Austrian M18 cut out.

[darryl-P]

I see nothing to indicate an Austrian connection to either helmet. I do not see how one can say that the 66/68 looks like an Austrian helmet from a B&W photo.

Hi Dan,

You should read posts a little more closely. If you re-read my post #13 above you will note that I said [quote]the one on the right is possibly a commercially made Austrian helmet...hard to say without seeing it in better photos...[quote] Note the use of the word "possibly".

That said, it is "possible" to discern WW1 Austrian helmets from photos alone as they are unique in chinstrap lug placement and general overall shape. Just as it is possible to identify helmet shells made by specific makers from WW2...ET,Q,SE, NS, etc.

The two helmets Baer depicts probably are from a limited pre-production run. I am sure some experimentation on already made helmets precluded the actual production at Eisenhuttenwerke Thale for the ET64s. Personally, I have never seen what I thought to be an original WW1 or between the wars commercially made cut-out that I thought was real but I am open to their "possible" existence.

[Lafitte]

Hallo boys!
I think what the helmet on ebay can be a modern fake repaint with a normal nitrocolour for hide the problems of the shell!
Liner band probably are total fake in fact the point of connect in the rear are not like the originals!
The pads and the chin are horribles!
On the question of the austrian made for the m.18 cut off i have my doubts, in lot of years i never see on of this with austrian characteristics, there are lot of problems with the liners and chinstraps in fact the m.18 liner sistem never was used on the austrian helmets made in the post war years foe the strange countries (Finnish later used from Afganistan too etc..) The Bernorfer sistem used oin the bernorfer helmets and Hungarian Type was very similar to the m.18 liner sistem but this was lose like conceit in the 20 years in fact lot of berndofer and hungarian helmets was modified with the pieces of the normal m.17 austrian made helmets (Thale patent).
If austrian made m.18 helmets this must be the mark of factory (AW, BGB, CAS,Star, bear, or Cspel) and wiyh serial numbers of the lot in the top because that are the only sure originals, but never see one before, i remenber what during the war austrian factories never made helmets size 68 and every factory made only one size helmets for mould's problems. Already is it improbable a new made moulds for m.18 out of Thale factory in the 20 years, lot of german and austrian helmets was destroied at the end of the war, too much hight cost for few thousend of new helmets with balistic request.
On ebay sometimes we can see some m.18 helmets with lot of doubts unlucky but if i will be buy one original i prefer a classic ET 64 possibly with withe pads and the right chinstap!

[Charlie_Vaughn]

Thanks for posting the images Darryl. All I can say is the helmets that I have seen, and I have seen both of the ones photographed (not the actual ones but ones just like it) and felt they were authentic. That was years ago and well before the cheap remakes from Pakistan and elsewhere.

I have handled one like that shown on the left that was trench camouflaged - I too thought it a fake because it seemed at first like someone altered a standard M17 to make an ear cut-out, but under close examination it was the real deal and not an altered helmet.

The one on the right I have seen at least twice before - the ones I have seen have had Austrian post-WWI green colors (that light parade green that is lighter than German pre-war colors). They have also had the production run stamps in the crown as found on all Austrian helmets - thus, I concluded based on color of paint, and the markings that they were Austrian. They did not carry a maker code, and thus concluded they were probably commercially produced helmets.

This is all speculation, but the clues (at least to me) indicated "Austrian" rather than German. This is not to say they aren't German though, but they did appear authentic and unaltered. They all carried what appeared to be a pre-war 1930's replaced M31 early dated aluminum liner too - and the second one I handled had the same early green color, but was brush repainted in German pre-war colors and then double decaled (1934-1935 typical style).

I can't say how many there are of these, but the ones I handled are identical to those photographed in the Baer book images.

On side note, I emailed the Austrian seller of the helmet in question and he admitted the helmet had rust pitting that was unrepaired before the post-war applied, thick green paint was applied. He stated the entire helmet was rebuilt but the shell was authentic and found in Austria.-C