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Hunt for WWII USMC Helmet


Dominik
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36 minutes ago, john k said:

Liner strap looks like a euro-clone.  Cloth chinstrap stitching is not factory.

Yes, exactly what I thought.   Looking like an older buckle was matched to a Euro clone thick strap...........?    

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JerryTheGerman

Even if it is real, it's not WW2. It has a post-korea or Lebonon crisis era, stenciled EGA and the cover is late WW2, so you're basically going to buy a Vietnam helmet and not WW2

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The liner is not original to the set. Look at the missing patina compared to the used look of the cover. 

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They are out there, take your time and find one you really like and bring it home.  No matter the budget, try not to rush or settle for less than you want or you could get caught in upgrade mode and end up with more than you bargained for.

image.jpg

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11 hours ago, JerryTheGerman said:

Even if it is real, it's not WW2. It has a post-korea or Lebonon crisis era, stenciled EGA and the cover is late WW2, so you're basically going to buy a Vietnam helmet and not WW2

Was not even thinking it was WW2 era.....   See my pics above of my USMC lids....   

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10 hours ago, Blueprint said:

The liner is not original to the set. Look at the missing patina compared to the used look of the cover. 

Yep, was never thinking that...   Sum of the parts is worth much more than purchase price....

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1 hour ago, dskjl said:

They are out there, take your time and find one you really like and bring it home.  No matter the budget, try not to rush or settle for less than you want or you could get caught in upgrade mode and end up with more than you bargained for.

image.jpg

Amazing collection dude! I could only hope to get there one day🔥🔥🔥

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ww2collector985
On 6/15/2022 at 9:40 PM, cmaher55 said:

Be careful what you wish for.....      You might end up with a closet full of seven or eight USMC covered lids and no where to put your clothes, your comic book collection, your bayonet collection, or your 800 books that you are still saving to read later......  Oh, and the MP-43 is a replica....   Don't go dropping a dime on me to the Feds....    Just a replica...   

20220615_192950.jpg


Glad to hear I’m not the only one that has/had a comic book collection and a bunch of books I haven’t read yet, in addition to my helmets. 

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Update, very interesting in hand, got it today, Priority Mail.  Turns out it's a Schlueter fixed loop which is a very lucky score.  Did not note in the pics, assumed McChord.  Cover, been there forever, molded to the lid for sure....   40+ years of collecting tells me this just in case anyone asks or wants to debate.  Go for it...!  In hand tells me all I need to know.  Opinions are all good though, knock yourselves out.  Did not remove cover as my usual standard when I receive a covered lid.  SS rim with front seam as expected.  Original paint to exterior of helmet. Patina is spot on.  And the lot number is 85B which puts it around April-May of 1943 or so, according to my records, data sheets.  Has the correct raised brass buckle and a black painted brass J hook with the flat edges (not sharp).   Can't explain the X-box stitching for the chinstrap mounts to the bales on both sides but that will give me something to dig up and research.  Liner, liner has been mated to this one for a long time...   This one will not be parted out and put into the collection as is.  I must have 10 to 12 McChord fixed loops and one Schlueter fixed loop in the collection I think....?  Now I have two fixed loop Schlueter's.  On Ebay it was $350 on a buy it now.  Good deal in my book.  Back to the hunt......!   The only bad thing about this helmet is that I am out of room to put it on the shelf.....    85 helmets or so right now...   I'll post up detailed pictures when I can.  Super busy this next two weeks.  I need to go to another state this week to look at a 1955 Chevy I think I might want to buy....?   Sold my last one almost 20 years ago and I am due for another one to keep me busy when I retire.  If you think helmets are expensive just start looking for a 1955 Chevy 2 door sedan in nice condition, drive-able, that actually moves under it's own power.     

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 6/15/2022 at 7:40 PM, cmaher55 said:

20220615_192958.jpg

I see your wife is relegated to the lower left portion of the closet. Does she feel you have too many helmets?😂👍

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33 minutes ago, Smokeshow said:

I see your wife is relegated to the lower left portion of the closet. Does she feel you have too many helmets?😂👍

Indeed....!   Indeed she does....!   I keep taking bits of her closet space, slowly....  Over time...   We moved to this house about 7 years ago...   One closet for the both of us.  Our last house, very big, we both had our own walk in closets.  That was great....!  We downsized for retirement....   My wife and I have a fine balance, I get 50% of the closet (which I stretched to 60%) and the two garages.  She gets the rest of the house.  When she met me I had a small helmet collection of maybe 10 or so...?   She has accepted her fate.....  I just agree to whatever she wants to do in the house, furniture, paint colors, whatever........   I stay in the garage mostly, all day and do my thing.......   This is how you stay married for over 30 years...   

