WHAT IS A TRIBUTE HELMET ?
A tribute helmet is one in which the rear lot numbers directly correspond with Brian Ice's lot data book as being formerly a rare Waffen-SS or in this case and equally rare Kriegsmarine-KM. In the example below the M35 helmet is neatly stamped ET64 with an equally clear rear lot number of 3222 meaning that this was first factory issued as a rare double decal KM helmet. As tribute to this rare shell I went ahead and restored it back to how it would have looked during the war instead of any other configuration as a show of respect to the historical rarity of this particular helmet.
DESCRIPTION
This helmet came from a supplier I have out of the Czech Republic and was formerly painted in black enamel paint for use in their post war fire or police services. This post war added paint served to protect the helmet from any moisture and in a sense locking the helmet back in time to just after 1945.
The shell is an ET64 and rear marked 3222 which direct corresponds to other rare but known double decal KM helmets according to Brian Ice's lot data book. I went ahead and gave the helmet a factory sprayed dark pea green enamel paint both inside and outside. The helmet was then baked in the oven to further simulate factory production steps. Below the wearer's right vent I added a national shield decal as well as a metallic golden textbook ET eagle with a slightly layer effect against the black shield just as is seen with known originals.
One special bonus as seen from the pics below is the fact that for this particular restoration I had the original square bale outer band dated 1939 still inside of the Czech shell I was able add leather fingers to in order to complete it. These original outer bands from 1939 are very difficult to source on their own and is a great way to maintain even greater historical accuracy for this given example. This original outer liner band on it's own would go for about $100 on the open German helmet parts marketplace.
The outside and inside paint was given a darkened patina throughout and the decals were toned down and aged to better blend in. The helmet was also given a 1939 ink Wehrmacht inspection stamp on the inside dome. As the KM was the smallest branch of the German armed forces it received the lowest priority in terms of both armaments, helmets and parts thereof. As a result many original KM double decal helmets we see have employed a variety of nonstandard straps such as ones made from canvass, utility equipment straps or 1930's leftover transitional chinstraps such as in this case having the black roller buckle type with steep chinstrap bracket.
This helmet with genuine paint and decals would command a price of $6000-$10,000 based on condition. Here's your chance to own one at a fraction of that price and one with matching KM DD lot numbers on a mint original M35 shell.
SPECIAL NOTE: I just realized from doing from additional research that this particular M35 ET lot number of 3222 is actually the very FIRST lot number for any Kriegsmarine helmet according to Brian Ice's lot data book. In a way this helmet marks the very beginning and the grandfather to all future KM helmets that came after it!
$450 SOLD - T. Forman
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HELMETS OF WAR INC.
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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
