Enigma Posted October 9, 2018 Author Share Posted October 9, 2018 Busy making another T14 helmet. Why am I putting myself through this again? maybe I'll post a pic when its done (that is if I haven't gone bananas before that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted October 31, 2018 Author Share Posted October 31, 2018 (edited) Right... The famous Lee Miller helmet; And the one I made. ; Edited October 31, 2018 by Enigma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 (edited) After buying the British painted steel book and having walked in Arromanches on June 6th as a RAMC member I got inspired to make some more British helmets. The shells are postwar and were given a coarse structure with a few brushed on and a few with a even coverage. The markings and camouflage patterns were hand painted. What do you think of these? Edited June 24, 2019 by Enigma Typo's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 So...what do you do when you find allmost all british Dispatch rider helmets are sized smaal to medium??? Well then you make your own. And, DAMN, that's difficult...😟 But still....here it is. Made from a RAC shell. Everything else is newly made by hand, including buckle, strap, liner ring and even hand stitched sweatband!!! Size is about 61-62 so 7 5/8-7 3/4. I used 2 WW2 ones for comparison, mine (obviously) is the middle one. Let me know what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johann morris Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Quote Lovely job but I hope that the RAC ones that you used weren't ww2 dated. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 1 hour ago, johann morris said: Lovely job but I hope that the RAC ones that you used weren't ww2 dated. Jon WW2 RAC and Dispatch shells aren't dated at all. Para shells sometimes. AFAIK all RAC shells without "lift the dot" are WW2. Still I can't find proof. I am looking for empty Dispatch shells (preferably with liner ring) but no luck so far. The one I found had markings so will be in the collection when it arrives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johann morris Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 Well you learn something every day. I am currently looking for a ww2 rac helmet but it appears that most have been converted by the reenacting community into para helmets. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 26, 2020 Author Share Posted November 26, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, johann morris said: Well you learn something every day. I am currently looking for a ww2 rac helmet but it appears that most have been converted by the reenacting community into para helmets. Jon Yes, a lot have been. But not just by reenactors , a lot of them are converted by the Belgian army with their own make of paraliner and straps. Again with the Belgian flag on them. I have a couple of those. Most I do find RAC helmets with Belgian decals or painted Belgian flags on them, on bare metal leaving the rough finish on the rest of the shell. I prefer these to convert and the nicer ones without that flag I keep in my collection. Some of these Belgian used ones I removed their flag and painted a reconnaissance flash on it when wearing a Recce BD or tanksuit. This is the one I use most. Edited November 26, 2020 by Enigma Added photo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johann morris Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Evening Enigma, I managed to get a helmet but it's been stored in a pile and although the advert didn't show it, it has a black ring around the crown. Do you ever repaint your shells, if so what colour do you use? The shell is dated as well as the liner. Regards, Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 9 minutes ago, johann morris said: Evening Enigma, I managed to get a helmet but it's been stored in a pile and although the advert didn't show it, it has a black ring around the crown. Do you ever repaint your shells, if so what colour do you use? The shell is dated as well as the liner. Regards, Jon Hi John The black ring is from another liner that was placed on top? Do you have a few pics, including date of the shell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johann morris Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Here you go. The stamps are very hard to see clearly on the photograph but to the eye it looks like: BMB mk2 ? 1?53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) Interesting. Last week I bought a similar one, with the 7 3/4 on the side!! I'll check for a date stamp in the metal. That is the 1st time I'v seen a RAC shell with markings, cool!!! Probably 1953. I have seen several postwar para shells with makers mark and dates. It looks like post war RAC shells were marked too. Learned something new. Can you reveal where you bought it? Mine was from here, the Netherlands. Edited November 30, 2020 by Enigma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 Hah! Just checked; mine has been stamped in the metal too, in roughly the same area!. Can't make out what it says though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johann morris Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Ebay uk. Any idea what colour green they were painted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 8 minutes ago, johann morris said: Ebay uk. Any idea what colour green they were painted? I think they might have been a lighter shade of green. But I'd advise just to use as is. If you'd want to get rid of the size marking you could add a camonet with a first aid packet onder it to cover the size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johann morris Posted December 5, 2020 Share Posted December 5, 2020 Morning Enigma, I managed to get the red size marking off and most of the black without removing the paint or painting over it. And then i found a picture of one with the markings of the Scots Guard Armoured Division on, so I copied that. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted December 6, 2020 Author Share Posted December 6, 2020 That looks nice. Will you wear this one? If so, does the liner fit you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johann morris Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 On 12/6/2020 at 10:40 AM, Enigma said: That looks nice. Will you wear this one? If so, does the liner fit you? It's for a mannequin that I am putting together with my camo pixie suit. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted December 7, 2020 Author Share Posted December 7, 2020 Cool. Nice camo tanksuit. Don't see these often. What size is the suit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johann morris Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 It fits me and I am 5ft 11" so a nice size. I had been looking for a camo one to go with the plain tan one for ages and then one turned up on a Dutch dealers web site. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted December 7, 2020 Author Share Posted December 7, 2020 I have both plain and camo. My camo is a small one. Tall ones I have a few (ww2 and post war). I am 6 foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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