Looking to get my first pickelhaube

Gavin

Gavin

New member
https://ebay.us/m/AIK5av
I was wondering if this looked original and what a fair price would be. Any help is very appreciated and tips for how to identify it as original or reproduction would be very helpful. I have a limited budget so I figured buying one I could slowly piece back together would be good, is this a good idea or should I save to buy a complete one? Thank you in advance
 
I wouldn’t buy that helmet if I were you. It’s already not worth it — the parts will cost more than the shell is worth, and it won’t look good compared to similarly priced alternatives.

Estimated part costs (these are just estimations based on what I’ve seen in my short time collecting); these are also eBay retail focussed:
  • Cockades: ~$120–150
  • Chinstrap: ~$200–300
  • Spine: ~$50–100
  • Wappen - $100
  • The spike is also expensive, and you’ll probably need the pins for it too.
Long story short, this is a money pit waiting to happen. I wouldn’t buy it if I were you. Keep in mind the seller also has a reserve; my guess is around $200. At that price point, you’re already investing so much into the helmet that you might as well spend a couple hundred more and get a nice example you won’t feel the need to upgrade any time soon.

If you don’t care too much about condition and just want a Pickelhaube now, there are better options in the sale section of this website. USSguppy has an okay M95 for sale, for example, that’s much better value for money. He’s also a nice guy and gives his honest opinion on whether he thinks a helmet is right for you.

You’re also supporting members of the community by buying here.

Edit: the M95 is also unit-marked if you find that cool.
 
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Pickle(hauben)Enjoyer said:
I wouldn’t buy that helmet if I were you. It’s already not worth it — the parts will cost more than the shell is worth, and it won’t look good compared to similarly priced alternatives.

Estimated part costs (these are just estimations based on what I’ve seen in my short time collecting); these are also eBay retail focussed:
  • Cockades: ~$120–150
  • Chinstrap: ~$200–300
  • Spine: ~$50–100
  • Wappen - $100
  • The spike is also expensive, and you’ll probably need the pins for it too.
Long story short, this is a money pit waiting to happen. I wouldn’t buy it if I were you. Keep in mind the seller also has a reserve; my guess is around $200. At that price point, you’re already investing so much into the helmet that you might as well spend a couple hundred more and get a nice example you won’t feel the need to upgrade any time soon.

If you don’t care too much about condition and just want a Pickelhaube now, there are better options in the sale section of this website. USSguppy has an okay M95 for sale, for example, that’s much better value for money. He’s also a nice guy and gives his honest opinion on whether he thinks a helmet is right for you.

You’re also supporting members of the community by buying here.

Edit: the M95 is also unit-marked if you find that cool.
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Thank you, it’s a bit of out my price range right now but I’ll definitely keep an eye out on the sale section. Any other sites you recommend? What model would you say would be best? I’ve seen a lot of lower priced ww1 helmets in good condition but I do like the look of the older ones. Would you recommend getting a WWI or saving more for a M95?
 
Gavin said:
Thank you, it’s a bit of out my price range right now but I’ll definitely keep an eye out on the sale section. Any other sites you recommend? What model would you say would be best? I’ve seen a lot of lower priced ww1 helmets in good condition but I do like the look of the older ones. Would you recommend getting a WWI or saving more for a M95?
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Get an M95 — all Pickelhauben are expensive, so you want to spend your money wisely.

By the way, are you sure we’re talking about the same Pickel? The one I’m referring to is actually cheaper than the current highest bid on the helmet you mentioned.

Personally, I prefer the M95s. I think they look more prestigious and decorative than the later models — which is exactly what they were meant to be.
The WWI-era ones (Ersatz and M15) are stuck in this awkward middle ground: they still have that decorative shape, but their muted appearance clashes with it, at least in my opinion.

Here’s the link in case you couldn’t find it:

ussguppy

Thread 'SOLD Misc Parts Shells'

I have too many parts, please PM me or reach out to my email [email protected] if you are interested in anything. Hopefully they can be useful to someone.

M15- Sold
M95- Sold
Rear visors -Sold
Shako Shell/w new liner - sold
French Shako top and front visors -25 total

Gabe

If you plan on getting more helmets in the future, consider chinstraps and cockades as write-offs. You’ll definitely need them again at some point, since many helmets are missing them.

