up again as victory became certain. They were still worn in parade in to the 1950's. I don't have much interest past that so I can't speak for later.

Mike

A-ha. When you say your helmet is "counterfeit," you mean a total fabrication, not post-war passed off as wartime, right?

[Belaruski]

There isn't specific staining to the sweatband area of the blue cloth, but the fold up peak/sweatband is grimy.

I 've seen a few small detail difference between mine and Mike's but I have to be honest if his is 100% fake I am concerned about mine now.

The buckle loops for example are rusty and pitted, and have permanently marked the leather. But a faker can use old fittings and materials.

The helmet doesn't really smell of anything though, just that mothbally air. At least it doesn't smell 'like leather'.

[Belaruski]

I think on the leather question, leather helmets and uniforms were always the preffered material due to their superior fire protection. The cloth materials were primarily cost savers when the Red Army tank forces increased in numbers in a very short space of time.

[Frontovik Mike]

A-ha. When you say your helmet is "counterfeit," you mean a total fabrication, not post-war passed off as wartime, right?

Yes this helmet and it's sisters are total fabrications... so by "counterfeit" I mean absolutely 100% new made within the last few years... Made to fool collectors... Made to deceive

This style of helmet was replaced by another version of the leather helmet that is essentially the same cut as the wartime cloth helmets. The early postwar leathers were more or less the same as this final prewar leather helmet. There is no postwar helmet of the style being discussed here.

[Frontovik Mike]

Other than mine, I have examined two other specimens in detail that were aquired from the same source. None of the three were exactly the same. They varied some in size and final shape. Not in the sense that the fakers were trying to model actual different sizes, but more along the line of them all being hand made and not mass produced. I would be very careful using minor detail differences to try and sort this one out.

What concerns me here is that the two helmets seem to have the same lingering dirt/mold/mildew on them and the snap hardware looks identical to me.

Anything you can tell us about the source of your helmet?

Mike

[Belaruski]

Mine came out of that T34 they pulled ou of an Estonian swamp

Just picked up at a militaria fair, not stupid money, and no story with it. I didn't know these were faked. I bought it about 6 years ago.

Like you say the press studs look the same, I remember seeing Ostfront's website had similar ones that were fakes, but they didn't have the little peak on them. (I still think it's a throw back to the 1930 design).

All things considered I don't know it's fake, but I couldn't in good conscience ever sell it as original now either.

[Frontovik Mike]

No, I think the guy who is making them crawled out of the Estonian swamp...

We, to be honest I had hoped your's was hands down something else completely. I have never seen one of this type other than the fakes. There is a huge knowledge void to be filled here. Who ever is making the fakes has a real one, or at least part of one.

FYI mine is from the same lot and the couple specimens that Ostfront sold. Sold above the table as repro/fakes that is.

Mike

[Takc]

Mike

Mike, why do you think it is a counterfeit? Who told you about this?

As for now, I am just asking.

[Frontovik Mike]

Mike, why do you think it is a counterfeit? Who told you about this?

As for now, I am just asking.

Takc,

Lets just say that the source these things came from pretty much told us what they were. That is all I am at liberty to say.

The one I post here is not original, this is certain.

Mike

Edited March 10, 2007 by Frontovik Mike