Near Mint Luftwaffe Double Decal Lightweight Aluminum M35 Parade Helmet

The exterior blue gray paint of the helmet is nearly 100% intact, with some wear on the bottom edges, and a few spots and scratches. The Luftwaffe eagle decal is essentially completely intact, showing only a bit of wear to the talons on the eagle’s straight leg and is the early “droop tail” that one would expect to see on a helmet from this era. The tri-color national shield is not a decal, but rather hand painted, the paint showing typical age and toning, leaving no doubt it was period painted. The leather chin strap has holes for size adjustment, but the opposite side of the strap, which includes the rectangular buckle, never had a metal prong for insertion into the strap holes. Instead, the chin strap is secured by pulling it through the buckle and inserting the end into the chin strap bale and then folding it back onto the strap. This method actually provides for a more secure wear of the helmet, because the strap can be adjusted to any degree of tightness and it is not limited by the holes in the strap. The interior leather lining is quite clean, although lacking the drawstring. The felt liner pad beneath the leather is intact. The number “59” can be seen written into the dome of the helmet, no doubt the size of the helmet shell. While the helmet exhibits some exterior scratches and had paint applied to the national colors decal, it still presents in near mint condition.