Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice all original extra small Model 1935 German WWII helmet WITHOUT DECALS. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains about 80% of an original field re-paint, and definitely looks to have seen long service. It looks to have been arsenal refitted during the war. This was definitely a helmet that saw significant use during the war, with a great patina of age. If you were looking for a helmet with lots of history for your collection, this is it!

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron has a heat stamp which is completely covered with paint, and cannot be read. The interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer's code and size, [N]S60, indicating that it was manufactured by Vereinigte Deutsche Nikelwerke, of Schwerte, Germany. Size 60 is the smallest shell size produced during the war, and can accommodate liners from 52cm to 53cm or US 6 1/2 to 6 5/8. Size 60 shells are VERY hard to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector

Examination of the shell shows that there is a name scrawled into the paint on the rear right side in cursive script: Fred Garnhart or Gainhart. There also look to be the initials F. A. G. scratched on the underside of the front brim. We do not know if this is the name of the soldier that wore it, or whether it is the name of the soldier that captured it. The smaller size also suggests possible use by a member of the HJ National Youth Association late in the war. Definitely some great research potential here!

All three original liner retaining pins are intact and still retain most of the original paint. The interior of the helmet still has an original M31 leather liner with all eight fingers present, showing only light wear and overall discoloration due to age. The top tie could possibly be original, or a period replacement. The outer side of the galvanized steel liner band over the left ear is marked 60 n.A / 53, indicating that this is a size 53 liner for a size 60 shell. The other side of the band has the full National Business number marking and date:

RBNr. 0/0256/0038
1944

This liner is definitely a later war replacement, possibly added when the shell was repainted for further service. There is a chin strap attached to the loops, however it is not a German WWII type. We do not know if it is a late war Ersatz replacement, or whether it was fitted post war, but it definitely shows quite a bit of age.

Overall a very good condition early production extra small M35 German WWII helmet! 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 TR 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 was given by collectors.