Now, this is not my most well preserved or most valuable pickelhaube, but still I like it a lot, as it is what it is.
It is an M1895 pickelhaube, all brass fittings. The chinstrap is the M1915 version with steel fittings, but that kind of mismatch is not unusual. The cover is original, and post-1915 as it does not have regiment numbers on the front.
Why do I say practically untouched? It is because the seller made new leather fasteners for the Wappen (Prussian eagle on the front) because the original ones disintegrated when he handled it to take photos of it. Otherwise nothing has been done to it. All original.
The seller said it was his grandfathers bringback, and it had been on a shelf ever since, evidenced by the seams of the visors having ripped because the weight of it has been suspended on the visors for so long. The front visor is only attached by the rivets at the end of the visor trim, and the rear by the backstrap. He was selling the helmet as his father who inherited it had passed away.
Now, you would be astounded if I told you how often I have been offered things that are from a grandfather or great-grandfather. And, though I do feel the sting of collectors greed when offered a unique and sometimes very rare collectible, I always ask thrice whether they really want to sell it… It is a family heirloom, are you sure that it should be sold? Will it not be of interest to your children or their children as a family heirloom? Is the affectionate value not greater than the money you will get out of it? And, I am astounded at how many times the answer is a simple, and repeated, “no”… I would not do the same, and I would not buy if the seller would regret it, but many seem to not care about family history like I do. So, having assured myself that they truly do not care, I buy.
The seller, located in the United States, would not ship overseas. Overseas shipping is scary, and we Europeans are a dangerous bunch, but with the kind help of
A Gustaf Bryngelson
it reached Norwegian shores. (And, being Gus, he included toys for my son and an extra toy for me. One cannot have a better friend!)So, a nice and absolutely good vet bringback helmet came here…
Back in the day, a pickelhaube or a Luger were the most coveted bringbacks. Of course, in 1917-18 when the Americans fought, the Pickelhaube had been superseded by the Stahlhelm, but it was still in use, albeit mostly behind the front, but with the allied advances in late war it is far from improbable that a yank will have gotten his hands on one. (Then there are the war bond helmets, but those are a different thing altogether, and often in near pristine condition still.)
Now, as for pickelhaube covers, the most commonly found are the officers ones that were privately purchased and property of the officer. The issued covers for the Mannschaften helmets are harder to find (though there are an abundance of fakes/repros around). So, though there is a hole in this one, possibly a badge/patch removed, and other wear, it is still a fascinating survivor. I like it. It shows its age, and smells of age too.
So, a pickelhaube that I was happy to include in the collection, one where I can feel the history while handling it (rarely and carefully), and that I don’t regret buying.