The Pickelhaube
The M15 Pickelhaube
- Model 1915 Infantry Mannschaften Pickelhaube
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| The M15 Pickelhaube (Prussia) |
No collection of Great War helmets can really be complete
without a Pickelhaube. After all, it is the helmet Germany wore for more than
half the War and its shape is one of the most recognizable images of the conflict.
Unfortunately, Pickelhaube collecting is very much a highly-specialized and complex
hobby unto itself. Therefore, as per the intent of this website I will narrow
my focus to just one helmet, the model introduced during the Great War for
distribution to all enlisted infantry of Imperial Germany: The Model 1915 Infantry Mannschaften
Pickelhaube, known
as the M15 Pickelhaube.
First of all, you are probably
already aware that standard Pickelhauben are constructed entirely of boiled
leather (for exceptions, see section below: Ersatz). If by now you’ve become
used to steel helmets, you will no doubt find a Pickelhaube to feel uncomfortably delicate in
comparison. They are composed of many metal parts that are easily lost or
damaged and the leather shell itself can often crack, shrink, tear or become
misshapen over time. Consequently, as a collector you will surely find a great many
sad-looking original helmets as well as helmets that have been pieced-together
from a mix of the remains of other helmets, some with reproduction elements
added in. Additionally, prices are often relatively high –all of which makes
for a daunting situation for the new collector.
As I mentioned before, the
collecting of Pickelhauben is a specialization unto itself, the finer points of
which are unfortunately well outside my area of expertise. Before I began my
search for an M15 Pickelhaube, I set forth to first arm myself with as much
information as I could and I heartily recommend that you do the same (this should
well be applied to any of the helmets discussed herein); Kaiser’s Bunker and the forums at pickelhaubes.com are excellent
places to start and the article Pickelhaube: The Story of the German Spiked Helmet has some very good information pertaining specifically to the collecting of these helmets. What follows are my opinions as to how to proceed and things
to look for, though there may well be some ambiguity to be found in this information…
That is to say, while I believe the information that I present here to be entirely
accurate, authentic variations may exist that I could be unaware of.
The Right
Pickelhaube
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| Photo: Arundel Militaria |
Things to be Aware
of
Given what has already been
discussed in regard to helmet condition, it applies especially to Pickelhauben.
You should aim to find a complete and original piece if at all possible, as
replacement parts (particularly originals) will be difficult to locate and
expensive once you do. There are several points to be aware of when considering
a Pickelhaube specifically:
- Basic Points: All metal fittings on M15 Pickelhauben are of chemically-treated oxidized
(or occasionally matte grey-painted) steel. The top spike (or ball) is removable and affixed
via a bayonet-style lug. On the top rear spine of the helmet will be a sliding
door covering a cooling vent.
Where this spine attaches to the helmet on the underside of the rear neck-guard should be found a unique, square-shaped nut. The liner may be of either black or natural-colored leather. In cases where the natural color was used, the visible portion of the liner at the sides of the helmet would have been painted black. However, this can fade or flake away over time. Most reproduction Pickelhauben come from India. They are not generally intended to deceive. Actually, I don’t know what they are intended for.
The square-shaped spine nut - Crazing & Deformation: Crazing is the spider web-like cracking that often can be seen on the outer shell. It is caused by the expanding and contracting of the leather over time, due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Some crazing is nearly unavoidable but, obviously, this should be kept to a minimum as much as possible. Any deformation or shrinkage is a more serious issue and you will have to be the judge as to what extent it is acceptable and how much it detracts from the overall presentation of a piece.
- Reproduction Cockades:
Excellent reproduction cockades are available for all the German states and they can be extremely difficult to distinguish from original pieces. The white paint of the outer ring should be smooth and enamel-like, though they will now often display some chips and/or pitting or have a somewhat chalky appearance. Be mindful of artificial aging. It also seems that on many originals the red enamel paint of the national cockade will have often faded to a bright red-orange color, rather than the deep red found on most reproductions.
Reich's cockade: original (left); reproduction (right) - Reproduction Chinstraps: Original chinstraps should be of black leather, the thickness of which can vary. It should, however, be dyed on the front-side only, while the back will retain its natural leather color. A debossed border line should be visible along the top and bottom edges for the length of the strap. Both of these details are often omitted on reproductions. The ends of the strap should be stitched to the buckles, although original riveted examples do exist. On M15 models the fittings should be made of steel rather than brass.
- Replaced Wappen: The frontal plates (wappen) of the various German states were not standardized in the placement of their attachment loops. Thus, if the wappen was changed, additional holes may be found in the helmet shell where the original had once been. Occasionally, this was a period modification or it might have been done recently to increase a helmet’s value. This will not be so much of an issue for Prussian Pickelhauben, being the most common variety. Wappen were affixed by means of two leather wedges pushed through their attachment loops on the inside of the helmet.
- Kammerstemple: This is the issue stamp that can frequently be found on the underside of the neck-guard. It often begins with J.R. or R.J.R –the “J” actually representing an “I”. Thus, R.J.R. stands for Reserve Infantry Regiment. So-called “bond helmets” were captured unissued helmets that were given away as prizes for the purchase of war bonds. Thousands of Pickelhauben were thusly acquired in the United States. When found today, their condition is often superior to issued helmets, although they will lack the kammerstemple of an issued piece.
- Ersatz Helmets: Just after the onset of the War, a leather shortage in Germany necessitated the manufacture of M15 Pickelhauben in a variety of other materials, including felt, tin, papier-mâché and steel. As they are more seldom seen, their value is generally marginally higher than that of standard leather Pickelhauben –especially for those of steel construction, which can be substantially higher. The production of leather Pickelhauben seems to have stabilized by 1916, by which time the Stahlhelm had been introduced as the primary combat helmet.
If the information presented above seems a bit overwhelming,
that’s because it is. There is a huge amount to be aware of when it comes to Pickelhaube
collecting and rare pieces can easily run into the tens of thousands of
dollars. However, obtaining a very good and complete example of a basic-issue Prussian
Infantry M15 Pickelhaube for a fairly reasonable price is not (or at least should not be) an altogether impossible proposition. As always, my
advice would be to learn as much as possible before you buy and then take your
time and wait patiently for the right piece to come along. Believe me, you’ll
be much better off for having done so.
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| The Pickelhaube in action with Manöverkappe helmet cover |