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German Helmet Vault - Tracking the Fakes and Q&A forumGerman WW2 Helmets: German Helmets : Questions & AnswersThat LW M42 in hand now.Post Reply

Post Reply: That LW M42 in hand now.

<blockquote><div class="quotetitle">Quote from <a class="profile-link highlight-default" href="#">Guppy35</a> on May 7, 2021, 12:00 am</div><blockquote>
<div class="quotetitle">Quote from <span class="highlight-admin"><a class="profile-link" href="https://germanhelmetvault.com/forum/profile/schwerpunkt73/">schwerpunkt73</a></span> on May 6, 2021, 7:42 pm</div>
I know all of us collect for the passion of history here and seeing post war abuse like removal of paint makes us sad (or mad).

I think the M42 shell is great , it is a reissue with a Peiniger decal. But the paint removal to see the stamps would make me pass unless dirt cheap.</blockquote>
I have no problem with that.  It's just important to understand that helmets like this one, with the missing liner, the paint sanded off or whatever do allow those of us in the kiddie end of the pool to get our feet wet, or as in the case I mentioned about how I sanded off that spot on that M16 I'd talked my uncle out of when I was 12 or so, something I didn't consider at that age as I wanted to see what it said and tried to learn from it.

As I looked at the SS helmets and the other less than ordinary helmets he had, I knew I would never be able to play in that deep end of the pool based on what they are worth.  In my on again, off again quest to have an M42 like the one on the wall of my Great Uncle's home, that I held and wore on my head ate age 9 or 10, this one is part of the progression for me.  First was one of those 1970s out of the back of a magazine, $25 dollar M42 repainted shell with repro everything.  When I started hunting for the story of my Great Uncle's wartime service and figured out it wasn't an Afrika Korp helmet as I thought it was, it reignited my desire to find and M42 close to what I remembered as they can't find or don't still have the helmet in the family.  So next was the ground dug M42 from Ukraine.  pitted, no liner, but paint still there and where the single decal showed it had been.  My Great Uncle's helmet was single decal.  This was followed by the one with the decal scratched off that turned out to be a KM helmet that I was able to trace the story of the name.  This one now is single decal.  Not Heer, but at least I have in hand a real decal to see vs repro.

My fantasy is the family finds the box that has that M42 in it so I can at least get pictures of it.  Needless to say it was a huge part of my WW2 history passion from a very young age.  As I've learned from the books and asking questions, most likely my Great Uncle's M42 was wearing "Normandy" camo, painted around the single decal.

Getting burned by that M40 with the fake camo was part of that learning process too.

And no I did not get taken on this one as the cost was less than the M40 I got burned on :)

My intent with my contact with the guy with that big collection is to get to know him better, then ask if I can photograph some of those helmets to share here.  On the off chance he decides to sell some of those, I figured the folks here would be better caretakers for them.  As mentioned, those SS helmets etc will forever be beyond my range cost wise.

No idea if it gets to that point in getting photos etc, but we seemed to hit it off so I'm hopeful.  Having been in Aladdin's cave once, it will be hard not to go back and get to look again :)

Edited to add the progression for me of trying to have the right M42 like my Great Uncles.  The first around since the mid 1970s.  The rest in the last year or so, after I figured out when he'd actually been overseas and saw combat.

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German Helmet Vault

Collecting German WW2 helmets

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