Japanese helmet, does it look legit?

[Paul G]

Hello everyone,
How does this helmet look to you guys? It looks good to me, but I don't know Japanese helmets well at all. It looks like a combat used, bit salty helmet. Any immediate red flags?? Sorry for the crappy pictures, these are all I have at the moment. The star seems to be missing most of its paint, which appears to be pretty common, does anyone know why most stars are missing alot of paint? Antway, your comments are appreciated!! Thanks everyone!

PG-

[Paul G]

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[William J]

I'm sure you'll get replies from collectors far more advanced than I am, but I'll tell you my first impressions, having owned a fair number of Japanese combat helmets. First, the the exterior paint looks just the way it should. The liner is in nice shape and both it and the straps appear period and proper. My main concerns are with the star (which appears to be painted white?) that might be a replacement, as I have not noticed stars particularly missing their paint. I've seen them loose and I've seen them rusty but not devoid of paint. Secondly, the size designation painted in the rear skirt seems awfully bright white to me, and I wonder if it was touched up or redone. Does the white paint go over the rust/paint chips on the rear rim?

Other than those things (and it may just be my eyes or the photos), the helmet looks proper for the period.

[keith]

The star looks different