Helmet Advice

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CanuckReenact
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Location: Canada

Helmet Advice

#1

Post by CanuckReenact » 30 Mar 2020, 05:02

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone has experience with this website. http://www.dimsrestoredcombathelmets.com/
They have some decent restored Axis and Allied helmets for a fair price and I was thinking of buying one if their legit.

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Mark in Cleveland, Tn.
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Re: Helmet Advice

#2

Post by Mark in Cleveland, Tn. » 31 Mar 2020, 03:45

Scrolled the USA M-1 helmet catalog, YUK is my opinion as to what is offered and price.M-1 lids are NOT rare, get some at any local flea market, antique mal or various www sites and do a paint job yourself. As for the German WW2 lids, ehhh, buy an originbal intoucjed, you will be happier that a BS redo


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fusilier1944
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Location: Buffalo, NY

Re: Helmet Advice

#3

Post by fusilier1944 » 01 Apr 2020, 15:55

I took a look at the German helmets. A few things I noticed were suspicious. On the “German Helmets - small sizes” the helmet listed as M35 ET62 #7 the site mentions that they have modified a larger size line to fit in a smaller helmet so a bigger head fits. I am suspicious of that.

On medium helmets M42 _64 #108 is an admitted relic repaint. It looks ground dug. Not sure how many single decal M42 helmets the Germans made but I wasn’t aware they did. There are others that are relic helmets listed that I think are quite expensive for what they are.

The liners look OK and look better than Chicom versions.

Looking at prices that site is in Australia. So 1AUD = 0.87CAD = 0.61USD today. Consider the shipping cost too. Depending on how handy you are I would suggest buying an M40/55 from the Finnish stocks. Myself and friends have purchased these from IMA-USA (who ship internationally) for between $50-100. Some of these are actually wartime produced & reissued. Others are postwar made on the same equipment. Luck of the draw when ordering. A friend actually was sent an M42 by IMA.

The problem is they have extra holes drilled for the Finnish liner. If you can fill or weld these then it’s a matter of stripping paint, repainting correct color, and installing an accurate liner. I did this for myself at less than 135USD. And have a better sense of pride in it. Just be sure to order a size larger, IMA sizes the helmets on the Finnish liner stamp not German helmet size & those liners were different so bigger ones fit in smaller helmets. HTH.

CanuckReenact
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Re: Helmet Advice

#4

Post by CanuckReenact » 05 Apr 2020, 08:29

Thanks for the advice! I agree with you guys, after some consideration that website does seem pretty suspicious. I did try using the Finish M40/55 and they are pretty good but I've only seen IMA sells them and they tend to overprice their products such is the case with their original shells where different models of helmets that are the same size are priced the same and besides I prefer originals just because over time they will increase in value and who doesn't want an original.

CanuckReenact
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Location: Canada

Re: Helmet Advice

#5

Post by CanuckReenact » 05 Apr 2020, 09:03

Luckily I was able pick up a nice m35 se66 for a 400 CAD including shipping which is roughly 280USD. Definitely far better than what IMA is offering for a M40 or 42 in that same size, considering that M35s are much harder to acquire than the other two models.

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fusilier1944
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Re: Helmet Advice

#6

Post by fusilier1944 » 05 Apr 2020, 16:30

Good choice. You’re definitely right that your M35 will be more valuable as it’s obviously a wartime shell. And IMA is a crap shoot for what they actually send and whether it will fit. Now be sure to get a good quality liner, not a cheap one. You'll be thankful in the long run with your complete set up.

CanuckReenact
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Location: Canada

Re: Helmet Advice

#7

Post by CanuckReenact » 06 Apr 2020, 05:50

fusilier1944 wrote:
05 Apr 2020, 16:30
Good choice. You’re definitely right that your M35 will be more valuable as it’s obviously a wartime shell. And IMA is a crap shoot for what they actually send and whether it will fit. Now be sure to get a good quality liner, not a cheap one. You'll be thankful in the long run with your complete set up.
Thanks! I'll be sure to treat that shell right.

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