Austrian M16

[TVD]

Hello,
I have a question about a Austrian M16. I have seen one with a leather chinstrap. Can it be original or is it replaced ?
Regards,
TVD

[Lafitte]

Hallo TVD, the m.16 austrian helmets (better m.17 for that made directly in austrian factories) must be have always the cloth chinstrap. That in leather was all post war uses.
Original chinstrap exist in 2 different type of cloth (diagonal cloth and mixed fish-bone weaving) and in 3 type of models (normal 2 pieces 6 holes, normal 2 pieces 12 holes, one piece flowing model for rectangular plate marked Ges Gesh with the hole for m.91 pickeauben split chinstrap, used on austro-german helmets)
Regards
Lafitte

[Kenny Suit]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"></TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">
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<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">One more type of Austrian chinstrap was made by Berndorf. It is cloth, with a sliding catch rather than a buckle.

It comes in two variations: either sewn to the Berndorf-manufactured helmet liners or with metal clips on each end that fit onto the "regular" M-17 helmet chinstrap bales.

The clip variant was intended for use as a replacement for sewn chinstraps that had been damaged or rotted away, and is a great invention.

-- Kenny

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[Lafitte]

Hallo Kenny, perhaps you have a pic of this type? I see sometimes this kind with clips but never was find in the battlefield relic. More common find m.17 austrian helmets with the 2 parts of the chinstrap in different cloth, probably reparations in factory, at the time BGB Brunn was the more important place for reparation of the m.17.

[TVD]

Hello Lafitte and Kenny,
Thanks for the information.
So if it is post-war, do you know in which countries these helmets were used? It has the typical 3-lap liner and the colour looks like austrian-brown .
Regards,
TVD

[Lafitte]

Hallo TVD, that helmets can be reparations for the austrian Army during the Republic times, but also Czech, or Ungarian army used that models too. The good paint is it moustarde color, in Italy we call that color nocciola (nuts color). often czech used a chocolate brown (more dark the the moustarde color) for repainting their helmets, often the liner was change with more good leathers but very similar to the originals. You can know one used in the '20 years because the pad have the metal ring of the holes very big, original have the ring small in the same size of that of the chinstap.
During the 20 years Austrian factoris made lot of m.17 helmets for othrer Nations in example for Finland, normally the color used was a green caki, liners leathes was made often in white goat skin, WW1 original was allways in brown leather.

[Lafitte]

Hallo!!! For info collect, from some months ( i think 1 or 2 years) exist repro copy of austrian cloth chinstrap ( normally type in 2 pieces 6 holes) come from USA, normally you can see this quite good copies on the auction site on internet.
Regards!!
Lafitte