All the repairs are also fairly trivial and easy to do if you’ve worked on stuff before.
 
Pickle(hauben)Enjoyer said:
Get an M95 — all Pickelhauben are expensive, so you want to spend your money wisely.

By the way, are you sure we’re talking about the same Pickel? The one I’m referring to is actually cheaper than the current highest bid on the helmet you mentioned.

Personally, I prefer the M95s. I think they look more prestigious and decorative than the later models — which is exactly what they were meant to be.
The WWI-era ones (Ersatz and M15) are stuck in this awkward middle ground: they still have that decorative shape, but their muted appearance clashes with it, at least in my opinion.

Here’s the link in case you couldn’t find it:

ussguppy

Thread 'SOLD Misc Parts Shells'

I have too many parts, please PM me or reach out to my email [email protected] if you are interested in anything. Hopefully they can be useful to someone.

M15- Sold
M95- Sold
Rear visors -Sold
Shako Shell/w new liner - sold
French Shako top and front visors -25 total

Gabe

If you plan on getting more helmets in the future, consider chinstraps and cockades as write-offs. You’ll definitely need them again at some point, since many helmets are missing them.

All the repairs are also fairly trivial and easy to do if you’ve worked on stuff before.
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Thank you for the link I was looking at the Bavarian one by accident. I’ll definitely try to purchase that, thank you for all the help
 
Gavin said:
Thank you for the link I was looking at the Bavarian one by accident. I’ll definitely try to purchase that, thank you for all the help
Click to expand...
I mean, depends on your budget and how much money you’re earning/willing-to-add each month.

If you add, say $100, per month I would wait and buy a different one instead.

That helmet was really only a suggestion, and you’ll want to upgrade again sooner or later.
 
Gavin said:
Yes, I just want a decent one to start and then expand my collection from there
Click to expand...
That's the way to go, in my opinion. Just keep an eye out here, nice affordable ones do show up here from time to time.
And save up your cash to buy a nice one. The ones you showed will eventually cost you more to get them right, and in fact, parts you think are good for them usually are not fitting. Most parts are of different sizes, finding the right size might be very difficult, especially fittings for the front visor, or the rear back spine. You can buy several ones, before you find one that fits...
Be patient, one will come your way!
 
Gavin said:
Yes, I just want a decent one to start and then expand my collection from
Click to expand...

Glad I could help. That helmet is really a good option — I personally find it quite attractive for a cheaper Pickel.

If you’re serious about this, I’d also recommend looking into some literature.
Other than Kaiser’s Bunker, there aren’t many easy-to-find, high-quality online resources for researching Pickelhauben.

Do you speak French or German? Most of the best affordable research books are in those languages. There’s a thread I’ll link from J. Lebrasseur that helped me a lot when I was figuring out which books to buy. Credit to Khukri as well for the French book he recommended — it’s very cheap and also quite detailed.

I would advise against most of the major English-language resources on Pickelhauben, like Bowman and Johansson. Bowman’s book has been discredited (plus he was allegedly a scammer), and Johansson’s is kinda picture-heavy.

Here’s a link (should be pinned imo):

J.LeBrasseur

Thread 'Imperial German Helmet and uniform reference books'

I thought I would share some info and pictures of Imperial German helmet and uniform books for reference. Been collecting for a long time and accumulated a lot of books on the subject, these are not all I have but most. Some are much better then others and many cost a lot of money, but can save you a ton on making good choices on helmets etc. The views I am stating are my own and others may have other favorites etc.

James

First picture is the must haves IMO



1) By Didier Laine the bible of all the...
  • Like
 
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Pickle(hauben)Enjoyer said:
Glad I could help. That helmet is really a good option — I personally find it quite attractive for a cheaper Pickel.

If you’re serious about this, I’d also recommend looking into some literature.
Other than Kaiser’s Bunker, there aren’t many easy-to-find, high-quality online resources for researching Pickelhauben.

