Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive original German WWII Heer M35 double-decal steel helmet manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk A.G., Thale, shell marked ET64 and lot numbered 4156. It retains approximately 80% of its original smooth Apfelgrün, or apple-green, finish, together with strong surviving Heer and national colors decals and its original 1938-dated M31 liner assembly.

The stamped-steel shell retains much of its early smooth finish and presents as a strong prewar-produced example. There is scattered service wear and oxidation throughout, with more substantial paint loss across the top of the helmet where exposed steel has developed surface rust. Despite the wear, there is no major denting or structural damage visible.

The use of the second decal was discontinued in 1940, and in 1943 it was ordered that helmets with the national colors have them removed. The decal on this helmet however escaped that fate, so it still has both decals. The left side of the helmet features a lovely Heer eagle decal, which is retained about 90-95%, showing very minor wear. The right side of the helmet features a national colors decal, which is retained about 85%, showing overall wear and crazing with a black streak stained over it.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is heat lot number stamped 4156 and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer's code and size, ET64 indicating that it was manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany. Size 64 is a nice medium size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 57cm or US 7 to 7 1/8. Size 64 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

All three of the original liner split pins are present, however they have nickel alloy heads, which has caused some of the original paint to wear off. It looks like they may have been repainted during the WWII period. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner with most of its fingers intact, though there is very heavy cracking and some material loss as shown. The leather is now rather stiff and shows very heavy crazing and cracking. It is stained overall, and there are some tears and other damage. The liner band is aluminum, with square aluminum chin strap loops attached to reinforced sides. This is the last pattern before the move to galvanized steel bands, as aluminum was scarce. The left exterior liner band over the left ear is marked for size 56cm, indicating that this is a size 56 liner for a size 64 shell. The right side displays the full manufacture information, as well as a date:

SCHUBERTH-WERKE K.-G.
D. R. P.
1938
BRAUNSCHWEIG

The liner retains a small fragment of the original leather chinstrap, with the buckle intact on one side, but most of both sides is now torn away and gone.

The combination of the ET64 shell marking, lot number 4156, approximately 80% surviving apple-green finish, strong Heer eagle and national colors decals, 1938-dated Schuberth-Werke aluminum liner band, 56cm liner size, and surviving original chinstrap buckle and fragment makes this a particularly strong early Heer M35 example. The liner is heavily deteriorated and should be handled carefully, but the helmet’s original shell, paint, decals, and dated liner assembly remain the principal strengths of the piece.

The German Stahlhelm
The first "modern" steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915 and were shortly followed by the British army later that year. With plans on the drawing board, experimental helmets in the field, ("Gaede" helmet), and some captured French and British helmets the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, (Iron and Foundry Works), in the spring of 1916.

These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. The M16 and M18 helmets remained in usage through-out the Weimar Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era and on into the early years of the Third Reich until the development of the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet in June 1935.

The Luftwaffe pattern national eagle was originally introduced for wear by Fliegerschaft, (Pilot Base), personnel of the DLV, Deutscher Luftsportsverband, (German Air Sports Association), the clandestine, civilian, forerunner of the Luftwaffe on August 18TH 1934, and adopted for wear by the Luftwaffe on March 1ST 1935 along with the national tri-color shield for wear on the helmet.

The first pattern national eagle was utilized until a modified second pattern eagle was introduced in late 1936 or early 1937. Regulations of June 12TH 1940 discontinued the use of the national tri-color decal and further regulations of August 28TH 1943 abolished the national eagle decal and dictated that it was also to be removed from all helmets although the directives were not completely adhered to.