Original Item: One of a Kind. This is an incredibly scarce, all original example of a German Model 40 Steel helmet, as issued to the Luftwaffe (Air Force). The helmet has a period burlap sack applied to the exterior with a German foliage net securing it. There is just enough open around the decal to show it is a Luftwaffe helmet, though we are unsure if this tearing of the burlap was done period or later by a collector to confirm the decal. The foliage nets were used to attach pieces of foliage to the helmet for a greater camouflage profile. From the small bits we can pull up to check the paint, it appears the helmet itself was repainted in the field and given a great textured paint before the burlap was applied. This is one of the few times that we have ever had one of these! This is a very nice example of the M40 helmet, with a great look that is impossible to duplicate. 

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is batch number stamped 12230, and the interior, left side, apron has a stamped manufacturer's code and size, hkp64 indicating it was manufactured by Sächsische Emaillier und Stanzwerke A.G., Germany. Towards the end of the war, the SE marking was discontinued in favor of three letter code "hkp", and later this was moved to the rear skirt. 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.

All three liner retaining pins appear to be intact, however due to the burlap we cannot check their exterior. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner, with all eight of the original fingers intact along with a worn original top tie. The leather is still soft and supple, and has a lovely light brown color, showing a bit of staining around the edge, and is marked with the size 56 on one of the fingers. The liner even retains the original pad drawstring which is still strung through all eight fingers. The outer side of the galvanized steel liner band is marked 64 n.A / 56, indicating that it is a size 56 liner for a size 64 shell. The right side has the maker information stamped, however unfortunately the rope is getting in the way of reading it fully. We could however see "W.Z." sideways on the right side, which indicates production by the metal and leather working company Werner Zahn, based in Berlin - Charlottenburg. The chinstrap on this example is no longer present.

The issue Jute helmet net has been shortened, as these were originally large enough to fit over the soldier’s face. This example has had the net shoved up under the liner in order to secure it and the net. This is a German issue helmet net, one of the only ones we have ever had.

Overall, this is a phenomenal M40 Luftwaffe helmet with a stunning period-applied burlap sack and foliage net. M40 helmets of this quality are always the hardest to find on the market. This is an item that will only continue to appreciate in value over time.

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.

The M1935 design was slightly modified in 1940 to simplify its construction, the manufacturing process now incorporating more automated stamping methods. The principal change was to stamp the ventilator hole mounts directly onto the shell, rather than utilizing separate fittings. In other respects, the M1940 helmet was identical to the M1935. The Germans still referred to the M1940 as the M1935, while the M1940 designation were given by collectors.

The last wartime upgrade to the standard helmet took place on 6 July 1942 at the request of the Army High Command. The rolled edge found on M1935 and M1940 helmets was discontinued as a measure of economy. On 1 August 1942 the first M1942 helmets were placed into production, and this was the model produced until late in the war, when most factories were captured or stood idle due to material shortages.