Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely original example of a Model 1935 German WWII helmet with a single Luftwaffe Eagle decal, 57cm Liner, and partial chinstrap. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet still retains much original lightly textured Luftwaffe Fliegerblau (flyer's blue) paint, which utilized aluminum oxide as a texturing agent. The texture was usually not seen until wartime, so it is possible that the helmet was repainted during the war. There is scuffing and some scratches from service, giving it a great "been there" look. The interior paint is a bit better retained, particularly under the liner. The original Luftwaffe eagle decal is still retained at about 50%, showing a lovely aged toned color due to the enamel top coat yellowing with age. The left "wing" is completely missing, and there is wear to the other parts, as shown in the pictures.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is serial number stamped 1234 and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer's code and size, Q64 indicating that it was manufactured 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.

All three original liner retaining pins are present, however they look to have nickel plated heads, which has caused a good amount of the original paint to flake off of all three. We also noticed that they were painted using smooth flyer's blue paint, so they are probably from when the helmet was originally produced. The interior of the helmet still has an original M31 leather liner present, with all 8 fingers still present and fully intact, still retaining the top tie string. The leather is stained and shows wear, but is still supple with no tearing or dry rot. The galvanized steel liner band is marked on the left side with 64 n.A. / 57, indicating that it is a size 57 liner for a size 64 shell. It is also maker marked and dated on the other side:

SCHUBERTH - WERK K.-G.
D.R.P.
1940
BRAUNSCHWEIG

The attached chinstrap has a steel buckle side retained by an aluminum stud, while the longer section is retained by a steel stud. The longer section also only has three of the original size adjustment holes present, so it has lost a significant amount of lengthy due to the leather cracking and tearing. We did notice that it is maker marked on the brown side with H. Sattel KG / München / 1942.

Overall an very good condition genuine M35 Single Decal Luftwaffe helmet, with a patina that is impossible to duplicate! 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.