Authentic SS Helmet?

[basilts]

Hi, hoping to get opinions from some experienced people here. I bought a 'SS helmet' in a antique store in Utah in the 1990s for about $700. I believe I was told that the shell was authentic but the liner was repro. About 10 years ago, I was told that 99% of SS helmets were fake, and I assumed I had been duped and boxed it away. However, after seeing a helmet almost exactly like mine on IMA-USA, I pulled it out and compared it to helmets on various websites. To my amateur eyes, it looks pretty authentic, but I would appreciate any thoughts. It's hard to read, but I'm pretty sure its either a 'ET64' or 'EF64' M42, lot 3634

[Mark in Cleveland, Tn.]

IMA-USA??? Bahahhaha for one thing..

[von thoma]

Hello basilts;

Welcome to AHF

This decal doesn't match in correct size, and entry too much in the lower flank of the helmet, fact unusual in this kind of german helmet

IMHO is not an original SS decal for a M42 helmet

[eindhoven]

Welcome to WAF.

To provide you with some detail you can work with, the helmet style is an M-42 with unfinished unrolled rim differing from the M35/M40 helmets. This was done to reduce the manufacture time of each helmet. Nice example. IMA-USA did indeed sell some original shells that had been repainted, redecaled, and refurbished. Here is a better link for research into this area if you choose to specialize in collecting WW2 German helmets.

https://germanhelmetvault.com/ss-helmets/

Based off the vent position on the helmet I would say this is an EF and not an ET (CKL) 64 M-42. EF were stamped by Emaillerwerke A.G. / Fulda. I will have to disagree with Von Thoma here as I believe it stands a chance of being okay and ET style decals are found on EF shells. Pictures of the markings inside and a straight on of the decal, not angled and outdoors in sunlight on a white backdrop like the sample images below. Isolate your subject. Indoor lighting is not ideal.

Here is an EF64 Lot 2244 owned by the well known helmet collector KenB with ET style decal. Not the toning. Straight on of the 2nd type decal.

1.jpg (46.31 KiB) Viewed 4869 times

8.jpg (117.99 KiB) Viewed 4869 times

And here is yours against a known original from KenB. See above on redoing your images.

Cheers!

[eindhoven]

Here is your decal, bordered in red, superimposed on an known original with some transparency. Dimensions seem a fit to me given I had a to work with an image that is not straight on which is how you should always photograph decals on any German helmet.

8 copy.jpg (116.76 KiB) Viewed 4843 times

Anyway more opinions are needed besides one 1 thumbs up, 1 thumbs down.

Best to you.

[Mark in Cleveland, Tn.]

eindhoven... Excellent reply with much needed facts.thank you for taking the time to inform everyone

[eindhoven]

After doing some more work I have to change my assessment and second Von Thoma. These are never easy when not in hand and with less than ideal images. The break at the bottom of the runes does not look right, there are some slight dimension issues with the decal fakes have comparing this to other known originals. Round bottom fake is the verdict. Very close but sadly not a real ET decal on an EF which is documented to have occurred. Take comfort in the fake the finish and shell appear good war time that someone embellished with a bad decal. Very common.

Thanks Mark. Knowledge shared is knowledge not lost.