New purchase: Prussian Reserve Pioneer Officer.

[Bungo]

Hi all,

Just received my latest purchase yesterday afternoon. A Model 1895 pickelhaube for a Prussian Reserve Pioneer officer, which came to me from a collector in Adelaide.

Beautiful quality, the fittings are very delicate and finely made.

It does need some repairs. The crown is slightly collapsed, which I can repair using b.lorree's advice in the Pickelhauben sub-forum.

However, the cracked and missing laquer is another story. Does anyone have any advice on how (or even if) this is repairable?

Cheers,

bungo

 

[joerookery]

Have you had the eagle off? Or is this one of those with very thin split brackets? Nice cross but I don't know anything about leather repair.

 

[Bungo]

Hi Joe, Thanks. No, i haven't had the eagle off, the split pins at the back look very fragile, I just know if I go messing I will snap them...

 

[joerookery]

I have a wartime model that is very similar. A Prussian Engineer Officer with some war time metals. The chin scales, visor trim, spike, spike neck and rear spine are dull non magnetic metal. The pearl ring is a bright brass color and the spike base is a very shiny magnetic steel. It appear as though the yellow color has left the metal of the chin scales and stars. You can see feint traces of yellow on the stars. I have no idea why the pearl ring is this color but it certainly looks attractive!

Also attached with pins it is by far the thinnest happen I have seen. Certainly original however, the mixture of yellow and silver does not seem to be regulation. Mine is not reserve unfortunately.

 

[Bungo]

I have a wartime model that is very similar. A Prussian Engineer Officer with some war time metals. The chin scales, visor trim, spike, spike neck and rear spine are dull non magnetic metal. The pearl ring is a bright brass color and the spike base is a very shiny magnetic steel. It appear as though the yellow color has left the metal of the chin scales and stars. You can see feint traces of yellow on the stars. I have no idea why the pearl ring is this color but it certainly looks attractive!

Also attached with pins it is by far the thinnest happen I have seen. Certainly original however, the mixture of yellow and silver does not seem to be regulation. Mine is not reserve unfortunately.

That's a good looking helmet Joe. Thanks for sharing.

It's always a relief, no matter how much you research before making a purchase, when you post a pic on the forum here and nobody comes forward saying "What were you thinking, you're a sucker, that's an obvious fake!?!" :wink:

 

[joerookery]

It's always have an individual thing. Let's say somebody points out something glaringly wrong with my helmet. Okay – I would appreciate the opinion. He may be right. It certainly is another opinion to consider but ultimately it is up to me. I like helmets like this. Certainly/definitely not exactly to regulation. For goodness sakes my spiked base is magnetic! I guess I'm okay with someone pointing out how bad my stuff is because I certainly have been burned in the past. Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

[WWI Collector]

A little late, but a nice helmet. Were you aware it is not reserve? It is landwehr. Prussian reserve officers wore the cross on the tail of the eagle. Does not change at all how nice the helmet is.

 

[Bungo]

A little late, but a nice helmet. Were you aware it is not reserve? It is landwehr. Prussian reserve officers wore the cross on the tail of the eagle. Does not change at all how nice the helmet is.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of the difference. Good to know.

 

[poniatowski]

Nice helmets guys! I have a Prussian EM Pioneer, but not an officer. With money the way it is right now, it's on my 'to (never) get' list. :wink:
Joe, I have an idea about the pearl ring, with that helmet being war time... Johann (the officer) goes into CE Junker and says, "I'd like the spike with the pearl ring around the base..." (only in German) and the CE Junker guy says, "We have silver spikes, but only the gold rings. We can fit one on for you if you like." Either that, or like the thin gold plate on the stars, the silver went bye-bye.... precipitated over time as it were.

Ron

 

[b.loree]

Joe....I have often seen this on these mid war helmes with the zinc fittings with brass/gold??? wash. Some bits of the old pre war brass are still around, like your P-ring, others are not so they go with the zinc. My Garde officer has all zinc washed fittings except for (thank God) the wappen which is pre war quality brass. So, this is all perfectly legit and has been discussed previously. There are countless combos of brass and zinc fittings on officer helmes. My pioneer officer helme came with...pre war quality wappen, rear spine and thin chin scales. The spike is totally erzats zinc. The pearl ring kept its silver wash. It just occurred to me that sun light may have played a role here...those erzats parts most exposed lost their finish. I know for a fact that if you have an erzats scew off spike, and take it off the finish underneath will be pristine. A conjecture on my part. Anyway, these grey fitting officer helmets are totally correct just as are the WW2 Nazi pot metal badges, sword fittings etc.