ShibaLegend Posted October 2, 2022 Share #1 Posted October 2, 2022 Would it be a good idea to just give a bath? One of my new helmets has a very brittle cover and im afraid it might rip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aef1917 Posted October 2, 2022 Share #2 Posted October 2, 2022 If it's on the helmet I wouldn't do anything with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavalryCombatant Posted October 2, 2022 Share #3 Posted October 2, 2022 Agreed, best answer is to leave it alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShibaLegend Posted October 2, 2022 Author Share #4 Posted October 2, 2022 I have already removed it from the helmet once and put it back on with no hassle. Surely i can at least take a small toothbrush and apply some water to the cover to soften it up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickman983 Posted October 2, 2022 Share #5 Posted October 2, 2022 I'm confused. If you took it off and put it back on, why do you need to do anything to it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShibaLegend Posted October 2, 2022 Author Share #6 Posted October 2, 2022 Because whenever i press onto the helmet cover when its fixed in place by the liner, it just feels brittle, like if i press really hard it might rip the helmet cover. So im wondering if giving the cover a bath will soften the cover up a bit. Sorry if i made it sound a lot worse then it really is in the first post, i guess that's what happens when your on autopilot while doing other stuff. Here is a photo of the helmet itself which i neglected to include in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickman983 Posted October 2, 2022 Share #7 Posted October 2, 2022 How often are you pressing on the cover? I'd just leave it, it hasn't torn since it was last used, it shouldn't tear sitting on a shelf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShibaLegend Posted October 2, 2022 Author Share #8 Posted October 2, 2022 Only when i first got it. If yall say to leave it, then ill leave it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted October 2, 2022 Share #9 Posted October 2, 2022 It’s certainly yours to do with as you see fit, but I agree with the advice to leave it alone. If it is indeed brittle, getting it wet could make matters worse. While curiosity killed the proverbial cat, it has also ruined a lot of nice original helmets - especially when people start screwing with covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
644td Posted October 3, 2022 Share #10 Posted October 3, 2022 Leave it as is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavalryCombatant Posted October 3, 2022 Share #11 Posted October 3, 2022 I understand that as collectors we have a tendency to play with things, but on something like the helmet posted above it’s best to fight those urges. I’m sure most of us have plenty of “horror stories” about the helmet which had a cover we shouldn’t have messed with, and as time goes on and these stories multiply, those mistakes grow ever more costly. In my opinion, I’d try and find a cover you can play with a little more comfortably without being worried about damaging this one.. (which is a great rig by the way, they’re getting harder to find!) Might be worth looking into an 1980s one if you want to take the cover on and off more frequently; Plus they’re usually more forgiving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugme Posted October 10, 2022 Share #12 Posted October 10, 2022 On 10/3/2022 at 2:23 AM, 644td said: Leave it as is. Sage words, simple and to the point. Plus, 100% correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted October 10, 2022 Share #13 Posted October 10, 2022 "... it just feels brittle, like if i press really hard it might rip the helmet cover. So im wondering if giving the cover a bath will soften the cover up a bit." It IS brittle. It MIGHT rip. A bath might clean it up some, but is not likely to do anything to soften it up for very long. Textiles tend to deteriorate over time, the longer the time the more they do that. Military textiles are generally designed for hard wear and punishing conditions, but are not intended for nor impervious to extensive aging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted October 10, 2022 Share #14 Posted October 10, 2022 Anything you do to the cover will only damage it further. Once materials starts to rot and get brittle there is no turning back. The best solution is to keep it in a controlled environment with some but low humidity. If it gets too dry, like things get in the winter, it will get worse. Control the damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShibaLegend Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share #15 Posted October 10, 2022 Alright yall i get it. Yall don't need to tell me anymore. I haven't done anything with the helmet since the making of this post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted October 10, 2022 Share #16 Posted October 10, 2022 On 10/2/2022 at 5:47 PM, Blacksmith said: It’s certainly yours to do with as you see fit, but I agree with the advice to leave it alone. If it is indeed brittle, getting it wet could make matters worse. While curiosity killed the proverbial cat, it has also ruined a lot of nice original helmets - especially when people start screwing with covers. Its only original once and now its not original as found. Removing a cover is like sanding paint to see a number that is really insignificant to the helmet.In most cases less is more. THe less you do the more the item is original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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