Opinion on Heer M40 WHITE Camo 1 Insign

[RoyalDragon]

Pics

[RoyalDragon]

pics

[WalterB]

Decal is okay, but the winter camo sucks...as our fellow Brits would say...bollocks.

[blau250]

Shell, decal, chinstrap and liner ok. Camo paint is postwar. The original fieldgrey paint is almost totally gone. See internal paint near the liner...If the camo were period applied it should have the same aspect. Fake camo for sure.

[NARVIK1940]

I don't know how anyone can determine that this paint is postwar. It is ugly, but could be period in my eyes. There are things I like about the paint, for sure. Not a one looker, either way.

[Paul.B.]

I don't know how anyone can determine that this paint is postwar. It is ugly, but could be period in my eyes. There are things I like about the paint, for sure. Not a one looker, either way.

My thoughts exactly Scott.

[RoyalDragon]

Thank you for all your comments. The white paint seems you do not seem original!!!! Having the chance to have the helmet in hand, I can not believe that this painting is after the war. I fully respect all your criticisms and appreciations but the patina of this painting does not seem possible for me to reproduce. Thank you again to you but I wanted you to share your impressions of the white camouflage found in flea and has never been in collection
Mathieu

[RoyalDragon]

pics

[stefano c]

post ww

[danmark]

This can be painted 50 years ago ( 1963 ) and now in 2013 it looks old like it was painted in 1943 ....but it is STILL not painted in wartime IMO.

[panzer1432]

This can be painted 50 years ago ( 1963 ) and now in 2013 it looks old like it was painted in 1943 ....but it is STILL not painted in wartime IMO.

I agree. IMO post war.

[NARVIK1940]

I am getting a reputation for defending questionable helmets. I suppose that lowers my credibility in some folks eyes. I am not really defending, I just think this one should not be written off given the quality of the pictures. Since the decal is good, and the leather is good, I am not convinced that the paint is bad. Like I said, there are things I see that look good. It is just the wrinkled paint that puts people off, I think, as it looks like latex over a rusty shell. Could be, might not be.

I agree this is not a one looker. I see why people do not like it. I do not agree that the rust is necessarily coming through the paint (as if new paint was applied over a rusty shell). It requires a close up analysis to see what is going on there. Also, I do not think this is latex postwar paint. I have seen this kind of wrinkling in period white paint before.

Here is a period medic I own with some of this "bunching" of white paint. Not as severe, but a reminiscent pattern. Also, we have seen medic helmets with this kind of scaled or bubbly texture in the paint, as well. At least one I can think of that many experts think is the real deal that Jeremy had for a while.

IMG_1372.jpg

Frankly, this helmet featured at the start of this thread will probably never be proven one way or the other. Like all controversial helmets without clear evidence of fakery or authenticity, some will like it and some won't. I wouldn't want to own it for that reason (unless I can get it cheap and analyze it in detail!).

Here is a snow camo from Norway, that was in a boat house for many decades. Note how the paint has chipped off and shows bare metal. Some might think this was painted over rust, as well. Note the bubbling in the paint. Also the bare spots that are rusted with no underlying paint. However, I think most can see this is an authentic, albeit salty, snow camo.

DSC_5446.jpg

Anyway, the paint is old on the featured helmet. Not new IMO. The rust I see is bleeding through small holes pr chips in the paint, not from underneath it, from what I can discern.

I have a Japanese snow camo that is reminiscent of this one in terms of the flaked off areas with rust and no paint underneath. But Japanese helmets do not have the same kind of factory paint so the comparison is probably not relevant.

[paul.j]

helmet

"Since the decal is good, and the leather is good, I am not convinced that the paint is bad" must be good then - no faker would ever think to paint over an original helmet

[NARVIK1940]

I just remembered a tan camo I dug out of the woodwork in Norway years ago. At first glance one might speculate that the paint was done postwar over a rusty shell. Until you see the decal peaking through the paint where it is chipped and the factory paint is gone.

DSCN3085.jpg

DSCN3099.jpg

[NARVIK1940]

[ATTACH]2623169[/ATTACH]

Thus, I react with caution when I see comments about helmets like this, as I am not easily swayed by such arguments regarding paint texture and rust.