Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Army single decal M40 steel helmet manufactured by F.W. Quist of Esslingen, stamped Q64 with lot number T775. It retains an age toned Heer eagle decal, a 57cm M31 liner, complete chinstrap, and approximately 75% of its textured Panzergrau finish. The exterior appears to have received a later period overpaint, with the smoother original finish visible in worn areas and inside the shell.

The stamped steel shell shows approximately 75% of the textured gray exterior finish. Examination indicates that this layer was applied over an earlier, smoother coat of paint, portions of which remain visible on the upper right side and within the interior. The later finish did not adhere evenly in all areas, and service wear has exposed both the underlying paint and, in places, bare steel that has developed oxidation.

The left side carries a Heer eagle decal that remains approximately 60% intact. Its clear topcoat has yellowed considerably with age, giving the decal a warmer appearance that can superficially resemble a Kriegsmarine eagle. Under magnification, however, exposed areas show the aluminum based appearance associated with a Heer decal rather than the bronze toned material used on Kriegsmarine examples.

The shell is stamped on the left interior skirt:

Q64

identifying manufacture by F.W. Quist G.m.b.H. in the German city of Esslingen. Size 64 is a nice smaller 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. The rear interior skirt is stamped:

T775

for the heat lot number.

All three liner retaining pins remain present and retain most of their exterior paint.

The helmet retains its M31 liner with all eight fingers substantially present and the original top tie still in place. Several finger tips are torn or partially missing, and the leather has aged to a chestnut brown color. The leather has the coarse texture commonly associated with pigskin style liners and is completely split through at the forehead where it passes over the inner liner band.

The galvanized steel liner band is marked over the left ear:

64 n.A. / 57

indicating a 57cm liner assembly for a size 64 helmet shell. The leather itself is also stamped:

57

The right side of the liner band carries a faint manufacturer marking:

Metall-Lederverarbeitung W.Z.
????
Bln.- Ch'burg 5

identifying manufacture by Werner Zahn of Berlin-Charlottenburg. The date portion is too faint to read with confidence.

The helmet retains a complete chinstrap with a steel buckle and steel attachment studs. The long section retains all thirteen adjustment holes. The leather shows age related surface cracking and general wear but remains supple and free of major tears.

With its Q64 Quist shell, T775 lot number, layered service finish, age toned Heer eagle decal, 57cm Werner Zahn liner, and complete chinstrap, this is a strong service used example of a German WWII Heer M40 helmet. The paint loss, exposed oxidation, decal chipping, torn liner fingers, complete forehead split, faint liner date, and age cracking to the chinstrap are all fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in a Heer helmet, Quist production, M40 steel helmet, single decal, or advanced German WWII headgear collection.

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.

In 1934 tests began on an improved Stahlhelm, whose design was a development of World War I models. The Eisenhüttenwerke company of Thale carried out prototype design and testing, with Dr. Friedrich Schwerd once again taking a hand.

The new helmet was pressed from sheets of molybdenum steel in several stages. The size of the flared visor and skirt was reduced, and the large projecting lugs for the obsolete armor shield were eliminated. The ventilator holes were retained, but were set in smaller hollow rivets mounted to the helmet's shell. The edges of the shell were rolled over, creating a smooth edge along the helmet. Finally, a completely new leather suspension, or liner, was incorporated that greatly improved the helmet's safety, adjustability, and comfort for each wearer. These improvements made the new M1935 helmet lighter, more compact, and more comfortable to wear than the previous designs.

The Army's Supreme Command officially accepted the new helmet on June 25, 1935 and it was intended to replace all other helmets in service.

More than 1 million M1935 helmets were manufactured in the first two years after its introduction, and millions more were produced until 1940 when the basic design and production methods were changed, replacing the multi-piece riveted vent with one stamped directly into the steel. Later, in 1942 the rolled steel rim was removed from the pattern to further expedite production.