As worn by The Imperial German army 1916-1918

“German Helmets inc.” offers the finest available completely restored Model 1916 and Model 1918 German helmets.

 Original Helmet shells have been repainted in the correct grey green smooth finish. The liners, specially made by leather craftsmen in Europe are constructed of the correct grades of leather and finished to exact original specifications. The split-pins used to mount the liners are exact reproductions and include the thicker headed one at the rear.

    Each helmet comes complete with correct chinstrap

A note on sizing;

    M1916 liners being a bit more primitive than the later WW2 liners, allow for a wider size tolerance. Meaning simply, bigger heads fit into smaller helmet shell sizes than their WW2 counterparts. In each pad of the liner there is a pocket into which a padding “pillow” can be inserted. These helmets come without “pillows”.  As such, these helmets are slightly oversized. The buyer can add padding as needed. Without padding, a size 66 helmet shell can fit up to a size 7 3/4 hat-size.

A note on condition; READ THIS!!

   I DO NOT restore or sell reproduction M16 helmets. Not at all. I am dealing with original helmet shells which are over a hundred years old. You wouldn’t imagine the types of things that have happened to some of these in the years following the great war. This on top of whatever mayhem they had to endure during the war. In short; I am saying that you should please not expect perfection as far as shell condition. I do my best to remove noticeable dents. (Oddly, the larger ones are easier to remove than smaller ones.)  I do not accept shells which are cracked by either battle damage or post-war mis-use. However sometimes pitting is a problem. I choose not to use any sort of bondo or fiberglass material. I fill in pitting (when it is present) as much as I can with the same type of paint that I use for the surface. Sometimes pitting shows through; especially inside the dome where it cannot easily be worked on. Overall my success is pretty good and most of my helmets have no issues of these sort. But there are exceptions. Again; if you seek perfection; please do not seek it here.

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This is a typical example of the M16 helmets which I have stripped and repainted. This example is a shell size 66. I generally have these available with either of two liner types which are shown below:

These photos show the helmet with the first model which was accepted for mass production in early 1916. It is composed of three leather pads sewn to a leather circumferential frame.

These photos show the helmet with the steel framed liner which was adopted by most manufacturers in 1917; often referred to as the M17 liner.

I love all of the film versions. Neither is perfect but each has something going for it.

M16 helmet Sizes available

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Helmet size 64 (liner size 56-58)     $450.00   AVAILABLE

Helmet size 66 (liner size 58-60)     $450.00   AVAILABLE

Helmet size 68 (liner size 61-62)     $650.00  NOT AVAILABLE

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After years of trying to mix a good set of “Ludendorff 1918” camouflage paints, I finally hit on the right combination of color and matte quality. I am now able to offer in-house made camouflage patterns on M16-M18 helmets. (while my paint supply lasts) 

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I DO NOT deal with reproduction M16 helmets

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People ask me where I get original M16-M18 helmets from. One little-known fact is that in 1917 the Imperial German army gifted a large military aid package to their faltering ally Bulgaria in an attempt to help The Bulagians stay in the war. Among this aid was a couple train-loads of M16 helmets. The Bulgarians continued to use them after the war. They appeared in use also during WW2 and even after Bulgaria came under Communist control, these old M16 helmets continued to be refurbished for use in reserve units and home-guard. As of the 1990s (after the fall of the Iron curtain) they could still be found in number at various military supply depots. After I created “German helmets inc” in 2002, I came into contact with Bulgarian military dealers and secured several hundred M16 shells. I also was able to purchase a good number of M16s and even some M18 Cut-out helmets from US military personnel who found them in storage in Afghanistan in the early 2000s (The last King of Afghanistan had tried to modernize his army along western standards and purchased tens of thousands of M16 helmets from European sources in the 1930s. The remnants of these were still in storage when US soldiers occupied Kabul in 2004). Over the years I have supplemented my stock with helmet shells found at collector shows in the US (which had, for the most part been brought home by returning WW1 veterans). I still have some available but I can see the end of this stock coming over the next few years.

One-off type helmets are listed below

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Restored helmet #440 M16 W66 camouflage helmet

This is an original “W66” shell that  has been stripped and repainted in my special mixed M1916 feldgrau paint. Then I added a typical “Ludendorf” 1918 camouflage pattern. The liner and chinstrap are European-made reproductions. $475.00

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Restored helmet #438 M16 G.B.N.64 Camouflage helmet

What can be better than a Quist M16? How about a Bing brothers M16? This original shell has undergone my restoration process with the addition of a hand rendered “Ludendorf” pattern 3-color camouflage. Well marked G.B.N.64. European made reproduction liner and chinstrap. $475.00

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Restored helmet #437 M15 Adrian, largest shell-size made

