Original Item: Only One Available. This is an incredible ultra rare all original example Model 1942 M42 German WWII helmet, with a single SS decal on the left side of the helmet. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains its field grey, lightly textured finish with about 95% of the original paint intact. The SS decal is very nice and 95% intact, probably the best original SS decal that we have seen. This helmet looks to only have seen light use in service, and would make an incredible addition to any German WWII collection.

On the under side of the rear skirt, the shell has a stamped manufacturer's code and size EF66 over heat lot 848, indicating it was manufactured by Emaillierwerke AG, of Fulda, Germany. Size 66 is a nice large size that can accommodate liners from 58cm to 59cm or US 7 1/4 to 7 3/8. Size 66 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

All three liner retaining pins are intact, with exterior paint retained almost completely. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner, though unfortunately while it does not show much wear, it has suffered from dry rot over the past 75+ years. It has a lot of splitting around the rim, and several of the fingers are broken off. The original top tie is still intact. The late war issue galvanized steel liner band is marked on the left outer side with 66 nA / 58, indicating that the liner is a size 58, intended for a 66 shell.  The leather is also clearly marked 58. The right side displays the full manufacture information inside a circle:

The chinstrap is also present, though like the liner it has suffered from age related degradation. It is somewhat delicate, and the buckle side strap has had the stud slot split through one one side. The strap is marked on the end with G. SCHIELE / LOBURG / 1942, a known maker of chin straps.

Overall this is a great example of a Rare M42 Single Decal SS helmet, complete with a liner and complete chinstrap! M42 helmets of this quality are always the hardest to find on the market. This is an item that will only continue to appreciate in value over time.

The first "modern" steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915 and were shortly followed by the British army later that year. With plans on the drawing board, experimental helmets in the field, ("Gaede" helmet), and some captured French and British helmets the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, (Iron and Foundry Works), in the spring of 1916.

These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. The M16 and M18 helmets remained in usage through-out the Weimar Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era and on into the early years of the Third Reich until the development of the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet in June 1935.

In 1934 tests began on an improved Stahlhelm, whose design was a development of World War I models. The Eisenhüttenwerke company of Thale carried out prototype design and testing, with Dr. Friedrich Schwerd once again taking a hand.

The new helmet was pressed from sheets of molybdenum steel in several stages. The size of the flared visor and skirt was reduced, and the large projecting lugs for the obsolete armor shield were eliminated. The ventilator holes were retained, but were set in smaller hollow rivets mounted to the helmet's shell. The edges of the shell were rolled over, creating a smooth edge along the helmet. Finally, a completely new leather suspension, or liner, was incorporated that greatly improved the helmet's safety, adjustability, and comfort for each wearer. These improvements made the new M1935 helmet lighter, more compact, and more comfortable to wear than the previous designs.

The Army's Supreme Command officially accepted the new helmet on June 25, 1935 and it was intended to replace all other helmets in service.

The M1935 design was slightly modified in 1940 to simplify its construction, the manufacturing process now incorporating more automated stamping methods. The principal change was to stamp the ventilator hole mounts directly onto the shell, rather than utilizing separate fittings. In other respects, the M1940 helmet was identical to the M1935. The Germans still referred to the M1940 as the M1935, while the M1940 designation were given by collectors.

The last wartime upgrade to the standard helmet took place on 6 July 1942 at the request of the Army High Command. The rolled edge found on M1935 and M1940 helmets was discontinued as a measure of economy. On 1 August 1942 the first M1942 helmets were placed into production, and this was the model produced until late in the war, when most factories were captured or stood idle due to material shortages.