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2 hours ago, cmaher55 said:

Indeed....!   Indeed she does....!   I keep taking bits of her closet space, slowly....  Over time...   We moved to this house about 7 years ago...   One closet for the both of us.  Our last house, very big, we both had our own walk in closets.  That was great....!  We downsized for retirement....   My wife and I have a fine balance, I get 50% of the closet (which I stretched to 60%) and the two garages.  She gets the rest of the house.  When she met me I had a small helmet collection of maybe 10 or so...?   She has accepted her fate.....  I just agree to whatever she wants to do in the house, furniture, paint colors, whatever........   I stay in the garage mostly, all day and do my thing.......   This is how you stay married for over 30 years...   

absolutely! Nice compromise. I like the 2 garages part of things. One could have a pretty good collection display in one of them and still have the other for garage type activities. 

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On 7/17/2022 at 9:44 PM, Smokeshow said:

absolutely! Nice compromise. I like the 2 garages part of things. One could have a pretty good collection display in one of them and still have the other for garage type activities. 

Out here in central California, a little damp in the winter, and way too hot in the summer....   This last week it has been over 100 F every day..........   East of Sacramento I am..........   Helmets don't do well over time if in the garage or barn, shed.....   They get baked to a crisp in the summer and then rusted a bit in the winter.  I have picked up many "garage" helmets over my many years of collecting, mouse damage, white paint or blue paint flecks on them, oil damage, drips from garage projects, heat damage, rust, and many bugs and their nests in the webbing and leather....   Cocoons, spiders, and what not.....    Leather eaten by pests or hardened to brittleness over time.   Best helmets are from inside the house or even better, in the foot locker if that can be found.  I have my dads old foot locker still from 1953 from his US Army duty in West Germany.  Had his uniform in it...   No moth damage, all good.  Still have the trunk out in the garage.   Uniforms in the house, covered and preserved in a closet.  Those trunks were built well.    I do keep maybe 15 helmets or so in one of my garages.   Low value stuff.  Never an M1, German or Japanese WW2 lid.   Kevlar lids are not a problem in the garage....    Just keep the spiders and what not out from nesting in them.....   It will happen over time...  Check them every six months to a year and clean them out if need be....    Regards

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1 hour ago, cmaher55 said:

Out here in central California, a little damp in the winter, and way too hot in the summer....   This last week it has been over 100 F every day..........   East of Sacramento I am..........   Helmets don't do well over time if in the garage or barn, shed.....   They get baked to a crisp in the summer and then rusted a bit in the winter.  I have picked up many "garage" helmets over my many years of collecting, mouse damage, white paint or blue paint flecks on them, oil damage, drips from garage projects, heat damage, rust, and many bugs and their nests in the webbing and leather....   Cocoons, spiders, and what not.....    Leather eaten by pests or hardened to brittleness over time.   Best helmets are from inside the house or even better, in the foot locker if that can be found.  I have my dads old foot locker still from 1953 from his US Army duty in West Germany.  Had his uniform in it...   No moth damage, all good.  Still have the trunk out in the garage.   Uniforms in the house, covered and preserved in a closet.  Those trunks were built well.    I do keep maybe 15 helmets or so in one of my garages.   Low value stuff.  Never an M1, German or Japanese WW2 lid.   Kevlar lids are not a problem in the garage....    Just keep the spiders and what not out from nesting in them.....   It will happen over time...  Check them every six months to a year and clean them out if need be....    Regards

Gotcha. That makes sense on the garage front. Unless you have a climate controlled garage, it's best to keep the good stuff inside. I hear you on the paint drops. I also collect some vintage tools and tool boxes. I try to keep the original paint on the boxes as many of them are from war time but as a result, I have spent countless hours trying to remove paint spills, rust, other things that could have been avoided due to mis use or improper storage. 

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