Questionable Camos
- Thread starter M45
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M45
Well-known member
To each his own I suppose. To me it's quite obvious from those photos what sets there; a faux 3 color Normandy with an approximation of RAL but falling far short of believability. The supposed red-brown is more like chocolate brown. Near 100% of camo remaining in pristine condition despite heavy rim wear and a few scrapes to rusted/bare metal. Added to all of this is this painted/camoed chickenwire, all for the reasonable price of $12,500 - geezuz, give me a break.
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M45
Well-known member
M40 hkp64 luftwaffe normandy camo sd
http://helmetsofwar.com/2016/06/m40-se64-luftwaffe-camo-sd/
With the advent of the internet we are starting to see more and more camouflage painted helmets popping up as more and more private owners start realizing that these rusty buckets are actually worth something. Here is a great example of a late war painted camo painted helmet with what appears to be first a spray gun based of dark yellow tan followed by crude brush strokes in a reddish brown and dark green for added concealment. The soldier was careful to paint around the Luftwaffe decal which is a dot less textbook SE/HKP version. Fortunately the liner is named (Unteroffizier Wolf “subordinate officer”) and has taken on a darkened brown appearance as is typical of liners made before 1942 when they were using vegetable tanins to preserve the leather (goat, sheepskin, cowhide). Overall this helmet has a great look and feel to it and only some minor surface rust. Sadly it was not purchased with it’s original chinstrap. Very reasonably priced for a LW SD camouflage helmet which typically sell for about 30-40% less than a similar Heer SD camo.
SOLD
http://helmetsofwar.com/2016/06/m40-se64-luftwaffe-camo-sd/
With the advent of the internet we are starting to see more and more camouflage painted helmets popping up as more and more private owners start realizing that these rusty buckets are actually worth something. Here is a great example of a late war painted camo painted helmet with what appears to be first a spray gun based of dark yellow tan followed by crude brush strokes in a reddish brown and dark green for added concealment. The soldier was careful to paint around the Luftwaffe decal which is a dot less textbook SE/HKP version. Fortunately the liner is named (Unteroffizier Wolf “subordinate officer”) and has taken on a darkened brown appearance as is typical of liners made before 1942 when they were using vegetable tanins to preserve the leather (goat, sheepskin, cowhide). Overall this helmet has a great look and feel to it and only some minor surface rust. Sadly it was not purchased with it’s original chinstrap. Very reasonably priced for a LW SD camouflage helmet which typically sell for about 30-40% less than a similar Heer SD camo.
SOLD
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ebeeby
Senior Member
For Crack Smokers Only
What a story. Still live so mods feel free to delete though I don't think anyone here will benefit/suffer from this posting.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/122335366368?rmvSB=true
What a story. Still live so mods feel free to delete though I don't think anyone here will benefit/suffer from this posting.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/122335366368?rmvSB=true
M45
Well-known member
The relatively larger number of period photos showing exotic camos may have an explanation. The German war correspondents who took the vast numbers of photos of Wehrmacht troops may have been understandably drawn to photograph troops with exotic camo schemes on their helmets since they make for more dramatic photos. If true, then these numbers of exotic camo photos would give the incorrect impression that there were many more exotic camos than there actually were and thus the incorrect impression that many more exotic camos actually survived to today than actually did.
Nope, not me deleting it. It stings my eyes a little, but other than that, no suffering.
M45
Well-known member
The term 'exotic camo' is a camo that shows a bit more creativity and attention to detail than most single color or less bold camos. The Italian Front sprayed leaves camo would fit this. I've seen period photos of tiger stripe patterns, dots and other well defined patterns.
The term 'exotic freshie', on the other hand, describes in my mind obviously fake postwar creations that attempt to duplicate period exotic camos but fail miserably to convince.
The term 'exotic freshie', on the other hand, describes in my mind obviously fake postwar creations that attempt to duplicate period exotic camos but fail miserably to convince.
M45
Well-known member
#744 M35 LW Heavy Woodchip Camo
http://www.ghw2.com/topic/54177-744-m35-lw-heavy-woodchip-camo/
A heavy woodchip in Luftwaffe blue/gray. While the vast majority of Ron R.'s collection is fantastic, I don't see how an elaborate camo like this has a chance.
1. Pristine condition of most of the material with near 100% coverage, just a few dings to the top. Most camos were front line or static defense helmets that were being worn, not set on a shelf and forgotten.
2. The Luft blue/gray color was a poor choice for the 'restorer'. It was a factory color and a reissue color. Wood chips are associated with field modified helmets, not factory or depot reissues.
Heavy sweat staining to the liner shows heavy use. The camo shows basically no use (wear disparity).
I suppose the creator got tired of producing Normandy 3-color woodchip camos all day (PJF woodchips) and decided to do a Luft blue/gray. But it really does not make any sense.
A clear example of a popular type of restoration (woodchip) that has fooled camo collectors for decades. Once again, a woodchip texture as it might have appeared fresh off of the drying rack in 1944 but certainly not something that would have survived in such brand new condition after months of combat and 70 years later. (the garage paint splotch is a nice touch)
Notice how most of these have great looking names ?
A fabulous helmet to see in a movie (movie prop) as long as you don't think about it too long.
Rough camo + clean name = perfect helmet ?
How about: rough camo + pristine condition + heavily worn liner + nearly new name + improbable Luft blue/gray = highly questionable reissue.
http://www.ghw2.com/topic/54177-744-m35-lw-heavy-woodchip-camo/
A heavy woodchip in Luftwaffe blue/gray. While the vast majority of Ron R.'s collection is fantastic, I don't see how an elaborate camo like this has a chance.
1. Pristine condition of most of the material with near 100% coverage, just a few dings to the top. Most camos were front line or static defense helmets that were being worn, not set on a shelf and forgotten.
2. The Luft blue/gray color was a poor choice for the 'restorer'. It was a factory color and a reissue color. Wood chips are associated with field modified helmets, not factory or depot reissues.
Heavy sweat staining to the liner shows heavy use. The camo shows basically no use (wear disparity).
I suppose the creator got tired of producing Normandy 3-color woodchip camos all day (PJF woodchips) and decided to do a Luft blue/gray. But it really does not make any sense.
A clear example of a popular type of restoration (woodchip) that has fooled camo collectors for decades. Once again, a woodchip texture as it might have appeared fresh off of the drying rack in 1944 but certainly not something that would have survived in such brand new condition after months of combat and 70 years later. (the garage paint splotch is a nice touch)
Notice how most of these have great looking names ?
A fabulous helmet to see in a movie (movie prop) as long as you don't think about it too long.
Rough camo + clean name = perfect helmet ?
How about: rough camo + pristine condition + heavily worn liner + nearly new name + improbable Luft blue/gray = highly questionable reissue.
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WAF RON R. LUFT BLUE GRAY WOODCHIP WAF.jpg -
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mauser99
Senior Member
Hey don't blame me I was the one who had to tell him it was bad....LOL
M45
Well-known member
3-color woodchip normandy ghw2 - IWF
Although this one was universally accepted at GHW2 and may be nearly so here, my suspicion is that it is a high-end replica with attention to fine detail.
Pros: The 3 RAL colors seem to be true, the wood-chip texture certainly a period concept, the finish is well aged and the camo condition largely matches the worn interior.
Making artificial wear believable is one of the bug-a-boos of the fake kamo industry. If there is nearly none, it could look suspicious. If there is too much it could look suspicious. If there is a sense of repetitive wear/hack marks it could look suspicious. Assuming this camo is fake, after the painting and aging the last thing to be done might be the wear, the chips and dings to make it appear to have seen combat. Every inch of the helmet that is NOT touched by artificial wear will therefore appear in pristine condition. It would take much longer to mark every inch of that helmet with some type of wear, and the 'restorer' would be taking a chance that he would give himself/herself away by making the wear repetitive and unnatural. So that is what we see here, just a small amount of wear in the attempt to make it all believable, a few bits of paint popped off to bare metal with hard breaks, rim paint removed/ heavily gone over, and some rivet and vent paint knocked off of the high points.
Cons: A whole lot of this textured woodchip material is in pristine condition, not one ding, chip, rub mark, scratch, etc... as if it had just emerged from the drying rack back in 1944. But what are the chances that all of that surface area was not touched by ANYTHING for those final months of combat and during the 70 years of handling/storage since ???
The rim and a few high points (rivets, vents) worn to bare metal with a few areas of paint popped off (not worn off) amidst much pristine conditioned paint (with near 100% of camo remaining despite being a front-line/static defense helmet) is the trademark of postwar kamoz.
If camo collectors can understand such unnatural wear and see it as the red flag that it is and not be drawn in by the emotional look and feel of it, they may just have a chance navigating this world of fake kamoz.
Assessment: a first class movie prop. If all war movie helms were made up like this one, we would not have to cringe when we see the goofy stuff portrayed in films as authentic.
We are seeing more camos done by professional artists IMO. Head and shoulders above much of the 'cr@p' seen in this thread, these are not being done by your average garage hobbyist but by people with training on how to replicate things, probably by current or former movie prop artists.
Although this one was universally accepted at GHW2 and may be nearly so here, my suspicion is that it is a high-end replica with attention to fine detail.
Pros: The 3 RAL colors seem to be true, the wood-chip texture certainly a period concept, the finish is well aged and the camo condition largely matches the worn interior.
Making artificial wear believable is one of the bug-a-boos of the fake kamo industry. If there is nearly none, it could look suspicious. If there is too much it could look suspicious. If there is a sense of repetitive wear/hack marks it could look suspicious. Assuming this camo is fake, after the painting and aging the last thing to be done might be the wear, the chips and dings to make it appear to have seen combat. Every inch of the helmet that is NOT touched by artificial wear will therefore appear in pristine condition. It would take much longer to mark every inch of that helmet with some type of wear, and the 'restorer' would be taking a chance that he would give himself/herself away by making the wear repetitive and unnatural. So that is what we see here, just a small amount of wear in the attempt to make it all believable, a few bits of paint popped off to bare metal with hard breaks, rim paint removed/ heavily gone over, and some rivet and vent paint knocked off of the high points.
Cons: A whole lot of this textured woodchip material is in pristine condition, not one ding, chip, rub mark, scratch, etc... as if it had just emerged from the drying rack back in 1944. But what are the chances that all of that surface area was not touched by ANYTHING for those final months of combat and during the 70 years of handling/storage since ???
The rim and a few high points (rivets, vents) worn to bare metal with a few areas of paint popped off (not worn off) amidst much pristine conditioned paint (with near 100% of camo remaining despite being a front-line/static defense helmet) is the trademark of postwar kamoz.
If camo collectors can understand such unnatural wear and see it as the red flag that it is and not be drawn in by the emotional look and feel of it, they may just have a chance navigating this world of fake kamoz.
Assessment: a first class movie prop. If all war movie helms were made up like this one, we would not have to cringe when we see the goofy stuff portrayed in films as authentic.
We are seeing more camos done by professional artists IMO. Head and shoulders above much of the 'cr@p' seen in this thread, these are not being done by your average garage hobbyist but by people with training on how to replicate things, probably by current or former movie prop artists.
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iron bender
750 Press Operator
Another questionable camo
Hmmmm. This was actually my RPB54 about 10 years ago, and I did the camo job on it as it had the Finnish green paint job when I got it. Oh well. I think I sold it for $800.
http://www.ima-usa.com/original-ger...ct&utm_campaign=20170218&utm_content=20170218
Hmmmm. This was actually my RPB54 about 10 years ago, and I did the camo job on it as it had the Finnish green paint job when I got it. Oh well. I think I sold it for $800.
http://www.ima-usa.com/original-ger...ct&utm_campaign=20170218&utm_content=20170218
M45
Well-known member
Rbp54 camo. You did this camo ?? Ever think about doing camo helmets ?
The price is $7500. You sold it a bit cheaply at $800. I know the feeling. I recently sold a postwar M40 helmet blank on Ebay for $100. It has now become an 'original' and selling for over $700.
The price is $7500. You sold it a bit cheaply at $800. I know the feeling. I recently sold a postwar M40 helmet blank on Ebay for $100. It has now become an 'original' and selling for over $700.
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