Repo Helmets

[Frentebro]

Guten tag, men. This is my first repo & would like some info & comments. I hope we can have this as a refererence thread.

It's an M-38 FJ i won from Reenactorstuff.com. I havenot received it yet. The seller (& webmaster) says it is a heavyweight shell from Bayonet Inc. & not ChiCom, but it's in that price range, altho it has a new handsewn liner & strap (Ardennes will be posting the pics for me). Shell is marked 71 - i'm not aware of what markings the ChiCom shell has if any.

[Ardennes]

[Frentebro]

Vielen dank, Ardennes.

[Frentebro]

Repo M-35/40/42 & FJ:

http://www.atthefront.com/

M-18 "Freikorps", M-18 ear-cutout, M-16 (these are made in India by Deepeeka. Not shown on website last time i looked, but they do carry a fake 84/98 III bayonet which is.)

http://www.ima-usa.com/index.php

(Click on "Helmets" in left-hand column).

[Ardennes]

that helmet appears different than the Bayonet Inc version I saw last month. It is different than the sportsmans guide version. The liner and straps look good though.


Mike

[Chris Chalupa]

The straps and liner looks like Gmax. I had one of the earlier run helmets, it had a great liner and chinstrap. The shell was a little bigger than an original 71 and was thinner. I heard they offered a better, heavier shell later, perhaps this is it.

Chris

[Frentebro]

As a tyro i thought it looked good too. Of course Gmax sells theirs for a lot more than the $135 i paid for this!


I'll be able to say more when i get it. I don't think the ChiCom shell is marked.

[Gene T]

Dave,
Judging by these pictures, the straps on yours are 100% identical to the ones on the helmet that those Hong Kong vendors are selling through eBay. Note that the release tab on the friction buckle is installed backwards, apparently that's how it was put together at the factory. It's easy enough to fix however (the tab is tape-glued together). I wouldn't be surprised at all if the shell is also Chinese-made, but with a size stamp added and the whole thing repainted here in the US according to vendor requirements, such that the vendor can claim that technically, it's not Chinese-made (sort of like the way many of those AK, FAL and HK Frankenclones managed to be domestically-produced in the last ten years).

cheers,
Gene T

[Frentebro]

Hmmm, we already have some different views on this. The liner is certainly not the ChiCom - but the strap is?? Vendor claimed strap & liner were hand sewn for him. I'll correct the tab, thanks.

Gmax also sells the whole M-35 series.

[Frentebro]

There's also a repo Jap. T-90 out but i was unable to re-find the website. The components are also sold separately.

[Ardennes]

let me tell you that this is not a gmax rig - nor helmet. too many differences, at least compared to their current production run (within the last 3 years)... I do believe it is also a different run than the Sportsmans guide versions and the Bayonet Inc version as well.

now that doesn't solve anything does it?

I'm eager to hear your report on it once it arrives

Mike

[Frentebro]

At least we're discovering what it ISN'T. The full report will appear here, Mike!

[leeb]

Repro Helmets

Hi

What is the view of the Para helmets out of Hong Kong?

When bought for the dollar price, they seem a good deal in the UK.
Sometimes, you can only ever afford a "filler".
Has anyone bought one?
Cheers

Leeb

[Frentebro]

They are petty much totally wrong, Leeb. The best buy i've found is the one illustrated above from Reenactorstuff.com. The Webmaster sells them direct & also puts one on auction from time to time.