Fake M37 DD Para Helmet

[Sebastian Bianchi]

I'm posting these images for Willi, at today's show he asked me to photograph this helmet (I had my camera with me). I'm sure he will explain more. It was an improv photo session in the (very) cold weather, so considering I think the photos are ok. I've downsized them to fit our screens, and zoomed in on some details as I saw fit, please ask if you want to see another area in detail.

Willi, drop me a pm and let me know if you want me to e-mail you these, or burn a CD and send them over. The full size ones are pretty big.

Here we go;

[Sebastian Bianchi]

detail of eagle in photo above;

[Sebastian Bianchi]

Other side;

[Sebastian Bianchi]

Liner;

[Sebastian Bianchi]

back detail;

[Sebastian Bianchi]

This a zoom out of the shot above

[Sebastian Bianchi]

Rim

[Willi Z.]

Thanks for posting the photos Seba...much appreciated.

Here is a fake M37 FJ helmet that someone paid ALOT of $$ for. Looks like one from that lot that originated out of Italy a few years ago......seems like I have seen this exact helmet makes the rounds on an international basis. Appears to have been made from a Luft M35DD. The closeups show how crudely they rolled the rim........and how poorly they restamped the "ET68" and the 4-digit number. A totally bogus liner and strap arrangement.

Eric's new book was on hand and sold like hot cakes....I sent many a fellow collector over to a book dealer friend who had them at a good price.........must have sold 20 or so. Some bought the book just to see the original M36/37 FJ helmets......was very helpful in proving what a real one looks like.

Did see a few other FJ M38s...including a very nice size 71 SD that did not sell.

Willi

[Perry Floyd]

Alot of effort and work was put into that one.
Willi do you feel the fakes are affecting FJ helmet prices like in SS helmets? Or do you think it may in the future with helmets of this caliber coming out?

[Eric Queen]

Willi,

Thank you for helping to point people towards the book. Both Roger and I appreciate it very much.

I find it hard to believe that any paratrooper helmet collector, who hasn't been living in a cave for the last 5 years, would even give this helmet a second thought. First of all, they used a M35 of the *wrong color, and it goes down from there. ( *although this negative cannot be definatively proven, I would highly doubt that Lw. blue was used as a base color for any paratrooper helmet. All known originals, including the earliest paratrooper helmets ( the M36 ) have apple green (feldgrau) as a base color ) . Certainly, as Willi said, a poor job rolling and finishing the rim as well, and the orange pads are missing ( all these fakes either have M40 black pads or no pads at all )

I had thought the word was pretty much out on these helmets. Again, I am surprised that anyone would pay a lot of money for one of these.

If I can comment on Perry's question, as we all know, high end fakes negatively impact the market by weakening buyer confidence. But as more and more people are aware as to how to differentiate the true orignals from these "Italian fakes", and the understanding sets in that true originals can be counted on one hand, I think you will see the fakes start to free fall, and the unquestionable originals soar.

One case and point is the fake army M37 which was on Manions over the last few months. I think it started out at $7500, then went to $ 6400, then I think it went to as low as $4900 and still sat. I have seen these M37's sit on Ebay for as low as $2500.
The last original I know of for sale was $25,000.00............

Thanks again Willi and thanks also to you and Seba for going to the effort to post these images for us. Very helpful.

EQ

[SMP]

Hi Willi/ Eric
I was offered an identical helmet, it may even have been the same one, by a well known English dealer about 4 years ago. It was obviously an original, cut-down LW M35. It was offered under- the- counter at what seemed a bargain price. The dealer seamed offended when I said I didn't like it !
What a waste of a nice helmet.

Regards

Steve

[Prosper Keating]

I'd like a few minutes alone with the vandals who apparently took an original LW DD M35 with a 1st pattern eagle and butchered it to make this obvious fake. The rolled rim is really amateur. And as Eric says, there are no shock absorbing pads. I wouldn't like to have a hard landing wearing this lid. And as Eric also said, it is unlikely that any prewar FJ helmets were finished in any colour other than a similar apple-green to that observed on early WH M35s. Hopefully more people will buy Eric's book to see what real ones look like and that will reduce the likelihood of people paying substantial amounts of money for worthless junk.

Prosper Keating

[John Hodgin]

Thanks Seba and Willi!

Eric is right on about the helmet's color. I'd like to add to Willi's comment about the crude size and lot stampings. They ARE crude, and there is an additional point about the stampings that may help any newer collectors that look at these photos and scratch their heads. Note the heavy and somewhat active rust in the stampings. Helmets were stamped and painted. This helmet had it's size and lot numbers applied after painting, about 60 + years after! Thus heavy rust in the stampings.Let common sense prevail and most fakes are not hard to spot.

Prosper, if you discover the anal objects that did this, mail me and I'll be there to help you

Regards,
John

[Perry Floyd]

They're destroying real M35DD helmets now to make these doesn't suprise me in this day and time, they're destroying original M42 camo helmets turning them into SD SS camo helmets now as well..it's terrible

[JamesM]

Being new to this hobby I am always shocked/amazed at the lengths people will go to to scam others - I see this all the time in the 'real world' so obviously I need to shelve my naivete and realize that nothing is really sacred to those who see an opportunity for profit at others expense.

When/if I get to the point of being lucky enough to buy a FJ lid I am going to fly one of you guys in for some consulting

Keep up the great work on posting these pointers - they really help us newbies.

- James