Original paint, Original Infantry badge and huge size… This is an M15 made by “Compagnie Colonial” on the inside of the dome (not photographed) it has the maker mark “C-anchor-C” as well as the size designation C-2 which indicates shell size C (the largest of the three shell sizes) and liner size 2 (which indicates the medium of three liners sizes which each shell size accommodates) simply speaking, the helmet is about a liner size 60 or 7 5/8. I wear a size 7 3/4 and the helmet will fit me although somewhat uncomfortably due to that M15s tend to have round shape domes rather than oval shaped (as every other helmet in the world has). The paint is ORIGINAL  factory applied and remains 95% intact. It  has not been repainted; inside or out. The infantry badge is original to the helmet and likewise; never repainted. The liner and chinstrap are new-made reproductions produced in France. I am really enthused to be able to offer this one because I love Adrian helmets and large ones are excruciatingly hard to find. SOLD

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Restored helmet #436 M16 BF62

I know what you’re thinking. The MG gunner insignia looks dorky. But this was patterned almost exactly from an original. (I wish I had a photo of that original but it’s long gone). The helmet is an original size BF62 shell which was stripped and repainted with my special mixed M16 Feldgrau paint.  European-made reproduction Liner and chinstrap. $275.00

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Restored helmet #435 M16  ET64 (NOT REPAINTED)

This ET64 M16 helmet has NOT been repainted. The finish is the original feldgrau sprayed onto this helmet in 1916-1918 at the Eisenhutten plant in Thale. It has the original “64 AK” ordinance ink-stamp applied to the inside of the rear skirt. ( I do not know the purpose of the added numbers “81.0.1” in the rear skirt. They look like some old museum item number or something). The split-pins are the originals that were installed into this helmet at that time. They also have original paint and have NOT been repainted or touched-up. The leather M16 liner and chinstrap are older European-made reproductions. The liner is an example which was available in the 1990s; made in Holland by a retired leather worker/helmet enthusiast. I have not seen a reproduction liner made so accurately since he died more than 20 years ago. This liner is the very last one which I had from back in those days. I was intentionally holding onto it for just the right helmet shell to come along. It’s quality and enhanced aged appearance make it the perfect liner to complete this helmet. The chinstrap is one of the type that I buy from another leather-worker near Prague. Overall, this is the best and most original-appearing “restored” M16 helmet that I am aware of and I  cannot think of one which would be better as a display than this. $700.00

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Restored helmet #434 M16  TJ68

I wish I could take credit for having painted this one. The truth is, I don’t know who did. I picked this helmet up off the table at a Cleveland gun show in 1999. I remember standing there for 10 minutes trying to decide whether or not the paint was original paint. Ultimately, I came to believe that it was not and I still maintain that belief. But WOW, is it a good fabrication. The liner and chinstrap looked newer back then. I bought the helmet because in those days, I thought I might use it for WW1 re-enacting. But I’m too old and fat for that sort of thing anymore. The helmet is an original shell in the largest size the Germans made in M16s. Size 68. I cannot tell exactly the maker but I believe it is a TJ. I wear a 7 3/4 (metric size 62) and it fits me like a glove. The only thing wrong with it is that the drawstring is not very authentic and there are two drawstring holes that have pulled through. If you would like to have an example of the largest M16 with the very best reproduction camouflage on earth, you might want to consider this one-of-a-kind example. SOLD

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Restored helmet #432 M18 ECO ET64

This is an original pre-1919 M18 cut-out helmet. It is correctly marked with the maker ET64. It has a steel lot number stamped inside the dome which falls in the correct range of numbers assigned to the steel lots during the period when these “special model” M18s were produced in the summer of 1918. (the lot number range is R1750 N – R1900 N) This helmet bears the lot number R1852 N. The helmet has no cracks or damage. It has been stripped and repainted in the correct Feldgrau paint. The exterior has been painted over in the standard colors of Green, Ochre and Brown as ordered by the ordinance office during the spring of 1918. The helmet is finished off with a European-made reproduction of the M18 liner/chinstrap assembly. ON HOLD

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Restored helmet #432 M18 “Bell” L 64

This is an original M18 helmet shell which has been stripped and repainted in my special mixed Feldgrau paint. The M18 liner/chinstrap assembly is a European made reproduction. This one is a top-notch restoration. SOLD

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Restored helmet #438 M18 TJ66

This is an original TJ66 M18 helmet which has been stripped and repainted in my special mixed Feldgrau paint. The liner/chinstrap assembly is a top-notch reproduction which is European made. The leather strap has been cut and sewn with leather which is still in the buff, just as they were done originally. Overall a great restoration of a fairly rare helmet. SOLD

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Restored helmet #431 M16 ET64

This is an original m16 ET64 which I have restored using European-made liner/chinstrap as well as my special-mixed three color “Ludendorff 1918” camouflage pattern. You’ll love it. SOLD

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Below is just a bit of WW1 French Adrian helmet trivia regarding the various Manufacturers

Be sure to click on this link check out my other website dedicated to other kinds of Militaria

 

Contact information:

To order or to ask questions:

 E-mail address: wii1944@aol.com

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