OTB - at the SOS show I picked up an "eastern european" liner copy - it's great - very well made and of quality leather...any idea where I could get another? The seller didn't have or wouldn't share the info.
Mike
Mike
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If only I could be half the man my dog thinks I am -
Quoted from the first post on the page:Originally posted by adreas schmidt View Post
"Shells: I think I can say that I handeled every repro shell available out there and there are only two I can really recommend:
Number one is ATF, but the early run with the proper stamping and the proper rim. Not their current production with the crappy stamping and the crappy rim. ATF shells are also good if you have s rather small head or a longer face because they are slightly smaller and shorter than original helmets, about 1cm or so.
Number two are Indian shells. There are two problems with those helmets. First if that you have to be lucky and get a helmet with a decent rim which is not too wobbly and too thick. All the Indian helmets are made by hand and therefor all have their "personal" note. I have handeled about 500 of them until now and I`d say that only 10-15% have a proper rim. Second problem with the Indian helmets is that they have rather the shell of a 68 than of a 71. But this is only noticable if you put an original beside it. What is noticable is that the Indian shells are slightly bigger than originals as well. This is good if you have a larger head."
Indeed...the Indian helmets do look significantly better once you replace the liner. I'll need to file that one away for future reference.
JonLast edited by Chaser; 05-21-2007, 09:29 PM.Comment
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I have been looking for a repro FJ helmet in size 57, is it possible to find?Comment
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Yes, your info is very helpful but only to a point. Nobody knows which vendors sell "Indian" shells or "Czech" bolts. How do we know who sells what, and/or how can we tell by looking at it at a show in person?
I finally gave up and bought an original shell with a very convincing repaint and decal but it still needs a nice liner, bolts, and straps. Although I have several of these sourced already from friendly people here, it took way too much time to do that and most people would have been super frustrated like I got when looking for a nice shell to start with. If we could add some more info to your thread I think a lot of reenactors/collectors would appreciate it.
Nice start - please keep going!
CraigComment
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I want to add my 2 cents to this thread. I know there is alot of FJ original equipment knowledge on this forum and I obviously give way to their knowledge but I know when we formed our reenacting unit there were hardly any repops out there but we looked around and found both Edelweiss Militaria and GMax.
I was able to get an Edelweiss helmet shell and liner and then compare them to around 4 original FJ helmets a collector friend had at the time. Another unit member got a GMAX helmet. The Edelweiss helmets are very nice and darn close. They do not give if you try to squeeze the meet or flex the helmet. The liner sits as low as it should for proper positioning on the head and lastly the liner and straps look very good as well. I had mine painted and finished and took it into my collector friends house. I had him fooled for a few minutes, something in the paint gave it away but he liked the shell very much.
I will say there has been alot of new repos come out since we purchased ours and I cannot comment on them except the later At the Front and the Sportsman guides which we think are both sub standard in quality. Most of our unti members have Weiss Helmets or Gmax. There maybe one or two Lost Batalion shells which looked pretty good as well. Still one can pick up a Weiss Helmet (they were all made in china a few years back) and I think you will be happy with one should you decide to grab one.
- Erich
3./Fallschirm Pi Btl 1
www.greendevils.comComment
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I have a G-Max helmet (the second style with the thicker metal that you are able to drop without cracking) and those are by far the best of any of these. However, they are virtually impossible to find, and thus I haven't mentioned them to save the "Where do I find G-Max helmets?"....as I've never seen them. I also like that they have the ventilated slotted spanner bolts, which are appropriate for early 1944 approximately, but are much less commonly done than the 3 pronged spanners, giving the appearance of someone who JUST joined the paratroopers.
I've not seen an Edelweiss one up close either to compare, but I have to agree, once you throw the name G-Max into this.....everything else can be summed up into one word: "Crap".
JonComment
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