Winter Camo Opinion Please

[foamspoon]

Chinstrap... known fake, liner... looks like a known fake IMO from the picture, interior paint does not look original... Can not talk about the camo paint but in this case it all equals to bad.

[WalterB]

Hi Erik
Nothing personal but many of you guys make statements about things without explaining them. What is your idea of a common wear pattern?
My observations on used helmets are that they could be stretched a lot ( ie very oval holes ) depending on the type of leather ( some leather is more stretchy than others ), also depends on how long it has been warn and more commonly is that they are most grubby on the front where it touches the forehead. And where the soldier holds it most when not on his head. Have just explained my thoughts. Why can't you guys be more spacific about yours.

Also how can you possibly make the statement that it was warn for quite some time. Do you know its history already? Were you there?

Ross

Ross,

I would listen to experienced collectors when people like Cody and Erik tell you something. When Cody mentions that he asks himself "Could I have done it myself?", he of course is saying could he today have painted a helmet to make it look like what your helmet looks like now (or better)? His answer was "yes". That should give you a clue. Look at your helmet, there is no "patina" on the shell and its paint. Looks like it was painted yesterday. Erik has provided you with valuable advice with respect to the liner. Look at known original helmets (or even pictuers of known original helmets) and study them. If you study them carefully you will hopefully begin to notice subtle consistencies among the known originals. This takes time and it cannot be spoon fed to you as per your demand.

When you ask how can someone know if it was worn? The answer is through observation of clues and deductive reasoning. Does that produce certainty? Of course not, but it is pretty accurate most of the time.

When you complain that experienced collectors don't explain their answers, the answer to that is they don't have to. They don't owe you anything. You are lucky they contribute to this Forum and that they are answering at all.

[Glenn McInnes]

Tsuba,

Sounds to me like you are making excuses for something that is not real but you want it to be real....A collectors worst mistake.

I would also listen to Cody and Erik's advice and pass on it.



Glenn

[Tsuba]

Looks like someone has rubbed the dome area on some rough carpet for effect ,fake chinstrap ,mint liner,paint erased from the air vents etc ,where did you get it ? In this condition it cant have gone through many collectors or childrens hands since the war ,so the seller should have the history .Rob.

Hi Rob

The linner is far from mint. I can see more than you guys on that matter. It has been warn. The chin strap was put on it by me and am not sure about it. I got it from an auction so cannot verify its history from seller.

Ross

[erikofnorway]

Hi Rob

The linner is far from mint. I can see more than you guys on that matter. It has been warn. The chin strap was put on it by me and am not sure about it. I got it from an auction so cannot verify its history from seller.

Ross

If you know it is good, why are you even asking us for opinions? If you are happy with it, that is fine with me.

Erik

[Tsuba]

If you know it is good, why are you even asking us for opinions? If you are happy with it, that is fine with me.

Erik

Hi Erik
The thing is I did not know it was good and was just trying to find out what to look for to suss it out.
Just 10 minutes ago a friend who knows absalutely nothing about Nazi militaria let alone helmets has answered all my questions that no one on the forum could do.
He is a very clued up painter/ builder.
We decided that it was not white washed and that it is acrylic paint. Acrylic was not used untill the 1960s.

Surely someone out there could have suggested that to me or did not one of you experts know this one. Am not suggesting you can tell by the photo that it is acrylic but if you know about paint that would be a good starting point to look at.

Banging on about how it can be made to look old means nothing.

I got burnt on this one but such is life.

[foamspoon]

[quote=Tsuba]We decided that it was not white washed and that it is acrylic paint. Acrylic was not used untill the 1960s.

Surely someone out there could have suggested that to me or did not one of you experts know this one.

quote]

How would anyone be able to tell it is was actylic from the pictures? Thats like finding out it was painted with interior house paint questioning why no one thought of that! You asked for opinions and you received many from members.

There are hundreds of threads like this on the site. People ask for opinions, do not like the answers, ask why and then continue to question the responses.

Bryan

[PAB]

tsuba Why bother posting

[Tsuba]

tsuba Why bother posting

God knows

[Tsuba]

If your interested in seeing if your Camo helmets are Acrylic get some Metholated Spirits on a cotton bud and rub it on the paint. If the paint comes off it is acrylic . Acrylic developed in the 60s.

Hope this is of help.

Ross

[90th Light]

Hello Gentlemen, I would not trust any White-wash helmet. I do not care who has got it or were it came from. 99.9% of them are fake. They are the easiest fake under the sun to do and age. The Germans used any-thing they could get at the at the time including chalk. If it could be removed easy later even better.
When it comes to white helmets you would not know, every-one is guessing.

I can not see what is wrong with the liner however ? Late war pig-skin, used from 1943 onwards. What is wrong with that ? Have have got two from veterans.

My conclusions after lining up all my helmets, Chris

[90th Light]

Ross, I would leave that white on the helmet until some-one has a hands on inspection. There was a whole pile of those helmets sold in Invercargill in the 1970's in the Army surplus store which came out of some store-room in Europe. Most were bought up by the local motor-cycle gang I think they were called the "Antarctic Angles" A friend of mine photographed them all stacked up when they arrived so I will check if there were any white ones. He got a green one with a pig-skin liner. Cost him NZ $20 which is about US $12.

Remember those white-washes were designed to come off again in the spring so who knows.

Will let you know what I find out, Chris

[Greg B]

Ross, One look at the exteria is enough not to even venture looking at the interia. The first point is look at that ware to the exteria..It has the same black contrived ware all over it. A winter camo will show all forms of different ware ie chips,scratches peppering of the paint different rust patina tones from light to dark, crazing and ware to the scull especialy. The helmet edge would have a nice worn patinerd brown edge. And even if you could find one in great condition it would still show the type of ware I mentioned

Heres a pic of a recently aquired camo with what I call the classic ware a camo should exhibit ofcoarse there are all different levels of ware but visulise this ware on a true winter helmet.

Cheers Greg

[90th Light]

A guy who faked Camos told me that after you have scratched, beaten and worn, one of the best ways to age paint was to tie a brick in the helmet and put it on the roof of your house for three or more years. Leave it there for all four seasons, night and day. Then put it in a compost heap for six months or more. Check regularly. Ages them beautifully, rust bleeding and all. He said white was the best, went off like a time bomb and then you can always rub dirty marks in with a bit of grit using sticky rubber gloves.

Scared the hell out of me, Chris

[Daniele C]

[QUOTE=90th Light]A guy who faked Camos told me that after you have scratched, beaten and worn, one of the best ways to age paint was to tie a brick in the helmet and put it on the roof of your house for three or more years. Leave it there for all four seasons, night and day. Then put it in a compost heap for six months or more. Check regularly. Ages them beautifully, rust bleeding and all. He said white was the best, went off like a time bomb and then you can always rub dirty marks in with a bit of grit using sticky rubber gloves.

Scared the hell out of me, Chris[/QUOT:


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