Picklehaube 1916

[Helmetcrazy]

Hello everyone,

I am a new member on this forum. Some of you may recognize me from another. Thought I would share my first and only (for now) Picklehaube.

The leather is in super condition for its age. Cockades and chinstrap looks to be original in my opinion although I was very unsure at first.

Please enjoy.

Joey

[Helmetcrazy]

And the other side.

[Helmetcrazy]

Front

[Helmetcrazy]

Liner

Notice the leather is in excellent condition.

[Helmetcrazy]

Depot stamp dating this Huabe to 1916

Joey

Edited August 16, 2005 by Helmetcrazy

[Helmetcrazy]

I am sorry. I made a mistake in the title of this thread. I had a 1914 EKII in front of me and typed that date instead.

Joey

[Guest Rick Research]

Fixed date!

I always like to see spiked helmets etc since these are among the vast numbers of things I know absolutely nothing about and always like to learn more.

Are 1916 dated leather ones quite scarce? I thought the ugly tin and weird pressed felt Ersatz ones had come in by then, just as steel helmets began to be issued.

Are there any regimental issue marks on this piece?

[Helmetcrazy]

Fixed date! 

I always like to see spiked helmets etc since these are among the vast numbers of things I know absolutely nothing about and always like to learn more. 

Are 1916 dated leather ones quite scarce? I thought the ugly tin and weird pressed felt Ersatz ones had come in by then, just as steel helmets began to be issued.

Are there any regimental issue marks on this piece?

←

Thank you for the fixed date. I believe they should be scarce. You are right the ersatz came into play around this time. Right around the embargo of leather goods. There is another stamp on the inside but it is to faint to see or take a photo. I believe it could be the regiment stamp. I could learn a little more on these myself. My main focus of collecting is steel helmets.

All the best,

Joey

[joerookery]

Thank you for the fixed date. I believe they should be scarce. You are right the ersatz came into play around this time. Right around the embargo of leather goods. There is another stamp on the inside but it is to faint to see or take a photo. I believe it could be the regiment stamp. I could learn a little more on these myself. My main focus of collecting is steel helmets.

All the best,

Joey

←

I too am new to this forum, and I thought I would weigh in. I have done a lot of work on ersatz recently and it is a fascinating topic.

The old conventional thought was that the M 95 brass pickelhaubes were followed by M 15 steel gray pickelhaubes (as you ran out of brass) which were followed by Ersatz helmets (as you ran out of leather) and then eventually in came the steel helmets or stahlhelm.  That is the wrong idea.  However, it is ingrained in the collecting community despite the fact that it is well indicated in several references.

By September of 1914 the demand for helmets started to outstrip the existing supply.  Making a leather helmet, took a long time with curing of the helmet and production facilities.  What was needed were quick helmets to be issued to reserve component soldiers as they moved towards the front.  Between September 1914 and March 1915, all sorts of Ersatz methods were used to equip millions of German soldiers.  In June of 1915, the M15 type helmet was introduced and demand had been sated in the production of leather helmets.  Ersatz models were only used for reservists back home after that.  The steel Frankenstein helmet was introduced in 1916, in a slow process, where reservists back home still could use pickelhauben. 

I have an old article on this at http://www.coljs.com/articles/ersatzarticle.htm.

I hope this is of some interest. It certainly has been to me!

[Tony]

Cockades and chinstrap looks to be original in my opinion although I was very unsure at first.

Joey

Is there a sure way of telling if cockades are original apart from an obvious new paint job?

I have a Saxon cockade whereby the white paint looks good to me but the green appears a little fresh.

I really like ersatz spiked helmets, I only have 2 and if I had the money to get another I'd go for a tin pickelhaube.

Tony

[joerookery]

Is there a sure way of telling if cockades are original apart from an obvious new paint job?

Good question and I say no. Many will say they can tell and certainly certain fakes stand out but the good ones and the real thing are tough. There was once a quiz on the old pickelhaubes forum that everyone flunked. Some folks did better than others but a sure way.....

I'd go for a tin pickelhaube

I have heard this term forever but I am coming to the conclusion it is just slang. I think what we have is very thin steel not tin. I know there were some test aluminum models made.

[Tony]

I have heard this term forever but I am coming to the conclusion it is just slang. I think what we have is very thin steel not tin.  I know there were some test aluminum models made.

←

Slang indeed.

Steel helmets are usually referred to as tin hats well, they are in SE London.

Tony

[Tony]

This is the cockade in question.

The green looks a little fresh to me. Were they brush painted or sprayed?

Tony

[joerookery]

Were they brush painted or sprayed?

Both, as well as dipped. This one does not look so good to me sorry. But remember I might well be wrong.

[Tony]

I found it a little suspect too.

It could have been done 30 years ago (I've had it 17 years), 20 years ago or have been tied to a tree in the garden for a year but at least my gut feeling was probably right.

Thanks for your opinion!

Tony