This page shows the restoration process of a M35 helmet as it goes from bare steel to an Italian front camo pattern. Please keep checking back to follow the progress of this particular helmet.

This M35 helmet is SE66 marked with a 3000s series lot number, putting production sometime in 1937. Both side of the helmet show "ghosts" where the original decals were seared into the steel over many years. Although we can't know exactly what branch this helmet saw service (could be either Heer, Kreigsmarine, or Waffen SS), for purposes of this restoration we will assume Heer .

  The first step in the restoration process is to remove all traces of post-war paint.

Once the paint is removed, the steel is scrubbed with acetone, then washed in warm soapy water. This process assures all traces of paint, oils and other chemicals are removed from the steel,  bringing the steel of the helmet back to the original condition found in 1937.

The helmet is then painted with a pneumatic paint gun, both inside and out, with five thick coats of oil based enamel paint. Each coat is heat cured to create a hard durable finish. The color selected here is commonly known as apple green. The smooth slightly glossy finish is typical of SE marked helmets produced in the 1937 time period. In the next step the helmet is decaled with a correct SE metallic Heer and national colors decal. The helmet has also been stamped in the dome with a 1937 dated inspector's ink stamp.

The next step in the process is to age the factory paint and decals. The goal is to give the helmet the appearance of having seen action in Czechoslovakia, Memel and Poland. The apple green paint and decals has darkened from smoke damage, the finish is also scratch, chipped and scuffed. The helmet now has the look and feel of a combat vet.

At this stage of the restoration the helmet has been re-worked to conform with the 1940 regulations.  The helmet could have been re-work at the depot level or by the soldier himself. The helmet has been completely over-painted including the inside of the skirt with a dark matte rough textured field gray paint. The original factory paint can now only been seen inside the dome, and though chips in the over-paint. As per the new regulations the national colors decal has been painted over but its outline can been seen. The Heer decal however was carefully painted around.  During the re-work process the original factory installed brass alloy split pins and slotted washers were re-placed with stronger steel versions. The 1937 dated aluminum liner however was deemed serviceable and was re-installed into the helmet. The helmet was then aged to appear as if it had seen several hard months of campaigning on the Russian front.  The field gray paint shows considerable wear. The bill and skull show stacking scars resulting from the practice of stacking helmets one on top of the other when not being used. The field gray finish appears impregnated with dust, without a doubt the result of hours of marching on the dusty Russian roads. Rust is beginning to cake around the steel split pins and stain the finish, the result of the high level of humidity found in the Ukraine and Russia during the summer months.       

The inside of the helmet goes though a rigorous restoration and aging process too. Note the paint missing from portions of the bill and skirt, the result of stacking. The 1937 dated dome stamp although still visible but has faded somewhat. The helmet was fit with an original 1937 dated aluminum re-enforced liner. The liner was made by Werner Zahn. Most liners dated from this year are un-reinforced, so its probably safe to assume this liner may have been made during the mid to latter part of 1937.  The leather is new and has been heavily aged to match the general wear on the helmet. The leather has darkened significantly from sweat, dust, and oil, the result of months of hard campaigning in the Russian summer. Even the tie has been aged, and given a yellowed sweat and oil stained appearance. The paraffin wax tips on ties have all but worn away, leaving the ends frayed. The chinstrap chosen for this restoration is the earlier carbine clip style version. Many of this style chinstrap are found on early production M35s. The iron carbine clip on this chinstrap is original and dates from the Reichwehr era.  There is the name of a soldier hand rendered on the skirt. Looking closely one can seen the name and Wehr number of another soldier under the field gray over-paint, the result of the helmet being re-issued.     

In this step the helmet now appear as it might have on the Italian front with freshly applied camo paints. This look was achieved in several steps. First the helmet was hand painted with a thick coat of ordinance tan paint right over the field-gray base. The paint with mixed with wood chips and gravel, which when the paint cures will give the helmet a anti-reflective quality. The helmet was then air-brushed with grass-green and brick red paint to provide contrast. These colors were widely available to German soldiers on most all fronts. Although some may refer to this pattern as a Italian front camo scheme, these colors would have been seen in France and Southern Russia. While the paint was still wet a full six-twist farm wire basket was fitted to the helmet. This single-strand wire would have been widely available to German soldiers fighting in Italy.   

The helmet is now in its final stage of the restoration process. The farm wire backet has been removed and disguared at some point however the finish shows scars where the wire sunk into the paint.  The SE/ET decal shows heavy crazing and battle wear. The helmet holds an overall dusty appearance certainly the result of long storage. The paint has worn away from most of the wear points, such as the vents and around the edges of the helmet.