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Hippie Pot


The Rooster
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Greetings all. Looks like an authentic hippie altered (Ruined) depending on how you look at it, steel pot. Its a front seam Schlueter

with what looks like original chin straps. Has a nice intact mid to late 50's liner that looks like its been with the steel for quite a while.

A little damage to the steel but otherwise a nice lid. I am prone to stripping off the hippie paint but.... with this one, I'l leave it alone.

Thoughts appreciated on this one. Like they are on everything.

Thank you.

Dave

post-181333-0-08235000-1578328221_thumb.jpg

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These helmets are a mine field. It’s hard to tell with some if they were made up during the movement or post movement by kids or a school for a play. The “make love not war” is common but “17 patrol” or the one on the top doesn’t make any sense to me.

I own two hippie helmets and I personally like them from the history standpoint but I’m not sure about this one, I like the liner for sure.

 

Marty

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These helmets are a mine field. It’s hard to tell with some if they were made up during the movement or post movement by kids or a school for a play. The “make love not war” is common but “17 patrol” or the one on the top doesn’t make any sense to me.

I own two hippie helmets and I personally like them from the history standpoint but I’m not sure about this one, I like the liner for sure.

 

Marty

 

Thank you Marty.

I just now noticed its got a broken chin strap on one side. Looks like the blue is overpainted at a latter time ?

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The more I look at it, the more im thinking I'l remove the hippie paint off of it and have a nice old lid.

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The more I look at it, the more im thinking I'l remove the hippie paint off of it and have a nice old lid.

 

Please don't. It's more interesting as is, rather than another plain old stripped down shell.

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Please don't. It's more interesting as is, rather than another plain old stripped down shell.

 

I agree, leave it alone. If legit, there are far fewer of these than you may think.

 

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I asked the seller if they had any background on it. Never heard back. Antique place on ebay.

I'l get some better pics when it comes in.

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I asked the seller if they had any background on it. Never heard back. Antique place on ebay.

I'l get some better pics when it comes in.

 

Here is the sellers description. lol lol unfortunately for me, I didnt read it too well.

 

By the late 1960s, in the wake of the Tet Offensive and grueling battles like "Hamburger Hill", the anti-war movement in the United States had grown to a fever pitch. Police Departments across the country resorted to harsh tactics to break up anti-war demonstrations, leading many protesters to acquire surplus US M-1 steel helmets to protect themselves from unfavorable treatment. These activists, better known as "hippies", often painted their steel pots with various peace symbols and phrases to show how fervently they stood against the war in Southeast Asia. This US Vietnam HIPPIE "PEACE MAKE LOVE NOT WAR" PAINTED M-1 STEEL PROTEST HELMET is in good condition, with moderate overall compressing, resulting in more of an egg shape, some deep denting around the crown, a sizable dent in the back left edge rim, most of the left chinstrap having been removed, a spot dent in the right side edge rim, moderate brownish paint obscuring the markings at the upper back right crown, moderate scattered tearing to the right chinstrap, some patina around the inside, and with some overall age wear evident (ALL pictured). Otherwise, the helmet is in fine shape, with no other damage to the tough steel construction. Most interestingly, it bears a vintage repainted corked "forest green" exterior finish, and carries various hippie designs painted in silver and blue around the outside, including "17 Patrol Viet", "Make Love Not War", "Peace", along with a flower and peace symbol, and "OK Mom"; some of the other markings and symbols remain unintelligible. The helmet boasts a front seam and swivel bales, sports a remnant of the original sewn OD web left chinstrap and all of the original sewn OD web right chinstrap with a silver painted "point" darkened metal closure buckle, and is stamped with the classic "S" for Schlueter at the underside of the front lip, along with heat lot number "65A". Schlueter produced only 10% of all M-1 helmets during WW2. It's complete with the original US Vietnam M-1 Helmet Liner in good condition, with matching moderate overall compressing, also resulting in more of an egg shape, a small crack in the back right lip, moderate drying, stiffening, darkening, and crazing to the leather portion of the sweatband, some scattered soiling around the inside, some darkening around the entire exterior lower crown where it appears to have been stored in damp conditions, and with some overall age wear evident (ALL pictured). Otherwise, the liner is in fine shape, with no other damage to the tough fiberglass construction, which retains approximately 80% of the original "apple green" exterior finish. Most interestingly, it bears a similar "OK" hand scratched into the front crown, features darkened metal "A" washers around the inside, and is complete with the original OD cotton and brown leather sweatband and OD cotton nape strap. It exhibits "US / 47" molded into the interior top crown, and the set is a fine example of a very rare, original US Vietnam HIPPIE "PEACE MAKE LOVE NOT WAR" PAINTED M-1 STEEL PROTEST HELMET.

Its might be a real hippie commie painted pot, but its also an egg shaped dented POS.

Strangely enough in the pics... you dont see the dents... about 7 of them..

 

Louisville slugger took the dents right out, but the egg shape squashed aspect of the lid is another thing altogether !!!

lol

lol

 

The more I think of the hypocrisy of people wearing a combat helmet to protest war, the more I want to clean this helmet of its vandalisim and restore it to a relic and memorial of sorts to ww2 and our People who died. Im old enough to have seen real hippies in Berkley California in the early 1970's and its nothing to glorify. I remember all the young Men in Uniform back in those days too.

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Im biased against hippies. I was exposed to them in Berkley California in 1971.

Wasnt like the 70's show. To put it mildly.

Thanks for your interest.

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Theoretically, would you be saying all that if it were a documented helmet worn by a member of VVAW?

VVAW members were the only protestors back then that had a right to protest the war.

Im not a fan of their founder John Kerry. But they have a right dont they.....

This Helmet is a bona fide unmarked dented egg shaped POS and I should have read the very good description concearning how damaged it is because the pics didnt tell the story of this egg shaped squashed

POS.

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VVAW members were the only protestors back then that had a right to protest the war.

Im not a fan of their founder John Kerry. But they have a right dont they.....

This Helmet is a bona fide unmarked dented egg shaped POS and I should have read the very good description concearning how damaged it is because the pics didnt tell the story of this egg shaped squashed

POS.

 

It was an impulse buy on my part. Buyers remorse.

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