M18 Cut out Helmet

[Hun Helmet]

I am posting this auction for your input on the helmet. Faked or real? It looks good to me, only it's too pitted for my tastes so i am not going to bid on it. The ET64 looked like he cleaned it up to show up better but I don't know if the font is bad.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I am looking for a suitable original to restore, either heavy rust or already repainted.

Mike

Edited June 21, 2006 by Hun Helmet

[Kev in Deva]

I am posting this auction for your input on the helmet. Faked or real? It looks good to me, only it's too pitted for my tastes so i am not going to bid on it. The ET64 looked like he cleaned it up to show up better but I don't know if the font is bad.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I am looking for a suitable original to restore, either heavy rust or already repainted.

Mike

Hallo Mike

It sure looks like it was in the ground for a while, thats fairly heavy pitting, my two pfennigs worth.

Kevin in Deva.

[Chip]

Well, ET64 would be the correct maker mark for such a helmet. The details of the rim crimping and the arcs of the curves are the real tell-tale signs. It's best to compare against known original pieces. From what I can see in the pictures, it appears to be an original. In addition to that, I might say that it would take some long time or effort to create such an even, deep rusting over the entire helmet. Seems like a lot of trouble for a faker to go to just to produce a rusty shell.

Chip

[Daniel Murphy]

This helmet is not real. It is modern done. Notice the ear cut out is farther back on one side than the other. The cut out is larger than on an original. Every original I have seen, the top edge of the cut out is level with the front brim. This one is not. It is likely this was made from an original M16 marked ET 64. Here is an original that Helmut Weitze had for sale. Notice how shallow the cut is and compare it to the one shown on ebay. If you find an original, you would be better off to leave it as is. There are so many fakes around these days, if you ever decide to sell it and it has been repainted, re-linered, etc. It may be hard to prove it was an original. Do these look like they came from the same stamping die?

Dan Murphy

Edited June 22, 2006 by Daniel Murphy

[Hun Helmet]

The Cut outs appear to be un even as you say but the photo was taken uneven to begin with so I did not question that right away.

with 19 hours left to go the fact that the helmet is not fething over 200 by now says the collectors in the know agree with you.

Somehow the faker managed to do the cut out and not mar the metal to the point he needed to re paint it.

I'd love an original M18 cut out if only I could afford one. This is the onlt reason I am seeking one to restore.

mike

[Daniel Murphy]

For the few I have seen for sale a complete helmet sells for in the $3000 range and a shell for about $1000.

Dan Murphy

[Hun Helmet]

If I could find an un messed with shell in good enough original condition I'd buy it. A ebay seller had a brown repainted one and she wanted 900 or over. She was over valuing it and I did not want to play the sucker.

Mike