The Rooster Posted September 10, 2019 Share #1 Posted September 10, 2019 Here is an M1 thats been made out of 2 liners with the base and rim from an m1 attached and sand and paint applied over the rest of it to appear as a steel M1. I've read they were worn by officers etc around the post so as not to have a heavy M1 on all day. Similar but more elaborate to some of the bare plastic shells with a fabric cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share #2 Posted September 10, 2019 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share #3 Posted September 10, 2019 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share #4 Posted September 10, 2019 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share #5 Posted September 10, 2019 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share #6 Posted September 10, 2019 5 Sellers Description..... M1 Front Seam Cheater Helmet. Made from helmet liner material. Liner is post WWII. These were private purchased by NCO’s and Officers for non combat duties. I haven’t tried to take them apart. Outer helmet is made just like a WWII era helmet. Liner is named. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted September 10, 2019 Its too bad the paint is chipped, but then again, if it were not, you wouldnt think it was not a steel helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickman983 Posted September 10, 2019 Share #8 Posted September 10, 2019 I saw this one floating around on eBay for a while. I wanted to pick it up but the seller was asking for much more than I was willing to spend on it. Still always interesting to see a cheater! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 11, 2019 Author Share #9 Posted September 11, 2019 Not sure why I thought 2 liners? My guess is its one liner with about an inch of the bottom part of a steel shell over it. With the texture built up around the seam and over the liner surface. I dont believe they can be pulled apart. Will know when it comes in. Not sure Id try if it was 2 pieces, as I wouldnt want to chance flaking off more texture.........but I dont think think they come apart. I think its one piece? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgtdorango Posted September 11, 2019 Share #10 Posted September 11, 2019 I had one in the past, its a few inches of the metal helmet rim with a liner inside, riveted together and then used bondo to make the outside joined area smooth and then textured and painted, mine was in rougher shape and you could see the whole construction process...very well done and ingenious??....mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svt40 Posted September 11, 2019 Share #11 Posted September 11, 2019 I was thinking for movie use when I first saw it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1canpara Posted September 11, 2019 Share #12 Posted September 11, 2019 Seems like a lot of work just to avoid wearing an extra 3 lbs on your head...must have been a very sensitive little bunny to need such a lightweight helmet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugme Posted September 11, 2019 Share #13 Posted September 11, 2019 Drill Sergeants were known to wear these since they would spend a whole day training recruits with a helmet on. Probably just a bit of relief for the DI's in a thankless job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 11, 2019 Author Share #14 Posted September 11, 2019 I had one in the past, its a few inches of the metal helmet rim with a liner inside, riveted together and then used bondo to make the outside joined area smooth and then textured and painted, mine was in rougher shape and you could see the whole construction process...very well done and ingenious....mike Thank you for nailing that down. The more I looked at it, the more I thought 1 piece. It is something unusual and if you had to do something on post all day like guard duty, some non hazardous training thing... Something like this would have come in handy. As for preserving it. Besides not dropping it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to preserve it so I dont lose more of the texture? My choices are, I think, #1 Spray with a clear matted laquer? Or..... #2 Put a cover on it, put it someplace safe and leave it alone? Suggestions? Plus. I cannot find any info anywhere on these kind of cheater M1's. The closest I've come is here on the Forum. With AnDuc49's post about a translucent shell he picked up. Otherwise there is nothing anywhere that I have found. Which I guess is no surprise as I'm sure the owners didnt want anyone to know. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgtdorango Posted September 11, 2019 Share #15 Posted September 11, 2019 Try searching different key words ive never heard it called a faker or cheater helmet, i think ive heard it being called a NCO helmet and other names i cant think of right now....mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usoverlord Posted September 11, 2019 Share #16 Posted September 11, 2019 "Seems like a lot of work just to avoid wearing an extra 3 lbs on your head...must have been a very sensitive little bunny to need such a lightweight helmet" Obviously you never had the pleasure of wearing that "extra 3 lbs" on your head, day after day, week after week, month after month. Speaking from experience, that "extra 3 lbs" was very tiring after 6 or 8 hrs and I couldn't take it off long enough or often enough. My 2 cents.