Forgive me if this has been posted, and I know most of you already know this. My analysis of a camoflage helmet, right after the first couple second gut reaction, is the paint. What color is it? Is it oxidized? A couple things I go by:
1) German helmets were camoflage painted with German issue paints and those colors conformed to RALs for the Heer and RLMs for the Luftwaffe. RALs are still used today:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAL_(color_space_system)
2) Camoflage schemes and colors were mandated by order, and on vehicles, equipment, etc., are associated directly with issue dates. Vehicles, particularly tanks, left the factories with extra paint later in the war and issue paints went to the depots to conform colors and camo schemes to orders. These paints were in a paste/powder form to be mixed with petrol and sprayed or wide brushed. Armored vehicle students and modellers have studied his stuff for years. This is worth reading:
http://matadormodels.co.uk/tank_muse...ww2germany.htm
http://www.miniatures.de/html/int/co...al-farben.html
http://www.miniatures.de/html/int/co...lm-farben.html
The picture links at the bottom of this page show period Luftwaffe equipment painted with RLM colors:
http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/luftcamdb_3.htm
3) The common "Normandy" scheme, which is nothing more than a camoflage scheme set forth by order for ALL German AFVs is interesting. The tan/mustard or dunkelgelb 7028 base on helmets is much more "fast" i.e. adhesive, in my experience. It is said that this color is premixed and was NOT usually issued to be mixed. Vehicles left the factory with this factory applied over primer or over the previous grey and vehicles in the field were ordered overpainted with it. The Olivgrün and Rotbraun RALs were for sure issued in paste form to be mixed. I have found those colors to be much less "fast" in some instances. I can tell you first hand that one of these colors has a pronounced lead content and the other two do not.
4) PAINT OXIDIZES! All things oxidize with time unless vacuum packed. Wood oxidizes, leather oxidizes, metals oxidize, and PAINT OXIDIZES. It gets old, loses its life. Guys that restore cars know all about this and the difference in old paints and new ones. It is difficult to "oxidize" paint as 60+ years of the slow effects of age can do. Paint oxidation means the paint "dies", almost like from the inside out. The colors are there, they just look dead. Modern fakes, and paint look bright, fresh, and that should be a warning.
I'm not trying to create arguments, just put information out there for some to review. Make YOUR OWN BUYING DECISIONS based upon all information available, to include opinions, but include opinions from those without a financial interest or other interest in the deal.
If the paint isnt real close to a RAL or RLM (they vary a bit) and the paint looks new, then it probably is.
Kind regards,
Kapt. Krabs
1) German helmets were camoflage painted with German issue paints and those colors conformed to RALs for the Heer and RLMs for the Luftwaffe. RALs are still used today:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAL_(color_space_system)
2) Camoflage schemes and colors were mandated by order, and on vehicles, equipment, etc., are associated directly with issue dates. Vehicles, particularly tanks, left the factories with extra paint later in the war and issue paints went to the depots to conform colors and camo schemes to orders. These paints were in a paste/powder form to be mixed with petrol and sprayed or wide brushed. Armored vehicle students and modellers have studied his stuff for years. This is worth reading:
http://matadormodels.co.uk/tank_muse...ww2germany.htm
http://www.miniatures.de/html/int/co...al-farben.html
http://www.miniatures.de/html/int/co...lm-farben.html
The picture links at the bottom of this page show period Luftwaffe equipment painted with RLM colors:
http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/luftcamdb_3.htm
3) The common "Normandy" scheme, which is nothing more than a camoflage scheme set forth by order for ALL German AFVs is interesting. The tan/mustard or dunkelgelb 7028 base on helmets is much more "fast" i.e. adhesive, in my experience. It is said that this color is premixed and was NOT usually issued to be mixed. Vehicles left the factory with this factory applied over primer or over the previous grey and vehicles in the field were ordered overpainted with it. The Olivgrün and Rotbraun RALs were for sure issued in paste form to be mixed. I have found those colors to be much less "fast" in some instances. I can tell you first hand that one of these colors has a pronounced lead content and the other two do not.
4) PAINT OXIDIZES! All things oxidize with time unless vacuum packed. Wood oxidizes, leather oxidizes, metals oxidize, and PAINT OXIDIZES. It gets old, loses its life. Guys that restore cars know all about this and the difference in old paints and new ones. It is difficult to "oxidize" paint as 60+ years of the slow effects of age can do. Paint oxidation means the paint "dies", almost like from the inside out. The colors are there, they just look dead. Modern fakes, and paint look bright, fresh, and that should be a warning.
I'm not trying to create arguments, just put information out there for some to review. Make YOUR OWN BUYING DECISIONS based upon all information available, to include opinions, but include opinions from those without a financial interest or other interest in the deal.
If the paint isnt real close to a RAL or RLM (they vary a bit) and the paint looks new, then it probably is.
Kind regards,
Kapt. Krabs
). This is a nice kick to one's memory on the proper paint utilized... and IMO provides an interesting and valid foundation for helmet painting. A very interesting study.
However, the chances are so slim as to not warrant serious discussion. No sir, I submit the obvious given the obvious: It is MORE dangerous to allow LOOSE parameters for "camo" painting hucksters to take advantage of. The German military was one of orders and parameters. I respect and understand your point, but you must admit the overwhelming majority of ORIGINAL camoflage helmets fit into "parameters". 
. Fellows, I wasnt aware that the Germans camoflaged their offices. Combat vehicles would have been painted with the prescribed colors set for by order and the prescribed vehicle paints. One doesnt see convoys of German vehicles all in different colors like a Mardi Gras parade. They painted their vehicles dunkelgelb 7028 base coat and camoed them per order because that was the order. Further, offices and buildings and such would not seem to me to be on the front line. We can think of all kinds of unusual circumstances and various excuses, but do they really have much merit? Whitewash, different story. White wherever you could get it, but we arent talking about whitewash, we are talking about painted camo patterns.
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