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WWI PAINTED HELMETS


BEAST
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I've also got 8th and 31st Division camos, but they're buried in boxes so far down in my collection that it would take me an hour to unpack and repack them. Next time they're out, I'll be sure to take some pictures.

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Here's another -- belonged to a SGT named Major (really) of the 112th Engineers. Yes, that is lavender in the one panel! (This does have a coat of wax added to brighten the colors.)

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
kristopher5502

I just got this one the other day. Pardon my crapy pictures taken from my cell phone, my digital camera is broken. You can faintly make out the 82nd ID from under the top layer of finish. On the other side are Crossed Rifles with 325 and H.Q. On the front are the words "All-American" and "1918-19." Does anyone have any tips on how to restore the helmet and make the unit insignias more visible?

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I just got this one the other day. Pardon my crapy pictures taken from my cell phone, my digital camera is broken. You can faintly make out the 82nd ID from under the top layer of finish. On the other side are Crossed Rifles with 325 and H.Q. On the front are the words "All-American" and "1918-19." Does anyone have any tips on how to restore the helmet and make the unit insignias more visible?

 

It looks like the markings on this one are scratched into the helmet, not painted. My advice would be to leave it as-is. It looks great. Very nice helmet from the Headquarters Company, 325th Infantry Regiment.

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kristopher5502
It looks like the markings on this one are scratched into the helmet, not painted. My advice would be to leave it as-is. It looks great. Very nice helmet from the Headquarters Company, 325th Infantry Regiment.

 

 

That's an interesting theory HelemetGuy, but I don't think that the insignias were scratched onto the helmet. I know my pictures are kinda crappy and may be slightly misleading, but I feel that the insignias on the helmet are too uniform to be scratched on. They also appear to be a different color, in this case black, from the rest of the helmet. I've never seen or heard of WWI helmets having been engraved like canteens or mess tins. I'm not ruling it out though, if anyone else can vouch for that and show me an example, I can easily be persuaded. I appreciate your insights HelmetGuy and won't attempt to mess with this helmet until I know exactly what to do.

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That's an interesting theory HelemetGuy, but I don't think that the insignias were scratched onto the helmet. I know my pictures are kinda crappy and may be slightly misleading, but I feel that the insignias on the helmet are too uniform to be scratched on. They also appear to be a different color, in this case black, from the rest of the helmet. I've never seen or heard of WWI helmets having been engraved like canteens or mess tins. I'm not ruling it out though, if anyone else can vouch for that and show me an example, I can easily be persuaded. I appreciate your insights HelmetGuy and won't attempt to mess with this helmet until I know exactly what to do.

 

Having the helmet in hand, you're definitely in the best position to determine if it's painted or scratched in. As you said, the pictures are not very good.

 

I can say for certain that scratching in markings/insignia was done, and I have seen several examples over the years.

 

Regardless, I still would not restore or mess with it in any way. It will always be more desirable untouched.

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kristopher5502

Ahhh I never realized that was done before now. The more I look at the helmet though, the more I'm beginning to think that the designs could have been scratched in. None of the designs in question have any texture on the area depicted, which makes me think that the rough (sandpaper-like) texture along with the paint was removed during the process.

 

Either way this is an awesome helmet that I should, and will, leave alone. Great helmets everyone, keep em' coming!

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I've seen a few of these that had scratched in insignia. Most of them look like yours. Remember, these helmets are nearly 100 years old. The metal long ago rusted in those areas but, as the rust aged it darkened and becomes what we call old rust or in collectors circles: patina. The word Patina is usually associated with the green rust found on ancient bronze, copper coins and other metal antiquities. However with helmets, the patina will be black in color. With a magnifying glass you'll be able to see the fine rust pitting on your insignia. I like the way this one looks, very nice!

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kristopher5502
I've seen a few of these that had scratched in insignia. Most of them look like yours. Remember, these helmets are nearly 100 years old. The metal long ago rusted in those areas but, as the rust aged it darkened and becomes what we call old rust or in collectors circles: patina. The word Patina is usually associated with the green rust found on ancient bronze, copper coins and other metal antiquities. However with helmets, the patina will be black in color. With a magnifying glass you'll be able to see the fine rust pitting on your insignia. I like the way this one looks, very nice!

 

 

Ohhhh! That's a very interesting tip bit Bugme. I like the fancy lingo, I can't wait to pull that out at parties!!! Thanks for your invaluable experience and expertise on this subject. I appreciate everyone's insights and will always keep what you guys said in mind.

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I own several helmets that have insignia or initials that were created by scraping away the rough-textured paint, and yours looks very similar.

 

I will try to dig some out and post pics soon.

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