SS helmet on e-stand

[Steve Turner]

Interesting to see this thread again! When I first saw it I didn't think the overspray was from an airbrush. Now we know the decals were in fact airbrushed or sprayed on somehow and the chances of those black dots being from the painting process is definitely more likely, as ZAM initially pointed out.

It makes me wonder if whoever did these was using a very cheap airbrush or spray gun. A quality airbrush in skilled hands wouldn't normally overspray black dots like that. I guess it's for the best that the artist was not a little more skilled with his ability to mask from overspray.

Cheers,
-Steve

[bodes]

Apparently Kelly Hicks & Bob Coleman have not changed their mind.

Nor have those who are posting on the heavily monitored thread about the possibility of real champagne decals existing changed their mind.

Nor has anyone who badgered Zam posted an apology to him on this thread.

No effort is being made to determine who painted and foisted the fakes on the community.

In reality, nothing much has changed.

I agree things have not changed very much when it comes to solving the mystery behind these CH-SS helmets.....Same posts being regenerated over and over without a sense that we are moving forward....Bodes

[DonC]

I doubt we will ever find out who did it - anyone who does know more than likely have a fiduciary interest in keeping quiet. Still, it is helpful to keeep these threads out there to warn off others, however. No one knows for sure who was putting out all the high-end named "personality" tunics in the 1980's that are floating around out there still today, either.

Don

[Willi Z.]

Many mysteries in the hobby. We don't know who made the 1000's of fake FJ helmets known as the 'Czech fakes', or all the fake Luftwaffe tropical uniforms, all the fake k98k snipers, the fake badges which plague this hobby, etc, etc. The recent victory is that we nailed the faker of SS camo, especially covers, and we booted him from the forum. But it took effort. We had suspicions, like in many of the above, but it took reaching out to those who had been offered fake covers in exchange for originals. The dealers protected their source, but it took talking to people and getting them to add facts to the suspicions to come forward. Will it stop him from moving fakes? Nope....

All that fake SS camo made these helmets look like child's play in regards to how many $100s of thousands in profit.

Other successes have been the Italian fakers of the M37 FJ helmets (they would sell for $18k and still reside in collections of the 'believers'), or the German sniper scope cans which plagued the sniper collecting community back in the late 90s and that market is till screwed up today. While some in France went to jail, the Australian importer to the US never paid the price but was shunned. These matters are tough to favorably get results.

The point is the hobby always was, and will continue to be, plagued by this. Doesn't mean the noble fight is a waste of time.

[ZAM]

Did i earn now the Nobel Prize in Militaria?

Regards
Dirk

[Daniel.S]

The recent victory is that we nailed the faker of SS camo, especially covers, and we booted him from the forum. But it took effort. We had suspicions, like in many of the above, but it took reaching out to those who had been offered fake covers in exchange for originals. The dealers protected their source, but it took talking to people and getting them to add facts to the suspicions to come forward. Will it stop him from moving fakes? Nope....

All that fake SS camo made these helmets look like child's play in regards to how many $100s of thousands in profit.

Willi, this should actually be made public on the forum. As his book will come out in very close and it might atract more buyers on these covers.

Just a suggestion though.

//Daniel.

[zozole]

I am with Daniel on this one..

[RoyA]

The recent victory is that we nailed the faker of SS camo, especially covers, and we booted him from the forum. But it took effort.

And kudos to you Willi. Great detective work by you and all involved in unmasking the fraud.

[popcorn]

Steve, finally someone has spoken the truth.   I was waiting for someone to make this comment. 

Also careful observation shows that the alleged masked area is narrower at the top that bottom.   This looks more like something was leaning up against the helmet, thus the angle, when the overspray hit, and is more like from a spray can, like painting metal lawn furniture or a bike or something in a garage with cardboard in front of the helmet and some overspray drifted over to an unprotected area of the helmet.  

For this decal type a study should be undertaken as well as party decals before making unfounded accusations of mischief with the decals.   NS and Pocher party decals have a slightly offset swaz.   This decal has not run from spray bleed, it's ink displacement from a roller or flat press.   The closeup clearly shows this as well as how the the ink is laid out on the runes, which is from a press not spray.  

Nick should show closeups at 20 x of the swaz and decal to clearly show its not ink bleed.  But then he's probably had his fill of this thread.    

It almost seems to me that the person who started this thread may have an axe to grind with Nick as well.   I don't know this for sure but I hope not.   It seems strange to me a non helmet non SS decal collector makes a thread out of the blue with nothing but a theory. It just seems malicious to me.

Doug

So the magnified close ups in this thread show the runes are a decal not spray paint but the "new findings" under magnification show it's now paint? The overspray here is not overspray from a painted insignia but accidental overspray but now it is overspray from a painted insignia?

[NCO]

Many mysteries in the hobby. We don't know who made the 1000's of fake FJ helmets known as the 'Czech fakes', or all the fake Luftwaffe tropical uniforms, all the fake k98k snipers, the fake badges which plague this hobby, etc, etc. The recent victory is that we nailed the faker of SS camo, especially covers, and we booted him from the forum. But it took effort. We had suspicions, like in many of the above, but it took reaching out to those who had been offered fake covers in exchange for originals. The dealers protected their source, but it took talking to people and getting them to add facts to the suspicions to come forward. Will it stop him from moving fakes? Nope....

All that fake SS camo made these helmets look like child's play in regards to how many $100s of thousands in profit.

Other successes have been the Italian fakers of the M37 FJ helmets (they would sell for $18k and still reside in collections of the 'believers'), or the German sniper scope cans which plagued the sniper collecting community back in the late 90s and that market is till screwed up today. While some in France went to jail, the Australian importer to the US never paid the price but was shunned. These matters are tough to favorably get results.

The point is the hobby always was, and will continue to be, plagued by this. Doesn't mean the noble fight is a waste of time.

Hi Willi,
Would like to know a little more on this Australian Importer to the US you mention. Can you please shed some light on this or PM if too sensitive to post.
Cheers
NCO

[DTS]

Just read this whole thread.
Here's what I learned:

There are NO experts.
Never say Never.
While Doug brilliantly uncovered this fiasco, it was Zam who said "the emperor has no clothes."

Oh well...

[Kelly w]

To get so hammered and to stay cool about it and then was correct in the end, makes Zam a hero to this helmet community. IF the thread remained open since 2012 he would have gotten many more apologies.

What happened to the helmet?

[Kelly w]

Just read this whole thread.
Here's what I learned:

There are NO experts.
Never say Never.
While Doug brilliantly uncovered this fiasco, it was Zam who said "the emperor has no clothes."

Oh well...

Story is so cool I went over it twice.

[ZAM]

[BobI]

In my mind you did!