Paper/Cardboard ersatz pickelhauben

Andy be Prussian

Active member
I am making this thread dedicated to my favorite ersatz pickelhauben. Some people refer to them as paper ersatz or even paper maché. Others call them cardboard. Whichever the name, they fascinate me as a substitute material for pickelhauben. Out of all the ersatz materials for them, I have the hardest time finding information on cardboard ersatz. I’ll will share and go into detail the ones in my collection and I welcome any input and information regarding them. Cheers!IMG_1601.jpeg
 
A nice set!
On the material:
-I think the French nailed it: "Carton bouilli"...Described as: pressed into shape [in one piece] in boiling water; dried. [Not to be confused with "papier maché".] Covered with felt or waterproof canvas or -shell lacked. ...."Boiled cardboard...
-Jean-Louis Larcade is using this term in his book chapter on the Probe and Ersatz spiked helmet and in his article in the French "Uniformes" Magazine. He uses this term rather than "papier maché".
-The Germans would have called it "Presspappe".
e.g. Used for manufacturing suitcases. Toys etc...
 

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A nice set!
On the material:
-I think the French nailed it: "Carton bouilli"...Described as: pressed into shape [in one piece] in boiling water; dried. [Not to be confused with "papier maché".] Covered with felt or waterproof canvas or -shell lacked. ...."Boiled cardboard...
-Jean-Louis Larcade is using this term in his book chapter on the Probe and Ersatz spiked helmet and in his article in the French "Uniformes" Magazine. He uses this term rather than "papier maché".
-The Germans would have called it "Presspappe".
e.g. Used for manufacturing suitcases. Toys etc...
Thanks for sharing that info!
 
We’ll start this thread by sharing one of my favorite haube’s in my collection. This particular one seems to have been standard made by an unknown company that utilized cardboard material. Both the cap and visors are made from the material.
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The wappen has a unique look compared to others and I seem to only see them on these particular ersatz pickelhaube. Namely, they have a more stubby beak, a pronounced cheek, and distinctively designed feathers
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The chinstrap is quite interesting. This one seems to be made from a thin, cardboard or paper material, with round cornered buckles. If this is original to the haube, it’s amazing it has survived this long.
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The underside of the haube shows the liner, which instead of leather, is made of oilcloth. It has naturally curled over time and is somewhat delicate. Yet, it has still managed to retain its original drawstring.
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Some up close shots of the ersatz material underneath the haube. These cardboard pickelhauben can be passed over by collectors as regular leather ones at first glance.
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The black plate that goes underneath the pickelhaube was placed right underneath the base plate. This seems to be a common occurrence with these cardboard ones. At some point, someone moved it to its normal spot. A size tag of 59 was put on the black plate and seems to have been glued on with the cardboard pulp.
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What makes this a prized item for me is that this is regimentally marked in a white ink or paint. I’ve seen on another ersatz haube marked this way. This looks marked in an old English font. It’s to the 2nd battalion of the 75th Infantry Regiment. The name Beck is also made written here. The 75th was stationed in Bremen and along with Hamburg and Lübeck, were part of the the old Hanseatic League from Medieval era. They have their own distinctive state cockades, with Bremen having a white, red, white combo.
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