M35 Nothing Special......or Is It?
From the outside, this helmet is easy to overlook. Both decals are long gone, either scraped or worn off, and the wartime gray paint is worn very thin. I find the inside very interesting however. My favorite type of helmet is an early M35 and my favorite M35 maker is NS. This one has the maker mark N.S.66, and I believe you only see the periods between the N and S on very early ones. The lot number is D1. The liner is a single band aluminum with NO maker or date, usually indicating 1936 or so production, and only n.A. 66/59 on the left side. I see no date on the early brass split rivets and there is no dome stamp. The inside dome is still Heer parade green with the gray color painted up to the liner band, and a lot of paint on the band. So my thought is that this helmet is probably one of the very first NS manufactured helmets to roll off the line. Regardless, something only helmet nerds like me can appreciate but I am very happy with it in all its plainness.
Cheers, Terry
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Sorry that the green color in the dome does not show up well in the photos (looks more gray but it is definitely green in hand). Here you see the paint on the liner band also, and it goes all the way around the band. You can click on the pictures to expand.
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I like it Terry. The leather is still in great shape too!
As you probably already know Terry here another fan of NS maker.
Indeed this is an early specimen in a great shape.!
I guess is 1937 the year of the production (i have a D15 with a 1937 liner band and a 1937 dome stamp).
As for me this is a special piece.
Thanks Michael and Andrea. I knew there had to be some others who like these early ones too. It is not a top shelf helmet but I really like it.
You are probably right about the 1937 production Andrea although I believe the very first NS helmets were manufactured in late 1936? I don't know which lot number series came first, the D's or the E's, but either way number 1 has to be pretty early. I think this is probably a 1936 manufactured liner, which of course does not prove anything.
I have another early NS with just an 82 (I think, very light stamp) as a lot number and it has a 1937 dated liner. Thanks to all for looking.
Cheers, Terry
Quote from helmetguy on March 11, 2023, 9:55 pmI knew there had to be some others who like these early ones too. ......
I like these early helmets. I have a VERY early M35 SE with an undated later band (i.e. likely pre-production 1931) with 2 or 3 layers of re-paints but still having the original embossed leather liner. Not for everyone but for me a keeper and one I love.