Do you speak French or German? Most of the best affordable research books are in those languages. There’s a thread I’ll link from J. Lebrasseur that helped me a lot when I was figuring out which books to buy. Credit to Khukri as well for the French book he recommended — it’s very cheap and also quite detailed.

I would advise against most of the major English-language resources on Pickelhauben, like Bowman and Johansson. Bowman’s book has been discredited (plus he was allegedly a scammer), and Johansson’s is kinda picture-heavy.

Here’s a link (should be pinned imo):

J.LeBrasseur

Thread 'Imperial German Helmet and uniform reference books'

I thought I would share some info and pictures of Imperial German helmet and uniform books for reference. Been collecting for a long time and accumulated a lot of books on the subject, these are not all I have but most. Some are much better then others and many cost a lot of money, but can save you a ton on making good choices on helmets etc. The views I am stating are my own and others may have other favorites etc.

James

First picture is the must haves IMO



1) By Didier Laine the bible of all the...
  • Like
Click to expand...
I speak some French but I’m not sure I could understand books like that as my vocabulary is limited, as I learn more I will try to pick up some books. I also plan on learning German as it is more useful for the topics I usually research. If you find any other English books that are reputable please let me know.
 
Gavin said:
I speak some French but I’m not sure I could understand books like that as my vocabulary is limited, as I learn more I will try to pick up some books. I also plan on learning German as it is more useful for the topics I usually research. If you find any other English books that are reputable please let me know.
Click to expand...
Some of the reference books are like Rod Stewart's song ; "Every picture Tells a Story , don't it "
I started my collection circa 1970 with 1 book by Col. Rankin. The photos hooked me and Away We Go !
Steve
 
Welcome to the forum Gavin, you have come to the right place as far as buying that first pickelhaube goes. There is a lot of expertise here and we enjoy helping new collectors. A warning though......very seldom does this end with just one of these helmets! :)
 
Welcome, as a relatively new collector as well. I would echo the above comments. The forum is a great place to gain information and educate yourself. You will also pick up some other key info and advice. The market on this forum is a great place to check out and look at good vetted items. My biggest suggestion, if you are tight on money, and a decent pickelhaube will cost you several hundred on the cheap end up to 5K and beyond.
Wappen or the faceplates are a great way to get an item or two and then to build on that for not a lot of money.
This forum has such great members who are willing to educate and pass on a wealth of knowledge.

Enjoy the search, the hunt. Don't feel pressured to buying. Remember, anything that seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Best Regards,
Justin
 
Gavin said:
https://ebay.us/m/AIK5av
I was wondering if this looked original and what a fair price would be. Any help is very appreciated and tips for how to identify it as original or reproduction would be very helpful. I have a limited budget so I figured buying one I could slowly piece back together would be good, is this a good idea or should I save to buy a complete one? Thank you in advance
Click to expand...
The technique is well known on eBay. This type of dealer prefers to disassemble the helmet and sell it as spare parts because it brings in more money. (for helmets of little value). Beginner collectors or those with limited means are prime victims.
 
Hello,
a spiked helmet is worth a lot when it's "untouched", complete and vintage.
A helmet that has been cobbled together, reassembled and completed, is never worth the price of the sum of the added parts. Proof of this is that, as par.... says, some people resell helmets in pieces for pure speculation.
A spiked helmet is very difficult to reassemble. Most of the time, you end up with a "composite", incoherent helmet. Save your money, and buy yourself a helmet in average condition, low-cost, but complete.

And above all, get advice and information BEFORE you buy. There are copies out there, worthless as they are, sold as "authentic" for crazy prices.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
 
Hi Gavin,

I would generally not recommend going for parts helmets as a first piece, including what I have. The intention of those is to strip down to get parts cheaply so a certain type of collector can restore a more valuable or better condition helmet.

If you posted in the seeking section, you might get an offer on a good cheap piece. The hobby teaches a certain amount of patience.

Gabe
 
The best advice I can give (not expertise on Haubs themselves LoL) is based on a few decades of collecting is Patience. We all want that first helmet. But as noted above. Save your money, be patient and participate in the forums. While you build up your war chest (i.e. $$$), you will continue to learn. So when the "right" helmet comes along you will have both the money and the experience to pounce. Good helmets go fast.
 
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