Guns International #: 102843044
Seller's Inventory #: BP24-BHD
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Guns International #: 102843044
Category - Military Collectible Non US
- Collectibles - WWII
WW2 German Army M42 Heer Single Decal Helmet - Brushed Over-Paint Over Camo w/ Original Liner
** 100% Original & NAMED! **
SALE PENDING
Description: This is a 100% original, handsome, and very interesting, Model of 1942 (M42) WW2 German Army (Heer) helmet with two in-the-field, soldier-applied paint jobs, complete with the original liner and the soldier's name hand-painted on the underside of the rear skirt. It is an "ET 64" M42 that was originally made as a single decal, factory-painted helmet, that was then later brush-painted into a 3 color camo, then again brush-painted a 2nd time with a solid green-grey paint over the camo. You can see small areas of brown and green paint which made-up the camo paint job where the last paint job has been worn or chipped-off. The decal was also painted-over on the last soldier-applied paint job, which is also now visible but damaged from being chipped-away/worn. The green paint used in the camo was fairly bright green and can be seen at the front of the helmet at the edge of the bill portion of the helmet's skirt, and the brown paint is visible in several locations all over the helmet. The original factory-applied dark green paint, which was sprayed-on at the factory originally, can best be seen inside the helmet in the done and the underside of the skirt. The last name of the German soldier who was issue this helmet was apparently "Kunz", and lucky for us, he only painted the exterior of the helmet and not the underside of the lip or inside the dome of the helmet. This allows us to see that the factory paint did not have nearly as much texture to it compared to either of the field-applied, hand-painted color schemes he used. Both the brush strokes and the particulate/sand he mixed into the paint really stands out, and it really gives the helmet a really cool, and MUCH more interesting look to it than one with the factory paint. Any helmet that has a personal touch to it is very neat IMO, and this one shows not one, but two hand-applied paint jobs, AND, it has his last name painted on the underside of the rear skirt in white paint, in his own handwriting. It is written in a font/style typical of the German soldiers in WW2. While it's possible that these two paint schemes were painted fairly close together rathet than overt 2 or 3 years, it is a superb indication that this helmet was used by only one man, and was not re-issued to anyone. Had it been salvaged and resissued, it would likely have gone thru an arsenal overhaul and repaint. This helmet has no arsenal paint job, it just has the factory original, and then two field-applied, hand-brushed paint jobs, almost certainly by the same soldier. The heat lot number of the helmet is under the painted name, and there is a couple of close-ups of that, as well as the makers mark of "ET", and the size "64" on the underside of the skirt of the shell. The maker's code of "ET" stands for Eisenhuttenwerke A.G. of Thale, Germany, which was one of the biggest helmet makers of both WW1 AND WW2 for Germany, if not the biggest of them all, as well as a manufacturer of military armaments such as torpedo tubes, bomb casings, gas tanks for military vehicles, water tanks, and all sorts of military products that were made of stamped and welded steelmetal / steel. The size "64" is considered a medium size, and probably the most common size used by German soldiers in WW2. The helmet shell sizes offered ranged from a size 60 up to a size 70. These sizes are in centimeters and are the circumference of the inside of the helmet, measured where the dome meets the skirt or apron of the helmet. The most popular sizes with collectors are typically "64' to "70" ( 70 is the equivalent to an "Extra-Large"), with anything smaller than "64" less valuable with everything else being equal. This particular helmet was bought "out of the woodwork" and has not been on the market before. It was found by a family member while cleaning out a relative's attic. As you can see from the pictures, it is in very good condition overall. The original liner is still intact and shows no evidence of ever having been removed, as all of the original attachment hardware is still in-place, including the split pins and washers. The leather portion of the liner is still all there as well, with all 8 "fingers" of the center section still there, but it was a little dry when first acquired. I applied a coat of leather conditioner to it, and the leather is still nice and flexible and more than strong enough to take the weight of the helmet without damage. The deductions on this helmet come from the following: The original chin strap was broken, dried-out, and too deteriorated to be saved, so it is no longer on the helmet. The outer-most aluminum alloy liner band is broken on the right side, just forward of the chin strap attachment point on that side, but the inner portion of the band is still intact and connected as it should be, so the liner is still solidly secured in-place inside the helmet. The original drawstring is still in this helmet, which is NOT common for an issued and well-used helmet like this one. It is fully intact and still strong, BUT, it is threaded thru one of the 2nd row vent holes instead of the hole at the tip of the finger it normally passes-thru because the leather is ripped from that hole outward. The drawstring is threaded thru the other 7 fingers in the correct inner-most holes at the tips as it was designed to be. The factory stamps into the metal at the rear and on the right (maker's mark, size, heat lot) of the skirt are all visible and legible, and the factory's oval-shaped ink stamp logo on the underside of the dome is even still visible, albeit blurry. These ink staps were NOT durable, and often are not visible at all in a lot of helmets you will see, particularly examples that obviously saw quite a bit of field and combat use like this one. We have provided a close-up shot of this stamp in the pictures. The shell is free from any cracks, repairs, or dents, and it is perfectly in-shape and not warped or bent in any way. This M42 style helmet, while being the last model the Germans used in WW2, and not as strong or well-made as the M35 or M40 model helmets that came before it, is definitely the most "German" looking due to the exaggerated lip of the helmet's skirt, which is rolled under and not as prominent on the earlier two models. This translates to a helmet that looks really great on display and instantly recognizable. As mentioned before, this helmet is particularly cool because it has the soldiers name painted in the rear, in his own handwriting. This definitely adds a personal touch to it that really drives home that this helmet was used by an individual in combat, and the man that wore it was likely killed or wounded in combat wearing it. The hand-painted camo adds a lot of intrigue and ups the cool-factor, as does the very visible brush strokes of the last paint job he did. If you have been looking for a very cool, ALL-ORIGINAL yet affordable WW2 German Army helmet for your collection, this one would be an EXCELLENT choice as BOTH a display piece and a long-term investment. As more and more of these helmets are neglected and stored improperly, nice original exaples with the factory liners still in place and in good shape are becoming more and more scarce. Price: $695.00 Contact Seller |
Guns International #: 102843044
Seller's Inventory #: BP24-BHD
Guns International #: 102843044
Seller's Inventory #: BP24-BHD