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 11, 2019 Author Share #17 Posted September 11, 2019 "Seems like a lot of work just to avoid wearing an extra 3 lbs on your head...must have been a very sensitive little bunny to need such a lightweight helmet" Obviously you never had the pleasure of wearing that "extra 3 lbs" on your head, day after day, week after week, month after month. Speaking from experience, that "extra 3 lbs" was very tiring after 6 or 8 hrs and I couldn't take it off long enough or often enough. My 2 cents.......... Yea after awhile that webbing leaves an imprint in your melon. Like a sock thats too tight leaves around your leg. I always wore a turned around soft cap under mine. Until I got yelled at too much and so I removed the brim from the cap and still wore the soft cap under it. Otherwise... For me... It was unbearable.. Ive worn em for long periods of time. Better than those first gen Kevlars but still ...They made your neck strong !!! lol lol I'l second that 2 cents. Maybe Canadian Helmets were more comfortable?To tell the Truth... I wasnt "Comfortable" in the field until a couple day had passed. Anyhow. For garrison... one of these would have been great in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1canpara Posted September 12, 2019 Share #18 Posted September 12, 2019 "Seems like a lot of work just to avoid wearing an extra 3 lbs on your head...must have been a very sensitive little bunny to need such a lightweight helmet" Obviously you never had the pleasure of wearing that "extra 3 lbs" on your head, day after day, week after week, month after month. Speaking from experience, that "extra 3 lbs" was very tiring after 6 or 8 hrs and I couldn't take it off long enough or often enough. My 2 cents.......... Meant no disrespect and actually Ive had the pleasure of wearing many helmets of 3+ lbs on my head over the past 32 years...an M-1 while in the army, a motorcycle helmet as a police traffic officer for 6 years, a flight helmet as a helicopter officer, riot squad helmet, K-pot etc. and yes, they are terribly uncomfortable after hours of wearing. Im just saying that most guys would be severely mocked by their colleagues if they knew they were wearing a cheater helmet. ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share #19 Posted September 12, 2019 Im just saying that most guys would be severely mocked by their colleagues if they knew they were wearing a cheater helmet. I think that is precisely the reason why I cant find any literature about these helmets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCheese Posted September 12, 2019 Share #20 Posted September 12, 2019 My uncle said that the reason he was so short was because of the helmet... Didn't stop him from playing on the Army basketball team in the 50s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I Posted September 12, 2019 Share #21 Posted September 12, 2019 My uncle said that the reason he was so short was because of the helmet... Didn't stop him from playing on the Army basketball team in the 50s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gomorgan Posted September 12, 2019 Share #22 Posted September 12, 2019 Now that's a short timer. And I triple the thought that those M-1's got heavy after a day wearing them in the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted September 13, 2019 Author Share #23 Posted September 13, 2019 Greetings, Not to beat this into the ground and no more pictures of the lid..... But I got the helmet today and want to describe its construction to wrap this up. It is in fact Like sgtdorango said. But its is made as follows. It does in fact utilise 2 liners. You cannot pull the liner out. Its all epoxied together as I cant find any rivets. Its got the brim and straps of what looks like an old schlueter front seam. And its got a liner prob epoxied into that. And then looks like they took another liner and cut off the brim and pushed it down over the other liner until the seam meets btween the cut off pot edge and the cut off outer liners edge. Then looks like bondo sand and paint. I put my finger tip inside the crown and tapped on the outside where texture is gone and it felt thick. Too thick to be one liner. So it is 2 liners and a partial steel shell. As for weight. Its heavier than I thought it would be but I'd say its a bit over a third to a little under half the weight of a real steel pot. A heck of a lot of work that isnt really vastly lighter. And I too think its ingenious. Like a work of art. I thought too maybe at first a movie prop. But the seller said no. And I think it is what it is. A genuine vintage custom made real fake steel Officers steel pot because ... lol .....no NCO would wear one. !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1canpara Posted September 13, 2019 Share #24 Posted September 13, 2019 I agree, it is ingenious! A lot of craftsmanship and patience went into it! I can’t imagine there’s too many out there like it, so congrats on grabbing what could be a rare example of a cheater helmet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share #25 Posted June 7, 2021 Ive finally taken my own pictures of this helmet. It really throws you off when you pick it up as it is so light compared to a normal M1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now