DESCRIPTION
This is one of my latest finds out of rural Arizona. I believe the almost new and blue condition of the outside paint and decal owe their longevity in large part due to the arid conditions this helmet experienced throughout it's post war years. The paint is so fresh that the blue really pops out at you unlike most LW helmets which have naturally darkened over time and so almost appear to be jet black. If you near perfect decals as I do that you will really love what this helmet has to offer with a virtually flawless Luftwaffe eagle untouched and unmarred over 75+ years of history.
The helmet was made at the Quist factory in Esslinger in the year 1941 according to it's rear lot number DN182 so this helmet is definitely a mid war fighting man's example. The liner is 1940 dated and has steel rounded chinstrap bales replacing the earlier aluminum square and round bales. The original chinstrap is slightly shortened as per the soldaten's personal preference but otherwise unmodified with an early mid-war war gray painted buckle. The eagle is a textbook Quist eagle with the single black dot within the plumage over the right wing span. Few can argue against how ascetically pleasing to the eye and gracefully designed these 2nd pattern LW eagles represent. All 3 split pins are completely untouched and un-messed with so this liner has never been taken out or played with.
The inside liner is 100% original to the helmet and is made from goat skin with the appropriate size marking of 56 and in near immaculate condition.
A very fine mid-war Luftwaffe helmet and a difficult specimen to upgrade!!!
$1200 SOLD
Please call, text or email me if interested.
Tel/Text: 1-438-502-5052
Email Us: helmetsofwar@gmail.com
GERMAN HELMET FACTORY PRODUCTION CODES
(Every original German helmet produced from 1935 to 45 had two factory stampings punched into the side and rear or both in the rear. The alpha numeric number refers to the factory location and the inside metric circumference in centimeters. The rear lot number refers to the production run and was used as a quality control measure. The font styles used at each factory were slightly different but highly consistent throughout the war and so fakes or reproductions will either not have these numbers at all or they will use the wrong font style or letter spacing and so are easily identified as post war made.)
(FS or EF)-Emaillierwerke AG, Fulda, Germany
(ET or ckl)-Eisenhuttenwerke, Thale, Germany
(Q)-Quist, Esslingen, Germany
(NS)-Vereinigte Deutsche Nikelwerke, Schwerte, Germany
(SE or hkp)-Sachsische Emaillier u. Stanzwerke, Lauter, Germany