Description: Original Imperial German Prussian Pickelhaube / Spiked Helmet leather shellThis is a leather shell of a pickelhaube apparently stripped of parts to repair another. Barely fits in my size 60 7.5 head, so shrunk or meant for someone a couple sizes smaller.Spiked helmets, known as a pickelhauben, was originally designed by King Frederick Wilhelm IV of Prussia in 1842. This helmet design was popular among the Russian and German militaries and police prior to and during World War I. The designation Pickelhaube is believed to be originally derived from 'Bickel haute' - a medieval helmet of broadly similar shape. As early as 1844, the poet Heinrich Heine mocked the Pickelhaube as a symbol of reaction and an unsuitable head-dress. He cautioned that the spike could easily "draw modern lightnings down on your romantic head". All helmets produced for the infantry before and during 1914 were made of leather. As the war progressed, Germany's leather stockpiles dwindled. After extensive imports from South America, particularly Argentina, the German government began producing ersatz Pickelhauben made of other materials. In 1915, some Pickelhauben started to be constructed from thin sheet steel. However, the German high command needed to produce an even greater number of helmets, leading to the usage of pressurized felt and even paper to construct Pickelhauben. The Pickelhaube was discontinued in 1916.Very poor condition. Missing visor, most metal parts including spike and brow plate. leather cracked and broken in a few places. Good news: It is not on fire.
Price: 100 USD
Location: North Hollywood, California
End Time: 2024-11-05T20:31:59.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Conflict: WW I (1914-18)
Original/Reproduction: Original
Theme: Militaria
Region of Origin: Germany
Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany
