Questionable Camos

[M45]

Item 781 M42 single decal army camouflage helmet

http://www.germanhelmetsinc.com/helmetssale.htm

This is a Ckl66 single decal army helmet with a steel lot accountability number in the 2600 range indicating it's likely production date in the spring of 1943. The decal is a textbook ET variant used as factory application at the Thale plant. It remains 95% intact. The helmet had been brush painted with sections of tan paint covering about 70% of the helmets surface in an irregular pattern. 95% of this paint remains intact. The soldier to who this helmet was issued had one of those eastern European names which is not easily pronouncable to Americans (me being one of them) but he put his name on both the liner and the rear helmet skirt. The liner shows only moderate wear and the chinstrap is' by all indications original to the helmet. Overall this one is a real stunner on the shelf. $3400.00

Another type of questionable camo that utilizes the factory paint in it's scheme. Of course this was done wartime as well and collectors should be aware that it is being done postwar to 'jazz-up' a helmet. This one has that vibrant, exotic look to it; something that very much appeals to camo collectors. What are the chances that something this nice was not 'collected up' decades ago. What makes you think that YOU are going to find such a treasure in this day and age at such a bargain price ?

It has a nice well-distributed minor wear and that 'used but not abused' look that we want to see. What we do NOT want to see is much of that nice camo paint worn off from actual combat like many authentic examples show.

An $1100 helmet jazzed up can fetch about 3X it's value; nothing like the 10X + that sham-pain ruin SS helmets made but still significant, IMO.

 

[Hambone]

http://www.germanhelmetsinc.com/helmetssale.htm

This is a Ckl66 single decal army helmet with a steel lot accountability number in the 2600 range indicating it's likely production date in the spring of 1943. The decal is a textbook ET variant used as factory application at the Thale plant. It remains 95% intact. The helmet had been brush painted with sections of tan paint covering about 70% of the helmets surface in an irregular pattern. 95% of this paint remains intact. The soldier to who this helmet was issued had one of those eastern European names which is not easily pronouncable to Americans (me being one of them) but he put his name on both the liner and the rear helmet skirt. The liner shows only moderate wear and the chinstrap is' by all indications original to the helmet. Overall this one is a real stunner on the shelf. $3400.00

I'm not down on this helmet, or rather, I certainly wouldn't write it off on internet pics.

 

[Ruffin]

M42 Normandy

Here's a size 68 M42 Normandy repaint I just completed. This is typical of my work which you should now be able to recognize.

 

[Ruffin]

M40 Woodchip Camo

M40 ND with field gray wood chip textured paint. Interior also repainted. Fitted with original liner. This one is hard to spot as a fake.

 

[nirvana]

"it is by all indications original"

That's somes strange wording. "I'm saying that it's original, but I'm not saying that it's original."

 

[Hambone]

Thank you Ruffin. This is very educational and enlightening.

 

[M45]

"it is by all indications original"

That's somes strange wording. "I'm saying that it's original, but I'm not saying that it's original."

-By every indication; this decal was period applied.

-the chinstrap is by all indications original to the helmet

Yes indeed strange.

 

[Ruffin]

Fake decal crazing

Crazing on a decal is generally a good sign that it's real but be aware this can be faked too. Here's one of my "experiments". Not perfect, but with a little more practice this can be made to look pretty realistic. Of course, if you know your decals you can spot fakes that way too. Note the tool marks in the paint chip on the left. Got a little sloppy on this one.

 

[Frank F.]

Crazing on a decal is generally a good sign that it's real but be aware this can be faked too. Here's one of my "experiments". Not perfect, but with a little more practice this can be made to look pretty realistic. Of course, if you know your decals you can spot fakes that way too. Note the tool marks in the paint chip on the left. Got a little sloppy on this one.

That looks like something that would happen when you put acrylic paint on top of an oil based surface. Is that what you are doing?

F.

 

[Ruffin]

That looks like something that would happen when you put acrylic paint on top of an oil based surface. Is that what you are doing?

F.

Good guess. I will say that it's a chemical process.

 

[Frank F.]

Good guess. I will say that it's a chemical process.

'k. If it's not water and two components working against each other — what's your juice? An acid?

F.

