That's my lot!

[Spasm]

Right, this is my very last restoration on a helmet that has been welded, chromed or painted in some bitumen or house gloss paint! Our patio doors have been ruined by me grinding too close to them, my wrists are burnt from paint stripper and I'm fed up with sanding filler and welds that people just can't do right.

That's my lot on bringing back dead helmets that a carrot has painted with hammerite or covered in some oily gunk. If you have a relic helmet, leave it alone, keep it dry, it'll be fine. It's lasted 70 - 100 years in the ground, your shelf will be a relief for it.

I'm off to soak my hands in some cold water and have a lay down. 

[Spasm]

[Tony]

Pour yourself a cup of concrete mate

[Spasm]

Yes, probably right but it's still annoying. 

[Jock Auld]

How do you rate this guys work?  

A lot of alarm and dispondancy over there especially now Doug has done one and sold up.

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7484498#post7484498

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182215403437?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[Tony]

If you mean does it look authentic I’d say the way the box is made seems too cheap and flimsy looking for something made back in the 40s however, the labels look the part.

As for the helmet well, I’m not a 3^rd Reich collector and can’t tell a modern made WWII style German helmet from an original, let alone all the ins and outs of repro liners, chinstraps and rivets. It looks good but I don’t think it’s worth what he was asking. I suppose the price depends in the artist’s hourly rate.

The only thing that struck me about the paint is that it doesn’t look thick enough when comparing it to chips in Commonwealth and French WWII helmets. 

And WAF...... I got as far as the 3^rd post and remembered why I haven’t been there since joining this forum. It wouldn't surprise me if there was more fake German gear out there than original anyway.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Tony

[Spasm]

Like my Dad said once - "if you added up all the war films they'd last longer than the bloody war did."

As I said in one of my posts, there's no way I'd buy a camo helmet. I don't own any so called 'original' German helmets other than relics. The ones that are selling for £300 at militaria shows here are absolute rubbish, anything any good is up around a Grand. And $20,000 plus for a DAK Fallschirmjager that I've seen advertised is just madness. Why do you think there's fakes? Let the blokes who fork out for fantasy daggers complete their collection with AH's helmet. 

I like the helmet in the box. If it was real how much would it be worth? a lot more than $750. Whoever bought it has got himself something real nice for his display without having had his trousers pulled down. It's a low price for a dazzling piece given the time taken to produce it.  

 

[Tony]

How long do you think it'd take to paint it Steve compared with the time spent on a dazzling, attractive patriotic Mle. 15?

[Spasm]

The actual painting bit wouldn't take that long particularly compared with that outstanding Adrian. maybe a day or two compared to about 5 or 6 days.

Really depends on what you want.

Today's mission is 'Brooding soldier looking down on a simple cross in a poppy field with "Somme" written above' on a WW2 water bottle that has been supplied for the work. Crack on.  

Edited August 15, 2016 by Spasm

[Tony]

I knew I made the right choice

Don't forget to show the bottle when it's done.

[Jock Auld]

On 8/14/2016 at 17:52, Tony said:

If you mean does it look authentic I’d say the way the box is made seems too cheap and flimsy looking for something made back in the 40s however, the labels look the part.

As for the helmet well, I’m not a 3^rd Reich collector and can’t tell a modern made WWII style German helmet from an original, let alone all the ins and outs of repro liners, chinstraps and rivets. It looks good but I don’t think it’s worth what he was asking. I suppose the price depends in the artist’s hourly rate.

The only thing that struck me about the paint is that it doesn’t look thick enough when comparing it to chips in Commonwealth and French WWII helmets. 

And WAF...... I got as far as the 3^rd post and remembered why I haven’t been there since joining this forum. It wouldn't surprise me if there was more fake German gear out there than original anyway.

You just have to battle through the pages of drivil as there are some well informed people on there at times but it is hard work, I know what you mean.

22 hours ago, Spasm said:

Like my Dad said once - "if you added up all the war films they'd last longer than the bloody war did."

As I said in one of my posts, there's no way I'd buy a camo helmet. I don't own any so called 'original' German helmets other than relics. The ones that are selling for £300 at militaria shows here are absolute rubbish, anything any good is up around a Grand. And $20,000 plus for a DAK Fallschirmjager that I've seen advertised is just madness. Why do you think there's fakes? Let the blokes who fork out for fantasy daggers complete their collection with AH's helmet. 

I like the helmet in the box. If it was real how much would it be worth? a lot more than $750. Whoever bought it has got himself something real nice for his display without having had his trousers pulled down. It's a low price for a dazzling piece given the time taken to produce it.  

 

Steve,

I prefer your artistic pieces to his but you can't fault the bloke as he sells them and marks them as copies.  A lot of worried people out there at the moment that own camo helmets though, as you clearly state, so they should be!

Edited August 15, 2016 by Jock Auld

[Chris Boonzaier]

17 hours ago, Jock Auld said:

I prefer your artistic pieces to his but you can't fault the bloke as he sells them and marks them as copies.  A

I beg to differ bigtime.... he marks them in white paint as copies.... "Marked as a copy... nudge nudge... wink wink......small jar of paint remover included free..."

I would be happier to see the "Copy" engraved or deeply scratched on the inside.... he must know there are guys who remove the white paint within minutes of recieving it..

[Spasm]

We've stepped into that difficult area that we've tried to discuss before. One that I've thought about over the couple of years that I've been doing my thing with some paint and brushes. I'll try to keep my thinking short as pointing to the problems could fill a book no doubt.

There are a few areas here, discussing the replica/original rebuilds, restorations, fakes and then reselling, along with the continued questions of sourcing relics, historical value etc etc. 

The restored relics that are more hole than iron are easily recognisable as restorations no matter how good the work is to restore them. If the intention is to sell as a fully original item then the work becomes so difficult that it would be easier to manufacture a new one or using a good quality original. 

Using a good quality original item, adding paint/engraving/decal etc. to make into something that is more than it was originally will be carried out while the want is there. The effort in making these items requires great skill, experience and a lot of resource. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to mark these items to stop them being 'amended' in some way so that they are not accepted by some guy down the line as an original. The work done to create these objects in the first place made the faker's work a lot easier. It may be as easy as just wiping off some paint or filling an engraving or grinding down a weld.

Some years ago it wouldn't have been worth doing the work to create a copy as the originals were relatively cheap. These days, collectors either do not have the dollars or the desire to spend half of their life savings on an item. Therefore, there will be a market for copies. As an original item's value increases then the copies will get better as the skills and resources can be increased also.

I have no problem with good copies as long as they are sold as such. And in the collecting field I think they are very real value for money given the skills that have gone into making them. Who has an original VC on the wall?

The problem we all have are the people who knowingly sell copies or enhanced items as originals. I've been robbed by them and I'm sure a lot of others have been also. That problem won't go away, unless you walk away from them with your money still in your pocket. 

  

[Spasm]

Here's the completed water bottles as requested

[Robin Lumsden]

Wonderful work !!

 

[Tony]

8 hours ago, Robin Lumsden said:

Wonderful work !!

 

Yes.

[Spasm]

Thanks Gents. Thanks very much.

[Laurence Strong]

Those are awesome. I just love how vivid the colors are and how it all "pops' out.

 

Superb work.

 

 

Cheers

Larry

 

 

[Spasm]

Thank you Larry, it's appreciated 

[Jock Auld]

Stunning pieces, is it especially dificult to work on the enamel on the Brit waterbottles?  A bit shiny not that adhesive as a surface?

Edited September 3, 2016 by Jock Auld

[Spasm]

Jock, not especially as I get stuck into them with sandpaper to give the paint a key. A filler primer is sometimes needed when I get a bit too enthusiastic or too heavy a grade paper. I tend to pick the first bit of sandpaper I find in the work drawer, I should probably buy more and file it. But I can't be bovvered to be organised and give myself more work cocking things up.

[Jock Auld]

I know the feeling as stuff is now stacked on the stairs to the cellars.

[Spasm]

Remember the M42 at the top of the thread? Well, Tony sent me a cuppa cement and I cracked on with it. Here it is now.

Still a liner and chinstrap to fit (should've done that before fitting the helmet belt strap as it's on there pretty tight). Spent some time trying to get it to look like the rust is coming through the paint. As usual I need a better camera but you get the idea.

[Spasm]

More, for interest  all mine, all mine....

[Laurence Strong]

Sweet 

 

 

 

Cheers

Larry