Helmet-headgear care

[colonel1]

Hi all,
New guy here again. Since I started to purchase headgear I have wondered about proper care. Currently I have my helmet and other headgear on Stryrafoam heads. I started to wonder about pressure/stress on the liner, sweat diamonds etc. I also have them in a display cabinet but moths could get in. It is not air tight. Not that we have moths in our house. But I sure don't want these critters to lunch on my headgear if they do get in. Moth balls??? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I want to get off on the right foot.
Colonel1

[Landy Hardy]

Hi all,
New guy here again. Since I started to purchase headgear I have wondered about proper care. Currently I have my helmet and other headgear on Stryrafoam heads. I started to wonder about pressure/stress on the liner, sweat diamonds etc. I also have them in a display cabinet but moths could get in. It is not air tight. Not that we have moths in our house. But I sure don't want these critters to lunch on my headgear if they do get in. Moth balls??? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I want to get off on the right foot.
Colonel1

I use old wooden hat forms that are fairly flat on top and try to keep the sweatdiamonds above the wood or styrofoam so only the sweatband touches. THe wood forms are getting expensive. I have also made cardboard circles to fit into the sweatbands of visor hats that fit the sweatband just right so the top of the cardboard doesnt hit the top of the hat. This works good for M 41s and M 43s too. Keeps the shape nicel on a crushed hat too. SOmetimes a low tech solution for cloth hats is wadded up white tissue paper..real light stuff. Make it into a ball and perch the cap on it so it doesnt show in the display but the visor isnt resting on the shelf..THe weight of the hat is on the rim and sweatband area. THats the main thing..to keep weight off of visors on caps and spike helmets as the thread holding them will weaken and fail. For moths. I have had a large hat and uniform collection for 30 years with no problems. I dont use moth balls. I had a friend collector who died young from lung cancer and he lived in a room full of moth balls. Cant be good..toxic to humans too. I use regular old soap. Like lifebouy etc. a bar of soap placed here and there. Its an old German trick I learned from my wifes mother who came from Germany. Also Cedar wood paneling and/or cedar wood shavings in an old nylon on pockets keep the moths away. Never had a problem. Good luck! Landy

[colonel1]

Thanks much for the suggestions

Hi Landy,
Thanks much for the help. I will utilize some of your ideas. I also have some ideas about modifying the styrafoam heads. Anyway, if anyone else wants to chime in, it will be greatly appreciated by all of us first graders.
Colonel1

[Donald L.]

Landy gave some very good advice regarding pest control. Chemicals are very tough to deal with healthwise.

I maintain my collection in a high state of cleanliness, and periodically inspect it for any negative signs. I too have had very little problem with moths, etc. I also ensure that exposure to light (both natural and artificial), temperature, and humidity extremes are minimal. These parameters can damage artifacts just as pests can (fading, mold generation, decomposition, oxidation, etc.).

All new additions are given a thorough visual inspection to assess condition. Only if necessary to do so (and determined capable of withstanding), is an item given a simple, mild cleaning. With helmets, I limit this to a gentle wipe down of the steel shells with a soft, very slightly water dampened cloth to remove accumulated surface dirt/grime, followed by a dry wipe using a soft lint free cloth. I avoid any/all contact with decals. A gentle vacuuming of leather and cloth parts helps to remove collected dust, and I have found that a small vacuum with computer keyboard vac attachments works quite well. They're small, provide fairly limited suction, and work well in tight confines. I tend to quaranteen new acquisitions (a potential portal of pest introduction) in plastic totes until I feel confident that it is not a pest carrier. Again, I have had nothing remarkable here.

The key is to be proactive with observations, and keep your collection and display area clean, and well maintained.

In summary, for my collection, I do only what needs to be done to maintain the artifact. I tend to avoid attempts at "improvments", i.e. cosmetic treatments such as waxing helmet shells, applying leather dressings, etc., though I have used Picards product on a couple of badly neglected liners with acceptable results. In the long run, however, most of these attempts at improving an item quite often tend to become detrimental.

I used to display selected pieces on styrofoam heads, however have now replaced these with clear acrylic display stands, simply out of personal preference. I find that they look more professional, are not a focal point, and have greater stability Vs. the styrofoam heads that I had been using. Again, Landy has given some good advice, the weight of the cap/helmet needs to be distributed away from the peaks/visors.

Don