Original Item: Only One Available. Just received out a large Pacific Collection, the first "Berndorfer" helmet that we have had the pleasure of handling! The Austro-Hungarian M17 "Berndorfer" Stahlhelm was introduced in early 1917 to supplement the German style M-1917 helmets, and were only used by the Austrian forces during WWI. These helmets were made in very limited numbers, and were all made by Berndorfer Metallwarenfabrik Arthur Krupp A.G. in Berndorf, lower Austria.

The styling of the Berndorfer helmet was unique, and didn't conform to the standard shape of the German Stahlhelm. It was more bowl-shaped, but also had a pronounced crimp on the ends of the visor, giving it an altogether different appearance. It also lacked the vent holes of the German-style helmets, and instead had a 4 small vent holes on the top of the helmet, covered by a small riveted on cover. They did make a Stirnpanzer to fit this helmet, but it had to lock onto the small cover on the top, and they were very rarely seen.

This helmet is in great shape, and still has a fully intact liner and chin strap. It looks like the helmet originally was more of an apple green, but then was painted during wartime to match the "Isonzo Braun" used by the rest of the Austrian forces. There is some wear through in places, but it looks great.

The rear of the helmet skirt is marked with a "Bear" logo over 66, indicating manufacture by Berndorfer Metal-Warenfabrik A Krupp AG in Berndorf, Austria in size 66. This is the only factory that manufactured the aptly named M17 "Berndorfer" model helmets. Size 66 is a nice large size that would usually accommodate size 56 to 58 hat sizes, which is 7 1/4 to 7 1/2 in U.S. sizes. The top of the shell is marked on the inside with a rolling mill lot number 3617, though that could be "B617" for the Bleckmann rolling mill. The helmet still has the characteristic correct top vent hole intact.

The helmet still retains the original leather three panel liner, which is attached to a metal band marked 66, for the shell size. It is the standard German 3 pad stile, where each pad has two "fingers" on top with grommets, for a top tie. The top tie is unfortunately missing, and there is some insect damage to the leather. All three sections have the original padding still behind them.

The original chin strap is still present, and in very good condition. The leather is somewhat stiff, but it is still solid, with an intact functional buckle.

This is a great example of a rare helmet, the first that we have ever been able to offer. Ready to fill a spot in your helmet collection!

The Central Powers of Austria-Hungary used, manufactured and commissioned, variations of the World War One German Stahlhelm M16 design. The Austrian M1917 helmet was similar to the German M1916, but had a few variations including the chinstrap, chinstrap rivets located higher up on the steel shell and variations in locations of markings among others.

Early Austrian helmets were supplied by Germany, the first shells supplied as the chinstrap rivets were mounted in a lower position. The Austrians fitted their own chinstrap bales, chinstraps and liner and painted them in Austrian Isonzo braun. These modifications were carried out with German machinery at the"Adolf Westen di Cilli factory, which is now Celije, in Slovenia.

Later Austria-Hungary made their own helmets, and eventually developed a model similar to the German M18, but it did not see wide use before the end of the war, just as with German's M18. Both were an an important stepping stone towards the German helmets of WWII, which moved to chin straps attached to the liner, not the shell.

Austro-Hungarian WWI Helmets Makers-

There are only 9 known factories that produced helmets during WWI for the KUK. Unlike the Germans the Austrian pattern helmet are often found without factory stamps and heating lot codes. When the heating lot codes are present it is often on the outer top dome of the helmet instead of the inside. The following is a table of Manufactures codes of helmets produced by the Austrians. Several of these makers did not stamp the code into the shell of the helmet but rather marked them with an ink stamp. Therefore many Austrian shells will be encountered today that seem to have no maker mark as the ink stamp has worn off, but most will have rolling mill codes.

Maker Name Factory Location Maker code Sizes Model

A. Westen Cilli Celie, Slovenia AW 64 M17

Brüder Gottlieb u. Brauchbar Brunn BGB 66 M17

C. A. Scholtz,Mateocz Sloeakei CAS 66 M17

Berndorfer Metal-Warenfabrik Berndorf, Austria "Bear" logo 66,64

Bruder Lapp, Rottenman u. Warcholowsky Unknown ? M17

Nadrag,Transilvania Transylvania Unknown ? M17

Resicka, Transylvania Transylvania Unknown ? M17

Bleckmann & Poldihutte Klando Boemia Unknown x Stirnpanzer

Gebruder Bohler & Co., Kapfen Austria, Stiria GB "Star" 66 M17

Rolling Mills Marker Code

Ludwikow L

Bleckmann B

Poldi P