TRIBUTE RESTORATION
I have now invented a new category of restored helmets I am referring to as "Tribute Restorations". What this is means is that I have decided to restore these original helmet shells back to their original branch of service based on their rear lot numbers as set out by Brian Ice's lot data book. This is done in tribute to how the helmet originally would have appeared as it first left the factory floor during the war. I will mainly only designate a particular restoration as a Tribute Restoration if it was formerly an SS or perhaps an even rarer Kriegsmarine helmet.
In this particular case we have an M40 ET64 from the Eisenhuttenwerke factory with a rear lot number of 76 which was originally issued as a rare mid war Waffen SS helmet. This is exactly the same way the helmet may have looked during the war and so has been restored as a "tribute" to the helmet itself if that makes any sense. I am basically attempting to roll back the clock to how this helmet may have looked during the war. Original SS shells are quite difficult to find with only about 1/100 being traced back to that particular branch of service according to Brian Ice's extensive factory data book.
DESCRIPTION
The helmet is side stamped ET64 and rear lot stamped "76" which matches up to known SS M40 ET64's. These factory stampings place the date of production to mid 1940 according to Brian Ice's lot data reference book.
Many of you mid level to advanced collectors will know how difficult it is to track down an original SS German helmet shell to restore. They are about as rare as paratrooper helmets accounting for less than 1% of know helmets out there. So anytime I come across one I try to restore it back to what it might have looked like during the war as a Tribute Helmet.
This particular SS helmet tribute restoration was inspired from all of those barn finds I've seen over the years in middle America or in Northern France post war where you see an original helmet hanging on a rusty nail in a barn or outshed. A little moisture tends to create a light surface patina on the paint and oxidization of the SS lacquer protecting the helmet decal turns a deep tea tone hue. This is the same effect I've tried to simulate here using some of my natural aging techniques. The inside paint is however 100% original and untouched and so only the outside paint was worked on. I was going for authenticity on this one and really wanted to create a helmet that looked both old and battleworn.
A real nice shelf Queen and very affordable for entry level collectors who don't want to spend $5k-$10k on real one.
$500 SOLD - Phil. B
Please call, text or email me if interested.
Tel/Text: 1-438-502-5052
Email Us: helmetsofwar@gmail.com
HELMETS OF WAR INC.
PO Box 555
Champlain, NY 12919-0555
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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
