Hello, I've been reading several of the leather threads and am not sure what to do. I just got my first M38 off ebay, a sears, arrived today, and found some bits in the top of the helmet as it was upside down. Old leather bits. The inner pads are somewhat dry and stiff but parts of the backs of the inner pads are so brittle that pieces are coming off. I suspect this helmet saw quite a bit of use, and sweat, and this is the result. Should I try pure lanolin, where to buy good, pure stuff?, or set it up on a cotton covered head in the case and let it be? Thanks in advance.

M38 tanker helmet
#1
Posted 27 August 2019 - 12:13 AM
#2
Posted 27 August 2019 - 03:29 AM
#3
Posted 27 August 2019 - 03:56 AM
Placing the helmet on top of a head will not help to preserve the leather - it just adds stress to the delicate material.
Like Bodes said, if the leather is already flaking to bits, the deterioration is probably beyond fixing.
#4
Posted 27 August 2019 - 01:44 PM
#5
Posted 30 August 2019 - 04:14 AM
I know, but what I meant to say is that placing helmets with leather suspension assemblies on foam heads exerts a load on the leather that might aggravate its condition if it is already dry rotted in some spots. In the helmet vault at a museum where I used to work, most/all of the helmets were stored upside down for that reason.
#6
Posted 30 August 2019 - 04:24 PM
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