SS Allgemeine cap restoration

[picone]

I must say!! although I too am against restoration I must confess I am impressed that you used the material from the cap. Well done. Bravo

[Jerry]

I think restoring it was just fine. Nice job.

[Paul G]

Very nice job on the restoration!

Paul G

[Arran]

Ben,
You did a fantastic job on the hat! The balance you achieved between improving the aesthetics and maintaining the integrity of the object is one to which any professional conservator would aspire! kudos...

Arran.

[BenVK]

Thanks guys, glad you like what I've done.

[Øyvind]

Just saw this thread mate!
Did not know that you were such a handy man Ben? Very nice done, and good to see that its posible to wake up the dead
Were did you find it in the first place?

Cheers
Øyvind

[all1knew]

wow

Ben,

You do some outstanding work. If anyone else has a cap like this I think you should visit this thread:

http://wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/s...d.php?t=132430

William Kramer

[Steinar]

Very very nice restoration there.

[paddywhack]

cool job!!! realy like what you done!! helps me with my restoration of my flight cap that i should be getting back soon(gave it to someone to do the stiching as im not great on the small stuff!!)

[Charlie_Vaughn]

Hello headgear collectors -

Just a funny observation to share - it seems those of you who collector visors and other forms of headgear, other than steel helmets, have no problem with restoring something that has value.

Funny thing is, for those of us who collect helmets this is considered a criminal offense of the very worst kind - enough to get you black listed and on an internet rumor list for a very long time.

Any reason why you think there is such a wide difference in opinion on these matters...?

Thanks - C

[RUHL13]

Hi Ben,
Excellent job ! Looks fantastic. If you do not mind me asking, how long did that project take?
Regards,
Gary

[BenVK]

Hi Ben,
Excellent job ! Looks fantastic. If you do not mind me asking, how long did that project take?
Regards,
Gary

I don't recal exactly but stitching the visor back on took about 3 hours the first time but I wasn't happy and did it again another 2 times! It got quicker every time though because I was becoming more skilled at it.
I've got to say that although it was very frustrating in parts, I enjoyed every minute of the restoration. It's similar to building models, quite fiddly and precise work but very rewarding.

[paddywhack]

hi charles! i suppose because on a helmet you dont have to do all that much to restore a helmet(bar the purple biker helmet thread!!) part from say a over painted helemt,where as a visor can take bloody ages to fix!i should know!! but i dont think restoring a helmety would get you branded though! can you point out a case where that happened?(just wondering!!)

[Charlie_Vaughn]

Thanks - I just know from being a collector of helmets for years that the trend in the hobby, or the philosophy perhaps, is that if you restore one then you are in fact contributing to the rampant "fake" market. People jump all over you for doing it.

One only needs to read the threads on this forum ( when someone posts for info on restorations) and watch the response - or should I say the "lack of response" - not a single answer.

I know of several restoration people who do helmets and they have all been branded "problems" in the collecting community - they are all suspect as being "criminals" who are fraudulently restoring helmets with too great a skill that makes people "uncomfortable."

I'm actually OK with a restoration - I just know that simple things like "replacing a helmet rivet", or perhaps even "replacing a helmet liner" is considered the ultimate "no no"....people on our side of this hobby frown on such things.-C

Funny that its Ok in other ends of this hobby.

[VonStigler1]

Thanks - I just know from being a collector of helmets for years that the trend in the hobby, or the philosophy perhaps, is that if you restore one then you are in fact contributing to the rampant "fake" market. People jump all over you for doing it.

One only needs to read the threads on this forum ( when someone posts for info on restorations) and watch the response - or should I say the "lack of response" - not a single answer.

I know of several restoration people who do helmets and they have all been branded "problems" in the collecting community - they are all suspect as being "criminals" who are fraudulently restoring helmets with too great a skill that makes people "uncomfortable."

I'm actually OK with a restoration - I just know that simple things like "replacing a helmet rivet", or perhaps even "replacing a helmet liner" is considered the ultimate "no no"....people on our side of this hobby frown on such things.-C

Funny that its Ok in other ends of this hobby.

\
JMHO,
I think that if you were to restore an otherwise total loss given time, as is the case with Ben and his now-presentable SS visor , you are in fact preserving history itself. The same goes for a helmet that needs a liner or a rivet, it just can't be complete without it. But all along using OEM parts or just repairing the existing. As for sanding and repainting an original helmet, I feel that should not be done, even to a rusty/scratched/dented helmet.
Brian