E-Stand Pith Helmet

[RKC]

Pith Helmet offered on E-Stand = "Kriegsmarine"?

May I bring this piece up for a discussion? To me, it is an ITALIAN Pith Helmet with an
'oddity' in that it has an 'ink-stamping' inside indicating that it is supposed to be from
the German Kriegsmarine Clothing/Equipment Stores.

It's definitely ITALIAN but why the ink stamp or is this something odd?

Ron.

[Stu W]

Is this the one you are referring to?

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=719803

Regards,
Stu

[RKC]

Yes!

That is the pith helmet.


Ron.

[Tim O'Keefe]

As mentioned before, Italian helmet that someone has stuck some shields on....not sure about those shields either, thick n thin ? Sweatband appears to be replaced. Way over priced too

Seller has another blue French sunhelmet that he claims is LW but its just a standard French sunhelmet....

[compressore]

The stamp reads: "Property of the German Kriegsmarine".
I assume that those stamps (if legit) are used on "commercial" aquired items as they are not made specifically for the KM.
Regards
Christian

[Edelweiss]

It's a perfectly legit italian reissue KM pith helmet. With specific (and quite "legit") KM property and "eagle M" stamps, together with specific (and quite legit too) KM shields. Would be interested in knowing what makes Tim think that the "sweatband appears to be replaced".

If my memory is good, one can find at least one thread related to these in this forum. Anyway, here's a quick view of its twin brother, which makes a "textbook item" (I know many are very fond of this term) out of the helmet offered on E-Stand .

Yours,

Chris

[Edelweiss]

More about the above helmet (note the thickness of each shield) :

[Edelweiss]

Seller has another blue French sunhelmet that he claims is LW but its just a standard French sunhelmet....

Here's a cousin of the formers, in which one is absolutely entitled to see "just a standard French sunhelmet" on which, in the present case, "someone has [once again] stuck some shields on". But I agree, on the contrary of the LW pith mentioned, this one does wear a pair of shields...

[Tim O'Keefe]

Great info Chris, You have been missed

Do you have a photo of the stamps ? The lack of wear on the sweatband compared to the rest of the helmet is the reason i mentioned it ?

Agree about the French helmets, some are legit converts to German use, many have post war shields added.

[Andy C.]

All legit, the headband (as you and I discussed) Tim is a concern, as well as the price...but other than that its 100%. What I would love to see is a period pic of German soldiers wearing one of these examples, can anybody produce one? Thank you Ken N. and Chris.

[Edelweiss]

Hi Tim, Andy (and al),

Okay. At first I will say that I don't have any financial interest in Benutzer's sales.
(one may like to know that I take Paypal though)

Secondly, and joke apart, I'll say that the WAF is really amazing : all the answers that one may look for, about the "italian pith" KM helmet on E-Stand can be found with a very simple search in this very forum, using the two words I put between quotes : 15 matching results only, an easy and informative reading. Not to speak about the ones - as Andy noticed - that can be found in Ken N.'s book, for those who are lucky enough to own it (pic in post #7 courtesy of Ken N.).

Anyway, I visit the WAF too rarely to balk at a little work here (and I say "work" only because being a simple member by now, posting pics is a kind of pain in ze butts, the rest still being a pleasure). So I will regroup here the infos that can be found in the other threads, in order to explain why - in my opinion - the KM italian pith helmet offered on E-Stand is a perfectly legit and untouched item.

1°) The markings (apart from the size) : all the italian pith helmets reissued to the Wehrmacht and to the WSS were marked accordingly with - at least - an acceptance stamp. I own three of those so far, each wearing a WH, KM or WSS property stamp.

This was not the case - as far as I know - for reissued piths from other countries.

Regarding reissued italian KM helmets, other stamps can be found, but not always. Such as (most often) a well known and specific to the KM "eagle M" stamp, or (more rarely) an arsenal stamp.

Those property markings were most often stamped in black ink, more seldomly in red, as we can see on the discussed helmet (which is IMO a little plus). As one can also see, both acceptance and "eagle M" stamps here were made in red, so this suggests that when both are present, they were stamped simultaneously, at the same level.


2°) The sweatband : it's not a concern at all for me. It's IMO absolutely original to the helmet. Firstly because I see absolutely no sign of tampering : these sweatbands are relatively fragile today, and replacing one in its whole without leaving any trace of the work would be quite a difficult (if not impossible) task. And secondly because "the lack of wear on the sweatband compared to the rest of the helmet" can be easilly explained, as I'll try to do in the next post.

Below a view of the inside of the helmet pictured in post #6. Property and "eagle M" stamps in black ink, sweatband original to the helmet.

[Edelweiss]

The sweatband (continued) : these reissued KM piths could be found by the number some years ago, especially in Corsica, and maybe (?) some in Italy too. Most of them were barely worn, if not worn at all. Like the one in post #6 which actually comes from Corsica, and is absolutely - and obviously - unworn at all.

Below, a picture already posted several times : a stack of reissue italian KM piths, taken in Corsica. Depending on the more or less careful way they were stored (like here !), it's not surprising at all that those almost unworn piths may show a "lack of wear on the sweatband compared to the rest of the helmet".

[Edelweiss]

The sweatband (continued) : a view of the inside of an italian pith reissued to the WSS (picture already posted in a very old specific thread). The helmet itself is here far less fresh than the previous one, but the sweatband is as mint as its KM counterpart above (shields and sweatband original to the helmet). This one was also found in Corsica.

[Edelweiss]

For info : an inside view of the french reissue helmet pictured in post #8. No KM property stamp in this case, unworn sweatband here too.

[Edelweiss]

What I would love to see is a period pic of German soldiers wearing one of these examples, can anybody produce one?

With pleasure. Picture courtesy of Jerry ("Bond" on the forum), already posted too in an "italian-reissues-piths-related" thread in this forum.