Showcase your reenactment headgear.

[Larry Davis]

Showcase your re-enactment headgear, be it helmets, caps, goggles or whatever you use for re-enacting. Newly made reproductions, refurbished or authentic. If it belongs on your head it belongs here!

Here's one that I just finished for use this season.

[collecter]

My old Austrian made copy 'crusher',after about 25 years there is hardly any knap left on the cloth and the side cap I believe to be a Janke,picked up in Antwerp for 500 Belgian francs.My Janke dress cap.John

[collecter]

Robert Lubstein coastal artillery cap and Janke generals cap.

[JurgenHaack]

The following are my muzten worn for reenacting.

The first is a well worn SS Offizier alter art that was made in the 70's with original doeskin and high end reproduction insignia.

[JurgenHaack]

Janke SS Offizier doeskin schrim.

[JurgenHaack]

Janke gabardine M40 with flatwire.

[JurgenHaack]

ATF "texled" Offizier M40 with EM/NCO Bevo.

[JurgenHaack]

ATF "texled" trikot Offizier M40 with EM/NCO bevo.

[JurgenHaack]

Lost Battalions wool M40, with white offizier piping and EM/NCO bevo.

[JurgenHaack]

ATF "texled" offizier wool M43 single button with EM/NCO bevo.

[JurgenHaack]

Original Quist M42 shell with Euro chicken wire, Zimmerit paste and Italian camo.

[JurgenHaack]

Original Quist M40 shell with double decals and textured paint. Cover was made from an original zelt.

[JurgenHaack]

Original Quist M35 shell with double decals, parade gloss and aged. Cover is a aged SMW made planetree lateral cover with sewn on rockers.

[Larry Davis]

Absolutely brilliant!

John, I really like your Austrian made copy 'crusher' cap. Did the knap wear off from use, or did the fabric just break down with time. I understand that the ATF 'texled' (sp?) items are gone over with a controlled heat source to remove the knap and produce an aged effect. I have handled some of their 'texled' fabric and it is very convincing. Well done, though a bit top end for my modest budget.

Jurgen, the Quist M42 shell with Euro chicken wire is really well done!

Did you make your own Zimmerit paste from scratch?

I made a test batch a year back using a formula taken from the original Zimmerit factory specifications. It turned out well, and contrary to common belief the material does not weigh all that much. I believe a modest coating on a helmet shell only added about 150 grams, but I will have to check my notes. And the barium used in the mixture is not radio active! It is the same sort that is used in an oral swallow gastrointestinal examination. A lot of misconceptions out there about Zimmerit paste, most based on hearsay.

[Larry Davis]

Just found my notes on the Zimmerit paste experiment.

"The cleaned helmet with liner and chin strap weighed in at 1544.5 grams.

The helmet with an average application of Zimmerit paste 4mm (1/8”) thick, weighed in at 1665.0 grams. That means an addition of 121.5 grams of weight to the helmet. "

So, not all that much extra weight added to the helmet shell after all. At some point (if anyone is interested) I can post the results of the experiment along with photos of the surface texture and base colour of the applied Zimmerit paste. I had to dig my own yellow ochre and grind it, as the commercial paint grade was too finely ground. The ochre available was milled for paints, and in my opinion not suitable for this application (Zimmerit paste).