 

[M45]

NEW! Item 786 M35 Single decal army helmet

http://www.germanhelmetsinc.com/786M35 army0001.JPG

This M35 ET 64 helmet originally left the factory as a double decal helmet. It was repainted at some point after that; most likely to conform to M1940 specifications. Later it was painted again in a very matte paint job with saw dust mixed in for added texture. The decal was masked off in both instances. It is a factory applied ET style which rates at 98%. The national color shield appears to be under there some place as you can see portions of it in relief. The acceptance stamp inside the dome is dated 1939. You can see the dark shade of the first overpaint on the inside skirt. It ends at the liner-frame. Overall a very nice example of a combat helmet. $1950.00


It could be called a 'questionable sawdust reissue', the condition is if it had just emerged from a reissue depot in 1940 and entered the Twilight Zone to pass through time almost completely unscathed- pristine condition paint all around. The only serious wear that I can see is the heavy chipping on the airvent. (Now why did that airvent take such a beating when almost nothing else did ? It must have hit the time machine portal on its way in/out)

 

[Eurofighter]

We should all feel gracious here at k98k that someone like Rex, so experienced in camo restorations making some of the best out there, has chosen to post his work and help us to navigate the questionable camos minefield.

I must agree, that the fact that he is highlighting his work is invaluable. The work he does is exceptional and could fool most collectors.

As decals have been talked about and if indeed 'Ruffin' is reading, I would like to ask him, if in his experienced opinion these two decals have been chemically 'worked' on or if they are original. They are both from the same ET66 helmet.





Thanks for your time,

EF

 

[mauser99]

I must agree, that the fact that he is highlighting his work is invaluable. The work he does is exceptional and could fool most collectors.

As decals have been talked about and if indeed 'Ruffin' is reading, I would like to ask him, if in his experienced opinion these two decals have been chemically 'worked' on or if they are original. They are both from the same ET66 helmet.

View attachment 126547

View attachment 126548

Thanks for your time,

EF

You need to remember what he is replicating are real items. That's what fakes or forgeries are. Copies of real items. So that's where the real hard work comes in.. I own a lot of helmets and I have none with this amount of crazing. But, I have seen known originals with that much crazing. Its not common to have heavily crazed decals IMHO.

 

[Ruffin]

I must agree, that the fact that he is highlighting his work is invaluable. The work he does is exceptional and could fool most collectors.

As decals have been talked about and if indeed 'Ruffin' is reading, I would like to ask him, if in his experienced opinion these two decals have been chemically 'worked' on or if they are original. They are both from the same ET66 helmet.

View attachment 126547

View attachment 126548

Thanks for your time,

EF

Hi EF -

From what I see, I don't believe the decals you posted are chemically altered.

Ruffin

 

[Ruffin]

'k. If it's not water and two components working against each other — what's your juice? An acid?

F.

It's a trade secret.

 

[Hambone]

It's a trade secret.

I'm glad that it is.

 

[Ruffin]

M38 in a box

Here's another FJ Werke para helmet that I painted and aged a number of years ago. Liner and straps are aged repros as well. Fairly convincing. Mike Despres made the BEST repro paras I have ever seen but he's no longer in business. His shells and liners were almost perfect.

 

[Hambone]

Back in the day what would happen is that the young "nephew of the vet" would walk that M.38 camo around in a paper bag so that there would be no doubt that it was a helmet to the door vultures. The "mail home box" would be left in the trunk in the parking lot. Then, during the pitch, there would be "I have the box Great Uncle Bob sent it home in out in the car, would you want that?". The price would be up there, but a real deal to make greed override caution, like $5,000.00 or $4,500.00 because the "vet's nephew" was "told it was worth $5,000 to $6,000." The "vet's nephew" would then say he was leaving and there would be a scramble to buy it, but there wouldn't be enough expertise immediately available to evaluate it. Again, greed and "need" would override caution and the sale would be done.

Later, this would then show up as an "out of the woodwork vet mail home FJ helmet direct from the vet's nephew!". "Wow" , " " , "one looker!" And it would have to be real because it "came direct from the vet"......much like some shampain ruin lids

 

[Ruffin]

Back in the day what would happen is that the young "nephew of the vet" would walk that M.38 camo around in a paper bag so that there would be no doubt that it was a helmet to the door vultures. The "mail home box" would be left in the trunk in the parking lot. Then, during the pitch, there would be "I have the box Great Uncle Bob sent it home in out in the car, would you want that?". The price would be up there, but a real deal to make greed override caution, like $5,000.00 or $4,500.00 because the "vet's nephew" was "told it was worth $5,000 to $6,000." The "vet's nephew" would then say he was leaving and there would be a scramble to buy it, but there wouldn't be enough expertise immediately available to evaluate it. Again, greed and "need" would override caution and the sale would be done.

Later, this would then show up as an "out of the woodwork vet mail home FJ helmet direct from the vet's nephew!". "Wow" , " " , "one looker!" And it would have to be real because it "came direct from the vet"......much like some shampain ruin lids

Man, this is such an accurate description of what HAS happened many times in this hobby - pretty much since it began. Then, if the guy who fell for the con is a "big time" collector or dealer, he and his cronies will shout down anybody who raises doubts about the authenticity of the item he bought. Champagne runes is a perfect example as are many camo helmets.