Band of Brothers prop helmets?

[ClaptonIsGod]

Does anyone have any photos or information they can share regarding prop helmets used in the production of Band of Brothers? I have the opportunity to buy one, but it isn't cheap and I want to do my due diligence - the store selling it says they'll give a COA stating they bought it from the production company, but I'm hoping for a little more.  It's a replica M2 with what appears to be a Euroclone liner modified to have A-yokes, the shell is made from rubber. I know they made weapons using rubber molds, but I'm not so sure about helmets - according to another source, it seems like they used fiberglass for at least some of the stunt/lightweight M1s, but rubber wouldn't surprise me either. Just hoping some people can chime in before I drop the money on this.

 

[Mr.Jerry]

I have seen the Fiberglas ones form some of the reputable prop places, but not a rubber one- like you said "could be" but I'd want a little more. Plus for me it just doesn't "look" like the helmets- I have one of the main casts helmet and it looks like a WW2 helmet. Now that one you show could have been background or stunt piece- but even the Fiberglas ones looked more like the WWII color and cork finish. 

[ClaptonIsGod]

Judging from the pictures (some additional ones I haven’t posted here) there might be markings under a top coat, so I wonder if it was used as a stunt/background 506th helmet in the Normandy episodes, and then given a fresh coat of green for background use in a later episode.

 

Like you said, skepticism is necessary, but I 1. can’t imagine why else a rubber D-bail would exist than for a production, and 2. what other production this could’ve come from. They have a bunch of other alleged Band of Brothers US/German steel and rubber helmets listed (some sold, some not), so I don’t know how else I can go about trying to confirm the item. I guess I could ask if they have any photos or paperwork from when they bought props from the production, that’ll be my next step.

[ClaptonIsGod]

This could also be useful. This is one they sold in the past they had listed as a stunt rubber helmet. If this is up to snuff, I think it might give me the confidence about the one in question. Both this one and the one above do appear to have some cork-like texture features?

 

[1canpara]

I had one of these hard rubber ones with a spade painted on it. It came directly from a member of the crew, it was very well done and from a distance would have represented an original M-2 very well! I paid quite a bit for mine but I think the one you posted looks legit to me, almost identical to the one I had. 😉👍🏼😊

[Paddyd00]

7 hours ago, Mr.Jerry said:

I have one of the main casts helmet and it looks like a WW2 helmet. 

Funny we are vetting reproductions here. Haha. That’s cool Jerry. I would say that it’s collectible in its own right :). Have it posted anywhere ? You can PM me too. I’d like to see. 
 

 

6 hours ago, ClaptonIsGod said:

Like you said, skepticism is necessary, but I 1. can’t imagine why else a rubber D-bail would exist than for a production, and 2. what other production this could’ve come from. 

I think there have been a bunch of kinda C grade WWII films that were made. Saints and Sinners ? Comes to mind. Never saw all the way through but remember paratroop lids in it. But answer to your question .... I personally wouldn’t by a repro anything ... but .... if it was from B. O. B. Than it would give me pause. So maybe repro companies would try to enhance their repros status maybe? Just a guess. 
Z

[Mr.Jerry]

I do like the look of the 2nd one posted, so if from same source that would give it more cred IMO.  Yea if you thought vetting real stuff was hard try "screen matching" fake stuff that may have been 1 of a dozen used in the productions!

[ClaptonIsGod]

Well, based on the consensus here and my fear that someone else would find it via this thread, I pulled the trigger. On the surface it’s stupid money for a piece of rubber and a Euroclone liner, but I think we’ve pretty much verified the BoB claim and short of a real D-bail, I think this is cooler and more historically significant than a fake steel D-bail - just need to add a chin cup and a liner strap and it’ll be perfect. Here are the other two photos I was reluctant to provide before, because they clearly show an officer stripe painted over on the back and I’m 99% sure that’s a spade poking through on the right side - it appears to be perfectly consistent with the helmet above in size and placement. The question then becomes do I try to uncover them or leave it as-is? As-is is obviously how it last appeared on screen, and who knows whether I’d be able to uncover the spades and the stripe without ruining it.

 

Thanks all for the input. It’s a good thing annual bonuses at work are coming up...

 

 

[king802]

This was acquired after filming and was worn by one of the special ability extra’s. 
The liner is post-war Belgian. 
I was an extra on the series and knew the guys who sold the props. The vast majority of which were sold in the UK. 
There are more Band of Brothers helmets out there now than were actually used in filming.

[huntssurplus]

25 minutes ago, king802 said:

This was acquired after filming and was worn by one of the special ability extra’s. 
The liner is post-war Belgian. 
I was an extra on the series and knew the guys who sold the props. The vast majority of which were sold in the UK. 
There are more Band of Brothers helmets out there now than were actually used in filming.

 

Is it a steel helmet? And is it an actually US manufactured helmet? If so, from WW2 or post-WW2? 

[ClaptonIsGod]

Nice helmet. Mine is indeed coming from a store in the UK (Soldier of Fortune), and according to the descriptions on other listings they have for jump wings and CIBs, it seems they bought everything from “Band of Brothers Ltd. Wardrobe Department” at Hatfield Studios? Yours is steel, correct? If any red flags jump out at you about my rubber one, please speak up now before they open tomorrow and process my order; I don’t think they can’t coexist based on what you said. I’m sure there are plenty of fakes out there, but given the facts that it’s rubber (hard to reproduce), the markings are painted over (and so not an obvious selling point), and that it seemed to be well received here, I felt I had enough to go off.

[Mr.Jerry]

Cool- I would leave the marking as they are. 

 

[ClaptonIsGod]

Agreed - they’re there enough that I’ll never forget they’re there.

[ClaptonIsGod]

On 5/9/2021 at 9:00 AM, king802 said:

This was acquired after filming and was worn by one of the special ability extra’s. 
The liner is post-war Belgian. 
I was an extra on the series and knew the guys who sold the props. The vast majority of which were sold in the UK. 
There are more Band of Brothers helmets out there now than were actually used in filming.

 

See my more recent post titled "Band of Brothers Prop M2 - Update," but the long and short is that mine also has a Belgian liner (1982, and clearly solid plastic rather than resin cloth), and was used by Carwood Lipton/Donnie Wahlberg's stunt double.