Two FJ shells marked ET64, comments please

[TSkagen]

Hi Gentlepeople,

I posted these pictures in another tread , but got no comments. What are they?
...repros or the "missing ET64 link".
A dealer in Norway sent me the pictures yesterday. The shells are partially restored according to the dealer.
They are available for sale from the Baltics.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Terje, I would be very suspicious of both these helmets. The rim is very badly turned as shown in one of the pics. Plus two helmets in a previous unknown small size turn up together and offered by the same dealer
I would prefer to stick with the Luftwaffe regulations of 1938, where helmet sizes 66, 68, and 71 are quoted and published in Ludwig Baers book on the German steel helmet. It states "For sizes smaller than 53, the interior cushioning may be made thicker". Size 53 is pretty small to start with too!

Cheers, Ade.

[TSkagen]

Thanks a lot,

That is what i told the Norwegian dealer, but I promised to check it out + some days a go in another tread ET64 were mentioned as "having been observed".......maybe the same ones.

[JohnB]

These are not original paratrooper shells. They were cut down from M-35 style helmets

John

[Willi Z.]

Ade makes a good point. A size 66 shell takes a size 53, 54 or 55 liner. That is tiny!!! I would have to see a complete helmet before I could ever believe it. Same goes for the 73 or 74 shell. They too, seem to be just shells. The difference between liner sizes in the same size shell, is the thickness of the foam padding.

[Chris]

John is right. These are not paratrooper helmet shells. I've seen this before. They are cut-down M35 or possibly M40 helmets. As Adrian notes, the rims are uneven and clearly not turned at the industrial level, and the shape is all wrong. It's amazing the lengths people will go to in order to defraud collectors.

[Willi Z.]

Also note the poor quality of the "ET64" stamping, along with the 4 digits on the back.

[TSkagen]

...seems that we can put the ET64 FJ shells to RIP

The Norwegain dealer and my first "gut feeling" was cut down M-35 or M-40.
At least you can say you have seen an ET64 ...even two.....