Item Description
Original Item. Only One Available. This is a gorgeous example of an exceedingly scarce Austrian Rural Gendarmerie helmet, which began life as an Austro-Hungarian M17 Steel helmet used during World War I. After the war, the helmet had a new liner and chinstrap installed, the shell being entirely repainted in the current blue-gray color, and a small Flaming bomb insignia attached to one side. This is entirely correct for an Austrian Rural Gendarmerie helmet.
The helmet has some unique attributes that make these helmets different than the stock Austrian WWI helmets. First, the rounded dome rivets holding in the liner system which differ from the flat-headed rivets used during the war. Second, the liner system is high-quality and is evident of post-war reconditioning, with the steel eyelets on the pads being of note. The Austrians primarily used a canvas chinstrap during the war, and this is a post-war installed leather example. The chinstrap of this example is actually stamped L.G.K. ST. / 414, which in our research we believe to stand for Landesgendarmerie Kärnten, with ST being the location.
The Flaming Bomb insignia is well-documented as having been worn by the Austrian Rural Gendarmerie. The helmet itself does not have any maker stamps or markings, but this would make sense as some makers used an ink stamp instead of an impressed stamp, which would have been lost when the helmet was repainted. A fantastic example of what is becoming a much more difficult helmet to find. Comes ready for further research and display.
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
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