Pickelhaube opinions

[Jason]

Hello gents

I've put a holding deposit on this helmet, and took some pics today. I've referred to the Kaisers Bunker website and everything looks pretty good, but as I have zero experience with these perhaps someone more knowledgable could offer some opinions.

Thanks!

Jason

[Jason]

side - I have a feeling the paint on the cockade has been fiddled with, perhaps an attempt to touch it up?

Edited June 13, 2006 by Jason

[Jason]

right side

[Jason]

rear

[Jason]

liner

[Jason]

wappen

[Jason]

visor left

[Jason]

visor right

[Jason]

spine

[Jason]

visor interior

[Jason]

rear skirt interior

[Jason]

top left

[Jason]

top right

[Jason]

So apart from the left hand cockade, I think it may be ok, but any opinions are very welcome!

cheers!

Jason

[Tony]

Jas,

I'm not overly experienced with these, there are enough here who are and can guide you better than I can, but here's what I have to say anyway.

I only have 3 pickelhaubes (3 more than most, I know), the leather ones have a brown liner, the felt one has a black liner. When buying, I look for signs such as the pins holding the spike in place, are they sitting tightly or do they look as though they were put in recently (thinking parts haube)? Are there signs of the comb from a fireman's helmet? If the badge is removed, does it look as though it's been part of the haube for years and

years? In what condition is the chinstrap leather on the inside, new or old and used?

Without actually handling the one pictured I'd say the haube, spike, badge and spine have been there from the start, don't know about the chinstrap and liner though, they look ok in the pic but I'd need to actually handle them. I also have a cheap monitor so don't always see the details.

Is the shop local??????

Tony

[Tony]

Is that a hole in the rear peak under the spine? Might mean it was changed at one time but that could just as well have been in 1915. Check the colour of the leather inside the hole.

I still like it going on the pictures.

Tony

[Jason]

Cheers Tony, all the fittings are really firmly fixed in place, and the amount of gunk and dust under the plate and spine look enough to grow potatoes in! The liner in firmly fixed as well, and the chin strap seems the same throughout.

Either way, the chances of another coming my way for this price down here are pretty remote, most are brand new repros being sold as ornaments....and yes....the shop is local!

thanks for your help!

Jas

Edited June 13, 2006 by Jason

[Tony]

Why buy a didgeridoo when that sort of gear is there.

[Thomas]

there is nothing wrong with that pickelhaube, except that it is really showing the effects of time.

if you look at helmets in Kaisers Bunker that you mentioned, you will see that almost all of the pre-war helmets (like yours) have black liners. The brown liners do not appear until you start looking through the "feldgrau" helmets, mostly the leather Model 1915s by the looks of it.

That small hole on the bottom of the rear visor was discussed in an article by the same fellow who put Kaisers Bunker on the net for us.

Here is the link: http://www.pickelhaubes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1211

That group is that forum is a good bunch by the way, the deal only with spiked helmets.

[Jason]

Thanks for the info Thomas, its made the decision to commit to the purchase a whole lot easier. I've never seen a helmet as complete as this one in a long time down here. Last one I saw (7 years ago!) was a Bavarian enlisted with war-time fittings that was pretty much falling apart. Cheers for your input as well Tony!

Cant wait to get it paid off now!!

cheers!

Jas